It is relatively easy to run for an available television camera to make statements to further your agenda, and no one should doubt that there are specific agendas in play here. It is apparently more difficult to actually show some leadership qualities and work to bring about real change.
Instead of trying to look at the issues facing HPD it is much easier to go along with the "Anti cop" rhetoric which is very popular with the media, and that is a lot easier than actually trying to set policy.
Does anyone really believe that Justin Torneiro was an "isolated incident" as the HPD Union wants us to believe? I can quite confidently say right here right now, absolutely not, it is only a short matter of time before the other shoe drops.. But with that being said, where are the solutions or even an attempt at some solutions.,
It is much easier for Council people to call "Emergency Community Meetings" and expand the divide between Police and Community, and while we are at it, lets thrown the racial exposure in there to split the community even further apart.. That is not leadership, or is probably more a result of inexperience and not sure what a leader actually does.
I received several calls this week , probably half of them from Police Officers, asking why there was no drug testing at HPD or HFD? The answer has nothing to do with HPD and rests squarely with City Hall. Apparently the Mayor and the Council have refused to appropriate the funds and apparently cut the funding from previous budgets,
And after the Torneiro incident, I am told by a source familiar with the HPD budget that they could take the money out of another HPD budget item and apply that to drug testing. I think that is what they call robbing Peter to pay Paul.
If City Hall was serious about this problem, and hopefully preventing future problems, they would get on board and fund random drug testing for all City employees, HPD, HFD, and City Hall including Council employees. DPW already has a random drug testing program from what I am told.
And to show real leadership, every Council member should be at the front of the line to be tested, but we know that won't happen, it is easier to run for the TV cameras.
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