I get that. The comments are what keeps a lot of people coming back. Sometimes they are valid, sometimes helpful and well thought out,sometimes quite entertaining and others are just downright nasty. If only you could see some of those I don't allow through.
If any one has any suggestions for a better way to administer the comments to improve the blog, I am listening.
This afternoon I received an anonymous comment regarding the video of Judge Vanda Evans prior to her sentencing of a racist, abusive cop.
The comment read:
I too was galvanized by the judge's oratory. This 20 minute speech which is what it was, should be used in every police academy throughout the nation. It won't but it should. The biggest mistake that honest, humble, hard-working police do in the course of their job, is to protect their fellow officers when one commits an aggression that anyone else would be arrested for and charged.
And please Mr Brookman, don't think for one moment that we don't have this problem here in Hartford. We do. Don't white-wash, sort of speak. Even I, as a white man, have found myself in police situations that could have too easily gone in a negative direction save for my friendliness and non-threatening behavior and most importantly, my WHITENESS.
I am sometimes optimistic and at other times, pessimistic, depending on the situation. With regard to police misconduct, I am more pessimistic in the ability of police organizations to weed out the poor choices. Part of the problem is the police unions, all of which should be rendered obsolete and banned. So, as I meet a police on any level, my mind automatically begins a selection process; good police and human or pig. And unfortunately, there remain plenty of pigs in Hartford. You even find them on these boards.
Until the pigs are pulled from the poke,, things won't change. Yes, we have a dedicated group here in Hartford and am comforted by their presence. And I do my best to assist reporting a crime when possible. But it's those damn pigs that are only fired after committing a humongous crime. Get rid of the pigs and allow all of us the chance to dismiss our cynicism.
That judge's soliloquy did bring tears to my eyes. It was an unusual and lengthy rebuke from the bench. Praise to her wisdom. Maybe it resonated somewhere in the depths of that officer. I hope part of his after prison sentence will be to do community volunteering for a length of time. And if it is not mandated, then he should do it anyways for his own redemption.
And please Mr Brookman, don't think for one moment that we don't have this problem here in Hartford. We do. Don't white-wash, sort of speak. Even I, as a white man, have found myself in police situations that could have too easily gone in a negative direction save for my friendliness and non-threatening behavior and most importantly, my WHITENESS.
I am sometimes optimistic and at other times, pessimistic, depending on the situation. With regard to police misconduct, I am more pessimistic in the ability of police organizations to weed out the poor choices. Part of the problem is the police unions, all of which should be rendered obsolete and banned. So, as I meet a police on any level, my mind automatically begins a selection process; good police and human or pig. And unfortunately, there remain plenty of pigs in Hartford. You even find them on these boards.
Until the pigs are pulled from the poke,, things won't change. Yes, we have a dedicated group here in Hartford and am comforted by their presence. And I do my best to assist reporting a crime when possible. But it's those damn pigs that are only fired after committing a humongous crime. Get rid of the pigs and allow all of us the chance to dismiss our cynicism.
That judge's soliloquy did bring tears to my eyes. It was an unusual and lengthy rebuke from the bench. Praise to her wisdom. Maybe it resonated somewhere in the depths of that officer. I hope part of his after prison sentence will be to do community volunteering for a length of time. And if it is not mandated, then he should do it anyways for his own redemption.
My response:
Most of us don't have the greatest impression of our Police Officer's. One of the main reasons for that is we vary rarely meet or interact with police officer's under warm and fuzzy circumstances. You have been a victim of a crime, you have had a motor vehicle accident, you are getting pulled over for a traffic ticket. Or sometimes even worse.
Most people don't avail themselves of the chance to get to know a police officer and see what makes them tick. Work with your CSO at an NRZ meeting and see the response you get. It is what the Community Oriented Policing program is all about.
And we have all been there. How many Hartford residents have had a police officer ask them why they stay in Hartford ? How many of us have reported a break in to our cars and have a police officer comment "what do you expect, you live in Hartford"
I know our system isn't perfect, but we have a great foundation to build on. Last year I first exposed a situation here of a Hartford officer that was drunk at Foxwood's Casino yelling the "N" word. Chief Rovella promptly responded to the incident and the officer was terminated. Will the termination hold up if challenged? Who knows. But anything short of termination would definitely send the wrong message. How is the PD supposed to say they want and need to build bridges to the community if they knowingly deploy racist cops are in our neighborhoods.
And the fact that the officer was drunk is no excuse. All his excessive alcohol use did was provide the lubricant for his true beliefs and feelings to come to the surface. And to address your comment "Part of the problem is the police unions" How much do you think the Union will eventually spend on attorney';s fees and hearings to get a racist cop rehired? Unions overall have a purpose. If the City was putting in dangerous vehicles with bald tires as the Judge mentioned in her comments, that is fair game for the Union to address, keeping their members safe. To protect bad employees, many of them who are far from the caliber of the rest of their hard working decent members is wrong, and is indicative of what many unions have evolved into.
I think you are wrong in your assumption that Hartford Officers are only fired after committing a humongous crime. I think you need to look at the discipline record of Chief Rovella. Much of the wrong doing by Hartford Officers has been exposed first here. The lobster stealing officer, the officer involved in a murder investigation in Springfield and then expanded into interstate commerce by stealing from Walmart while working, the racist cop who was not afraid to tell cops at Foxwood's that his family used to own slaves and then yelling the "N" word at the cops.
None of those are proud moments for a Police Chief to deal with, but I think the measure is how the Chief deals with them. It would be easy to ignore such incidents , but that only creates more problems, and I have faith Chief Rovella can deal with the heat of doing the right thing when confronted with the hard choices.
I would ask for two things. First off, try to take the time and get to know a police officer you might be surprised when you see the human side of what they deal with. Second, , try a different word than pig and realize we are very lucky in Hartford to have the men and women protecting our City. It might not be perfect, but we have a direct role also in the success or failure.
