August 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.8

GUEST COMENTARY Doug

GUEST COMENTARY Doug Griffith Tick Tock Most of you know how important it is to be honest and transparent with regard to our work in law enforcement. We, as in officers, have been under a microscope ever since the days of Rodney King. Over the last 30 years we have watched as the media portrays officers in an ever-increasing negative light. This ramped up to a fever pitch in 2020 with the incident involving George Floyd. Nationwide there have been constant calls for “police accountability” and transparency. But at what levels? Over the last few years there are many officers who have fallen victim to the “accountability” movement and the belief that every officer must be disciplined (fined, yes a suspension is a monetary fine) for infractions. Many of these infractions did not have anything to do with the complaint that was first initiated. The department began handing out increasing harsh penalties for random infractions all in the name of transparency and accountability. The increased discipline led to increased arbitrations. Aaron Suder put out a recent article that showed how many of the discipline cases arbitrated were either reduced or overturned. It was an astounding 87%. This proves two 12 The Blues - August ‘24 things, discipline is being too harsh, and our legal staff does an amazing job. Now we sit in a different position as a department. We are looking at one of the most damaging scandals that the department has faced. This could have all been handled in a much different way, one that would not have caused the damage to the department and its credibility with the community. But here we sit in the midst of an ongoing investigation. One that will not go away. I was very critical of the leadership for the way that the investigation was being handled. Two Assistant Chiefs were demoted prior to any real investigation. This was all a knee jerk reaction to toss certain people to the wolves just to save themselves. Then we all watched as the investigation itself imploded, and the second scandal began. The allegations against the Executive Assistant Chief are damning on face value. So much so, that most of us would be sitting at home awaiting the completion of the investigation. I say that because we have officers on restricted duty or relieved of duty for much less egregious behavior. And the allegations do not stop with just the EAC, but we suspect DOUG GRIFFITH, PRESIDENT, HPOU that will be the case. We tend to only hammer everyone in an investigation when the ranks are lower. I have monitored the investigation and continue to ask about the outcome. I have been told by the acting Chief that the investigation is concluded and that we need to wait for it to work through the process like any other investigation. However, it is not like any other investigation. Once it was discovered that the person who wrote the discovery letter on the SL fiasco was not even in the meeting in question, the new case did not go to the independent police oversight board OR to ADC. Is someone trying to prevent the facts from being discovered? The clock is ticking and the HPOU is watching to make sure that those in leadership are held to the same standards of accountability as the rest of us.

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