July 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.7

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE Penalty for failing to act. Well folks, before you go judging me on the following editorial, just remember I was once a chief for over a decade and while I may not know it all, I do have a clue. The former Uvalde ISD Chief of Police was indicted last month, along with another former member of the UISD Police Department. Both men were charged with multiple counts of Child Endangerment. (TXPC 22.041 – © A person commits an offense if they intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence, by act or omission, engages in conduct that places a child younger than 15 years of age in imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment.) Look, these guys dropped the ball. Big time. There were multiple failures to act, react and just do their jobs. Period. When you’re the Chief of Police, and you FAIL to do YOUR job, you absolutely should lose your stars, your position and all that comes with it. In this case, when multiple children and adults perish at the murderous hands of a madman, while you stand around and do nothing, you should be indicted. I said, what I said. It is incumbent upon the Chief, or the head of any agency for that matter, to understand those 10 The Blues - July ‘24 stars get heavy, fast. You wanted them, now earn them. Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. And friends, I cannot think of more right reasons than multiple young and innocent children in a classroom being shot and killed while you did nothing to stop it. In my time serving as an ISD Chief of Police I had following losses: In separate incidents, over 100 students injured in school bus crashes. In separate incidents, three students lost their lives on my watch. In separate incidents, two employees lost their lives on my watch. The difference? I immediately and decisively responded to each incident. I immediately directed all operations and coordinated with multiple responding and investigating agencies. I worked with our administration and ensuing media inquiries. Not a day or night goes by, I do not remember my losses. I remember every decision, every action, and every call. I’ll especially never forget the difficult moments of having to notify surviving parents and family members. I’ll end with this. You carry a badge, you carry a gun, you swore an Oath under God to do your job. To do your Duty. You do it for the sake of everyone around you. If you aren’t willing to give up your life to save the life of others, QUIT NOW!! PLEASE. It’s not an easy commitment to make. I get it. I live with it every day. But believe me when I tell you the Demons do come a calling. But it’s what we signed up for. We knew it could happen. And if it happens on our Watch, we’d damn sure better respond accordingly. If we don’t, the loss of our job, our career and possible jail time is the least of our worries. Because if we fail, someone, maybe multiple someone’s, will lose their lives because collectively as law enforcement, we failed them. That my friends, is something I cannot and will not accept. None of us should. The indictment was the right decision. In fact, more should follow, and probably will.

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