FOP President discusses allegations

Nice response Dave. Lies unanswered for are generally taken as the truth too many times. It irritates me that the lack of Journalism in this town can oftentimes be taken for granted. The Courier should start by having their reporters verify facts rather than print inuendo and gossip.

I, like many others believed that the article was more about Chief White than Officer Moore. For him to be able to tell bald face lies that it was the FOP that prevented him from firing anyone is ludicrous.

Dave,

Well said, well written and from the heart!

Tom

The rest of the response in the CJ

"... I am an elected leader and I will not mince words. After the July C-J article many officers felt as if Chief White were suggesting that large numbers of officers on our department were disciplinary problems and/or involved in criminal activity on a routine basis. The Chief did not say those exact words, but that is what the officers heard and felt was implied. This perception is a problem in itself. I can assure your readers that the problems that exist within the LMPD do not, for the most part, involve those that hold the rank of Officer and ride a beat or regularly interact with the public. Are there a small percentage of police officers on the LMPD that should not be wearing the uniform? Yes, absolutely. It is important to point out that most of them do not and would never engage in criminal activity - they simply don't have what it takes to be a police officer. Does the FOP have any power or authority to weed these officers out? No. Again, that authority lies with the Chief of Police and those he appoints to take charge of this department.

The real problem is that our recruiting, hiring, and promotional processes are all flawed. They are designed to be all inclusive, politically correct, and promote diversity. How about we recruit and hire the best candidates no matter what. How about we promote based on merit. The promotional process is a joke. I say this having been promoted myself. Job performance, true policing experience, and leadership ability are all NOT considered when an officer or sergeant is promoted.

In addition, political correctness and the need to make everyone feel good about themselves has ruined our ability to effectively police. The LMPD currently operates like a company or a business. Some in the upper echelon command even refer to our police department as "The Company." We no longer arrest criminals and protect the public. Instead we respond to "consumers" and provide services for our "clients." This is hogwash. The LMPD is an armed paramilitary organization charged with protecting the citizens of Louisville Metro. I'll say it again - we are a paramilitary organization. We should train like one, act and operate like one, and install or promote leaders at all ranks that understand this. The citizens of our community deserve no less than this from all of us who choose to wear the uniform and protect them.

The Louisville Police Department and the Jefferson County Police Department merged over seven years ago to form the Louisville Metro Police Department. We should be one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the country. We are not…and we will not be until our city leaders and the Command Staff at the LMPD realize that our police department does not need good managers. We need excellent leaders who also know how to manage. We have leaders like this on the department. Unfortunately they are hidden away in dark corners where their abilities cannot be exposed.

I am willing and ready to discuss the issues addressed in this article or any issue involving the LMPD or the RCFOP with any elected official, city leader, or concerned citizen."

Awesome letter! You can definitely tell the housecats were posting comments on the Courier's website.

Hey, can you guys put the whole story up? You skipped the second half.

Well done! Well written, much better than anything Bob or either of his PIO's have every been able to piece together in a sentence. Nice touch about the promotion process too. It is a shame to see people promoted who have open discipline cases and are promoted just because of WHO they are!

Nice response in Mondays paper also, from an retired LAPD watch commander. Looks like the public is taking an interest in OL' BOB's running of LMPD. Maybe the public who pays the next mayor's salary will put enough pressure on the NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIAL to do something about the CHIEF.

Great job FOP President !!!!!!

That is exactly what I voted for in the last FOP election. We need to get our side out there!!

The command staff is FAILING!!

Failing to keep us informed...

Failing to keep us professional in the publics view by letting the media run us down. Example: Mattingly...you did not tell the whole story that would have made it all make sense. NO!!! you sit by and let the media tell thier side of the story and made HIM and ALL LMPD take the brunt, which leads to .....

Failing to defend us!!

You order us to engage in conflict by making your stats!! yet when it is time for you, YOU DON"T!!!!

Ok,, rant is over.

Now some of the responses written here are quite articulate, some well thought out, others thoroughly researched and most are definitely emphatic,. But honestly, it seems that there some very immature individuals on both sides of the argument, I amazed by some of the comments left here, that if you are a sworn law enforcement officer, you actually managed to pass the psychological evaluation. I am quite amused, yet also a bit concerned that some of you are in fact able to possibly a fellow brother in blue.

It honestly makes me glad that I am retired, albeit not from LMPD, being a police officer here would have been too slow for me, but I do enjoy the city for the most part. Because the caliber of officers that some of you seem to be, would have never been tolerated. One of "The Old Guys" would have had a "Come to Jesus" meeting with you and would have finished with "Shut up and Police". Seriously, if you hate your job or department that much; transfer, quit, move or something, because if you think that replacing command officers, magically changes things, let me tell you... No it does not. If someone has made it far enough up the "Command Staff Ladder" it usually means that they are quite savvy at politics and will look out for themselves and their position. How do you think that got the job?

The day you think you are better than the people you serve, the day you lose your empathy for the less fortunate, the day you think that everyone else who is not police or who does not think like you is a waste of space, then it is time to go seek new employment, like be a fire fighter or taxi driver. I am not talking about being soft on criminals or other individuals of malfeasance. I am talking about taking the time to actually interact with the people you serve, instead of viewing them as a a criminal waiting to happen, . The job is hard enough, no need to make it harder for yourself or others. Also remember there are kids in the worst areas of town that actually want to step up and put on the uniform and badge and take the oath to protect and serve. I was one of those kids.

Oh and as far some of you thinking I am one of those "Hug-A-Thug" types... Only once, and that was because he actually saved my life, he hit the guy who was going to hit me with a bat at a bar brawl on Boylston. We are still friends and his kid is now on the job in Southie.

As much as many of you will not like this, here are what I believe to be the raw facts...

This command staff has not fired many people, period. If you believe they have, you are flat wrong. They should have fired atleast a dozen, to inlcude several ranking officers, but again they have not.

The fact is that you can almost get away with anything now, as the bar has been set so low.

It is sad, but many of you are on here ripping at each others throats, when it is really not necessary. Do want change? Then take the test for sergeant, and above.

I have made this argument atleast a dozen times to good cops. If a good cop becomes a decent sergeant, then most likely he or she would make a good lieutenant, and that GOOD lieutenant might make a decent captain (if it ever comes back) or major one day. That is how you fix this broken system. If you don't like this pattern of thought, I am ok with it, but if you want to think with a strategic mindset, this how you do it.

Remember two officer runs, are two officer runs, period. Always back up you beat partners, Period. Always treat the citizens well and the criminals the way they treated you.

BE SAFE, Good luck and God Bless.