Sixteen apply for Louisville police chief's post

'anonymous' - you sound much more like a real ***** than a real cop. b i a t c h y.

to the poster that anonymous is harassing - excellent. i feel exactly the same way. great writing. great honesty.

keep it real.

why don't you tell us your solution? you bash people in the last paragraph here for not giving their ideas on how to change things but where are yours. who should be chief, command, patrol etc. how should someone be promoted and where should they be assigned after promotion? how should a spot in a division be filled? what is the definition of them and they? so before you get on me here it is

Chief, won't change since we have Jerry lite

command staff, must be a captain with one stipulation. must have more years of patrol than specialty units. I have heard to many times how patrol is the backbone of the department only to see the opposite. details they can't say no to, you will do it this way now even though it makes the beat guy do someone elses' job ( putting in property which they finally changed) to start. here is the matrix for a court date etc.

majors. get rid of and go back to captains so the politics are lessened in the equation when it comes to stats. this also gives division co backing to stand behind the beat guys since he can't be demoted for political reasons just like he was appointed for political reasons. best way to describe a major is no matter how popular, they were promoted because at the end of the day they could be controlled. if not they are demoted and banished on a whim, Tony Denham anyone. before you say it he screwed me over as a CO so i'm not a fan

captain promotion is written test and video evaluation of large scale event. example is chlorine leak on frankfort ave at 230 pm. along with this is copies of the maps with notes used and required by ICS. *incident command system* in case you were wondering that is mandatory by state law.

lieutenants, written test and video analysis of actual on scene command during a scenario. example officer involved shooting. no more reading a written statement into a tape recorder. see how they actually do when on the spot. read the requirements for promotion they are on call 24\7

sergeants, same as above but the scenarios would not be as involved. injured officer exposed to blood. here is a time book adjust for derby etc.

where would this take place due to costs. ft knox since they have the urban combat center already paid for. use and abuse, that is what it was designed for. put the evaluators on base in barracks and save more money since it isn't a hotel downtown and they get to watch real time the reactions not a prepared statement in a recorder. the whole place is video and audio recorded with the ability to insert changes at the flip of a switch.

for promotion no more here is your scenario you have an hour to write out what you would do, beat guys only get seconds to make decisions so with that in mind here is your scenario read it now go with a few minutes to plan to simulate driving to the scene.

for beat guys, there are 2 assigned to a beat. everyone else goes into a pool on the platoon, so if you have 5 beats there is a 1a,1b etc. if you have 15 people then 5 are floating filling in the spots on the platoon when some one is off. one day you are 2b the next 4b. this means to get a beat you actually have to want it and work to keep it since beats are assinged by the co per contract. that would mean the end of permanent car numbers but you could look on a piece of paper and see who was riding where in a second. not the 4c is primary on beat 2 tonight were currently have. and before you say politics before who gets what beat, yes there will be some.

basic guidelines

5 years to make sgt

3 years as sgt to make lt and must be in charge of street platoon for 3 years as sgt

3 years as lt to make capt

after that it is up to the mayor so 4 years(election) to make ass#ole

this would ensure no more of the chief trying to make someone a member of the command staff by appointment since they have to earn it through the system like white tried to make a sergeant a member of the command staff before they were off of probation as a sergeant.

but after all this is just me

and before anyone says it, I have a badge that is gold but that doesn't make me golden.

I'm not trying to be critical of your post, but one thing I'm always curious about is why writers on here never offer solutions. They only offer criticisms and want to tell the rest of us how we don't get it or that those in the staff should always be someone else.

1. Who is "them"?

Answer: They/Them/Those people – As used in the post are the folks who choose to wear garrison belts with a sidearm only, thus making themselves unable to respond to assist the fully equipped officers on the street. Further "they" are the people can be recognized because "they" never ever leave their plush offices and come to the streets. Why you ask, leadership is from the front. Boots on the ground.

2. Who are those "promoted for politics"? Please explain in specifics.

Answer: These are the people who were promoted to positions such as Major and above who are entirely beholden to a broken political system. It is a system such as this that caused the MERIT SYSTEM to be created due to political corruption through out departments in the United States. We took Five Steps back on this one.

3. Who is the "they" in paragraph 2?

Answer: See Answer #1

4. You make an assumption that folks do things "for the command staff". Can you explain?

Answer: Yes, I can. Do you want the explanation or have you preconceived your own? My answer is simple, Of course I will follow LAWFUL orders, as they are handed out. After all we are very loosely modeled on a paramilitary structure. But, my job? Nope, I do that for the citizens I swore my oath to. I do it for the oath I swore to God in front of my family. Not for you, not for the brass; not now, not ever – If I did only what the command requested, I would drive around in a "box" chasing "dots" that represent crime that happened a comstat cycle or better ago so somebody can pat themselves on the back.

5. You say it isn't "their" department? Why is it any more yours than "theirs"? Are we all not in it together? Is everyone supposed to remain at the officer level their entire career? Do some not have/want to move up the ranks? Maybe they feel the exact same way as you do. Maybe they want to serve their community and feel they are doing so in the best way they know how? What gives you a monopoly?

Answer: Esprit de Corp. Look it up. It is my department, your department, OUR department. See references to any military service for better explanation. This also refers to question 4, since it is ALWAYS about the soldier on the line next to you. If you don't understand the logic, you never served and you aren't fit to be in a leadership position. Sorry.

6. You have "outlasted other Majors and Colonels." Is this some sort of distinction or badge of honor?We have all outlasted others. It comes with seniority.

Answer: Correct, it comes with seniority and the experience to know that EVERYTHING and EVERYONE change in time. To include you and I. Our jobs are to make this county better while we are here and to leave it in capable hands when we leave.

7. Do you think you are the only one doing "what is right"? How does being a member of the Staff automatically make someone wrong? Perhaps they have just as much pride as you. Can you demonstrate their lack of pride?

Answer: Nope, it doesn't make some one wrong to have the "gold". However many were promoted under a system that does not take into real knowledge, experience and abilities into consideration. A written test, an assessment and a chief's board. NO REVIEW of the performance appraisals and NO review of their peers and subordinates. And no, I am not the only one doing the right thing. In fact many of us are, but there are those that come for a pay check and praise. They are NOT doing the mission they were chosen for.

8. What exactly is "clown juice"?

Answer: Refer to "Drinking the Kool-Aid" which is a metaphor commonly used in the United States that refers to a person or group's unquestioning belief in an ideology, argument, or philosophy without critical examination. The phrase typically carries a negative connotation when applied to an individual or group. The basis of the term is a reference to the November 1978 Jonestown Massacre, where members of the Peoples Temple were said to have committed suicide by drinking a "Kool-Aid"-like drink laced with cyanide. Objections notwithstanding, the phrase is commonly used in a variety of contexts to describe blind, uncritical acceptance or following with out intelligent questioning of the purpose But the reason it is referred to as clown juice goes to the now almost 9 year old comparison of this department to a circus with no ring leader, and who appear to be run by, and for the benefit of a few clowns. Thus "Kool-Aid" became "Clown Juice".

Anonymous writes - The thing that gets me is that all of you who criticize don't offer solutions. I fully support your right to speak in any way you see fit on here. But give us some specifics and talk pointedly about what you would do different.

Response: Thank you very much for supporting my CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. That is mighty big of you. But for specifics, OK

- How about ensuring that the BEST candidates get through the hiring process, you know, separate the wheat from the chaff. Having someone with a questionable background hired RUINS any chance of esprit de corp and sets the department up for potential black eye in the future.

- An annual PT Test for all sworn.

- If you want to get promoted, you should definietly be physically fit. In fact bring in the staff shrink to reevaluate all promotional candidates

- Bring back the rank of Captain, so that a MERIT rank (as in "earned through merit") can command divisions and not be in fear of demotion (which is why "Majors" command divisions) so they can do what is right, when it is right.

- Communication, we need it. That means open and honest discourse about all issues, no matter how unpleasant. Tell us what you want done, let us know and give us your measures of how we know the job has been done. A reminder to the "bosses" there is nothing "secret" allowed about our communications, it is all open record and so are all meetings, unless they pertain to an active investigation.

- Leadership. First boots in, last boots out. Be present, be seen. Come to roll calls, make stops on the radio, or atleast have the courtesy to back up an officer on a stop instead of rolling by (and we know your cars, so we know when this happens). Don't ask someone to do something you can't. You know, the whole BNOC course in a quick summary (anonymous, this will be lost on you)

- Standards – set them and live by them. In fact bring back the hair standard and enforce it. You know the one where hair in uniform is off the collar, and hair must be maintained in a style that that does not shock the conscience.

- Complaints – All complaints should be a signature of the person who swore them out. Be it the chief of the citizen who feels he or she was wronged. And if the complaint was found to be a flat out lie, said signatory should be ARRESTED for false swearing. Complaints should also be handled like misdemeanors, a one year (365 day) window from date of occurrence for investigation and completion of case. We hold the criminals to this standard in our cases, and I expect no less for us.

- Follow seniority in details – Why should a twenty year officer being directing traffic on derby? As long as they aren't in the hot seat, they should have a thank you detail that befits their service and tenure. That is a no-brainer.

- FIRE the officers who commit criminal offenses. Quickly.

- Do not hide policy violations by leaving the cases open so they aren't disclosable under the open records law.

- Report the crime for what it is, not for what some would like it to be.

- Lessen the number of "command" and increase the number of sworn with the dollars saved, thus making my platoon mates safer.

I can go on, but I am not sure if you want to hear it.

Anonymous writes - Why don't all of you who criticize start at the top and run it down for us?Tell us who the Chief should be. Then tell us who all the Colonels should be. Then name who all of the Majors should be.I doubt if any of you will take the time and effort because it is easier to sit and criticize. If it is truly "your" department, why don't you tell us how it should be so that we can all get it and see where the rest of us are wrong?

Response – Tell you who the chief should be? Are you kidding me. I only ask for leadership. True leadership. It is the Mayor, and hopefully the councils job, to choose our chief. It is in turn his or her job to choose his command staff. I only ask that we don't have a political puppet who has sold their soul for a promotion. I could care less who and what the chief may be. If she or he is a pink striped Martian (that would be a mythical creature from the planet of "Mars"), I am ok, so long as she or he is a LEADER and acts like a leader.

Anonymous writes - Show us the "pride" you are talking about possessing. Let us judge your opinions the same as you want to judge others decisions. I assure you I will do it with respect. And I assure you that if you truly have the sense of "pride" you describe, you will take the time to answer versus some flippant response that serves no purpose or doesn't answer the questions.

Response – Show you the pride? Well Anonymous, I ensure my uniform and gear are well maintained and look sharp, I wear it properly. I exercise so I will not be a physical burden on my beat partners. I take my own time and read the LAW and the legal decisions that effect us an agency so I can be proficient in my chosen profession. I have pride in this, and I show my pride in this. I also take care of the citizens I work with each and every day. I take pride in this.

In the end, it is MY department. It is OUR department. Anonymous, it may also be your department, I just don't know, you have to decide where you stand.

So ANONYMOUS, I now ask you, where is your pride, is the color of the brass on your collar or do you wear it over your heart? Only you can answer that.