http://rutlandherald.com/article/20141015/NEWS02/710159974
Published October 15, 2014 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield board to study police relations
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — A proposal by retired Judge Paul Hudson for improving the community’s relationship with the Springfield Police Department was accepted for further study Monday by the Select Board.
On a 4-1 vote and over the strong objections of Chairman Kristi Morris, the Select Board said it would use Hudson’s “policy statement” as a starting point to address crime issues in town.
Hudson, a former Springfield resident who still owns a house in town, had acted as the catalyst for a special meeting two weeks ago when Rutland City Police Chief James Baker addressed a couple of hundred Springfield residents about what the city was doing to fight drugs and gangs.
Later, Hudson submitted what he called a “motion and policy statement,” but there was no discussion that night.
On Monday evening, Morris said he had met personally with Hudson and still didn’t support some of the goals outlined in his two-page statement. Morris said the Hudson policy was “completely irrational” in some parts by requiring a response from a police department within a certain deadline.
“I’m not in favor of this document as written,” he said.
But Morris was in a minority on the issue. The other four board members said the policy statement was a step in the right direction, though it needed to “have the blanks filled in.”
During discussion, Selectman Peter MacGillivray said a board committee should work with the police administration on the policy.
Hudson, whose son is a Vermont State Police officer, had left several blanks in the proposed policy that sets deadlines for the police department to respond to citizen complaints.
“Each complaint will be logged at the Police Department assigned to an officer within (blank) minutes/hours. That officer shall contact the complainant promptly, investigate the complaint and file a written report with the department and the complainant within (blank) days,” read one of the beginning points.
Selectman David Yesman said the proposed policy “has got a lot of blanks in there” that need to be discussed with the Police Department.
“I certainly can’t do that,” said Yesman, noting that the town manager and police chief need to talk through the issue and come up with a completed document.
“It is not complete,” MacGillivray said. “It’s a framework, a starting point.”
No one from the Police Department was at Monday night’s meeting. Chief Douglas Johnston said Tuesday he didn’t object to Hudson’s proposed policy with some additions.
“I have seen a draft and I know they are looking at that with some edits and hopefully we’ll get some,” he said. “I don’t have any problems with it.”
Springfield is a town hamstrung by good intentions, lacking the faculty and fortitude to differentiate between the feasible and the infeasible. Morris was right to vote against Hudson's naïve "proposal", which is highly sophomoric and certainly not practicable. You either have confidence in your town manager and police chief to solve the problem statement or you don't. At least four members of the select board have succumbed to the erroneous notion that "more government micromanagement" will solve the very problems that they themselves have presided over for their entire terms.
ReplyDeleteI thought someone said that one of them had considered calling for a motion that the Town Manager perform an evaluation of the Police Department leadership and the effectiveness of their drug related policies, and such. Was that Kristi Morris? He voted against holding the police leadership accountable. Not sure I understand.
DeleteThe blind leading the blind! These people couldn't study their way out of a paper bag. Am I the only person bright enough in this town to pick up the phone or email other localities outside our state who have dealt with the same types of issues and ask them for advice and how they handled it? I mean REALLY? we have a board of dimwits studying and studying all the time. Didn't they "study" park street issue? And is there resolution?
ReplyDeleteFurther studies. haha oh how they love to study
ReplyDeleteOr lets have another committee to look into the committee that's looking into the committee that's looking into the issue!!! We love our studies and committees in this town that never resolve the issues they are charged with or come up with ideas that costly and unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I saw, it didn't look like the members moving the motion had the votes to get it passed without the reference to committee, with Kristi Morris opposing the motion the whole time.
DeleteWow. So the police are going to be held accountable and might actually have to DO something when citizens call in with problems?
ReplyDeleteWhat a radical idea. No wonder the Select board has to tread lightly. It would be a terrible thing if they stepped on someone's toes.
Jean, Jean, why are you picking on our beloved Police Department, if we harass and bash the police leadership, who is going to keep the road between the prison and J and L safe from all those people going over the speed limit. Why just the other day, I saw someone going 55 in a 40 mph speed zone. It was downright scary, I just clenched the steering wheel of my Hummer in trembling fear. Those poor people trying to make a little cash selling recreational pharmaceuticals aren't the problem, it's those speeders doing 15 miles per hour over the speed limit that are hurting our town's reputation. Why if we don't stop that speeding, you don't know people might start marrying animals or something.
DeleteTime for Springfield on the Dole to devise a new logo reflecting the all too "studious" nature of the town and its government!
ReplyDelete