From the LVRJ: Several civilian members of the Las Vegas police department’s Use of Force Board, including the co-chairman, quit in protest Wednesday in the wake of the sheriff’s decision to save officer Jacquar Roston’s job.
Robert Martinez, 57, resigned in a letter to Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie. He said the department’s internal process for reviewing officer-involved shootings was “flawed.”
“I am saddened by what I feel is your inability to maintain the integrity and credibility of the Critical Incident Review Process,” Martinez wrote. “I can no longer support the Department’s consistent effort to minimize openness and transparency.”
Four other civilian members of the board also quit Wednesday: Glenn Rinehimer, Sandra Eddy, Jay Shafritz and Miriam Rodriguez, according to Martinez. Shafritz and Rodriguez both sat on Roston’s Use of Force Board.
Shafritz, a three-year veteran of the Use of Force Board, told Gillespie he could no longer serve “in good conscience.”
“I find your lack of support to be troubling,” Shafritz wrote in his resignation.
Martinez said members of the Use of Force Board that reviewed Roston’s shooting were given investigative files containing comprehensive background information and employee interviews.
“With all these facts and opinions as evidence, you decided to set that information aside and render a decision that again supports the employee and ignore the conclusions of members of the civilian population specifically assigned to scrutinize these matters,” he wrote.
In April the board recommended Roston, who shot an unarmed man in the leg last year, be fired. Roston was abrasive and unapologetic for his actions during his review and said he wouldn’t change how he handled the incident.
But during his pre-termination hearing a month later, Roston changed his tune and took responsibility for his actions. That board recommended a week-long suspension, and Gillespie agreed with them. http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/use-force-board-co-chair-resigns-cites-gillespies-decision-save-officers-job
Sorry, but these members of the board knew beforehand that there was a chance that the Sheriff could overrule them, and in this case, the Sheriff did.
But apparently these crybabies have decided that their word is as good as God's and they should have the final say in the matter. But another board had a different opinion- so if the Sheriff went against them, should that board have resigned in protest?
So, goodbye, crybabies and don't let the door hit you in the butt.
The Las Vegas Badger is about politics, humor, sports, reality shows in Las Vegas, especially Pawn Stars and anything else interesting. While I live in Las Vegas, my heart is still in Wisconsin. Thanks for visiting the blog and feel free to browse the web site.
As a former resident of NYC, I have seen the damage civillian review boasrds have created first hand.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all - they have no law enforcement experience, they haven't even been on so much asd a ridealong. They're automatically against anyone in uniform and think that cops should act like cops on TV and fire a weapon to shoot the bad guy's weapon out of his/her hand - rather than using legitimate force. This prevents cops from doing their job and puts the officer's life at risk, because if s/he is forced into a confrontation, they will hesitate to either fire their weapon [to kill] and therefore end up dead, or will decide not to get involved at all and protect their careers.
I've always been against such boards. Not that I don't think cops are perfect, but padding them with whiney liberal jerks who live to destroy someone's career is never a good idea.