Hello Group!

 

For those of you who know me (or will know) after my comments, I am extremely slow to criticize the actions of officials in Public office.  There are several reason for this.  First, I'm not sitting in their seats and don't know all the facts of the issues they face and second I believe in allowing individuals the opportunity to fully explain why they've acted in a certain manner in "our public behalf".  Now, that's the side of me that my mother (bless her soul) would be proud of.

 

Having said that.  I too read the article and was shocked!!  Not that the actions that were mentioned did not need to be taken, but that we, the tax payers, must now pay someone else to do the work that we already pay someone to do (or should be responsible for getting done within our own resources).  If this isn't a red flag that there isn't something lacking in the Administrative leadership of our city....I don't know what is.  I know hardly any of our city Administrative leadership personally, so my comments are not directed at any one person in particular.  However, I DO know a great deal about leadership in general.  This is a classic case of poor leadership.  I spent 20 years in leadership positions in our Military, serving all over the world in many far flung places.  I was always taught, and learned many times the hard way, that the "devil is always in the details".  I can't believe that "performance goals for the police Chief and the Police Department" are not already in place, and that in fact, they are the basis from which the City Manager would make informed judgments about the atmosphere of the Department.  Leadership 101.  Next, I have faith that the City Council, whom I assume monitors the City Manager, will take him to task and insure that spending public funds is the best way to get him to do his job.  Leadership 102.   Assuming that taking responsibility for the departments under his control....IS part of his job description. 

 

Being in a leadership position, no matter where it is....can be a tough job.  But that's what real leaders do....they lead....in every aspect of their duty.  They don't pass responsibility down or off.  They make the tough calls.  I've been on both ends of how that works.  I've had to take to task soldiers that I've liked and I've been taken to task by superiors who like me...nothing personal.  It just seems to me that if we have a problem in our Police Department our city officials should deal with it.  Now if our own house is not in order, let's let the public know, so that we will better understand why we need to go "outside".  Otherwise, this is strange stuff...........

 

If someone in a position of authority or power has more information that can be made known, please do so.  I will withhold my real criticism until I'm better informed.  This is a difficult situation, rules must be followed, rights must be protected, confidentiality is important.  However, the Police Department is the front line of our civil society here in Newport, brave men and women see to that 24/7.  It is the duty of our city officials to solve whatever problem that exists....and "get it right" the first time.

 

Marv Abney