Last update: March 23, 2004 at 6:38 AMDelmonico's statement has to be the single biggest lie I've read this year. An investigation would be immediately opened if a citizen alleged an officer called them names or threatened them? Give me a break.
Minneapolis cops back on the job; union leader wants inquiry into chief's comments
David Chanen and Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune March 23, 2004 As three high-ranking Minneapolis police officers who were cleared of criminal allegations returned to their jobs Monday, the head of the police union called for city officials to look into derogatory and threatening statements that Chief Bill McManus reportedly made when he put the officers on leave more than three weeks ago.
"If a citizen alleged that an officer called them names or threatened them, an investigation would be immediately opened," said union president Sgt. John Delmonico. "We have a pretty substantial allegation of the chief calling these officers names and threatening them. Is there some sort of double standard for department heads?"
I bet the CUAPB could give dozens of examples of offenses far greater than name calling or threats which have not had anything remotely resembling an investigation.
I have personally been called names and threatened by a Minneapolis police officer, simply for pointing out in a "flippant" manner that he was in the wrong (no laws broken by either of us, until of course he verbally assualted me). Was their an investigation? Are you kidding?
Then there are those people who believe as the letters to the STrib editor today: that somehow the 3 officers were both slandered and libeled by Chief McManus, and that they should sue the city, and that the city's taxpayers would then have to pay for McManus' mistakes. This begs the question of how one can both slander and libel at the same time, as one is oral and the other in writing.
Here are two big problems with that line of thought:
1. That the officers were publically accused of wrong-doing. As far as I know, they were put on administrative leave with pay while the possibility of such accusations was investigated, but without any such accusations being made. The fact is, someone DID bury a memo about the Officer Ngo shooting, a memo which should have been turned over to the city legal staff for use in Ngo's legal case against it. Responsibility for that memo did reside in the chain of command these 3 officers represent. What else should have been done? If an officer shoots someone in the line of duty, regardless of all evidence that says it was justified, they are put on administrative leave. There's no implication of guilt by that action. Why should it be any different for these 3?
2. Slander or libel implies damage to reputation. One's reputation resides in the eyes of the beholder. Different people are going to take certain news in different ways. In this case, I'm sure there are people who took it as I did: My opinion of these officers did not change one single bit when they were put on administrative leave, as I knew it was proper procedure during an investigation. However, all the complaining and protestation by these officers, especially Gerold, about these administrative leaves have given me a truly negative view. Prior to Gerold's repeated public remarks about how her reputation was ruined and she wanted it back, I was ambivalent about her. Now, I have a negative opinion of her -- not because of McManus' remarks about her, or because she got put on leave, but rather because of her "I'm a wronged victim" complaining in reaction. If the responsbilities of the job are too tough, maybe she should find another line of work. When one is in command of bad investigation, one gets to take the heat. That's how it is. That's because one is supposed to see that the investigation be done properly.
Of course, some of the sniping at the Mayor and the city over McManus is really just thinly-disguised Republican attack on Minneapolis for not being a Republican-enough city. We can discount that junk, although not ignore it since those critics will do their best to continue to beat the city up at the state level.
Chris Johnson Fulton
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