Preventing a Reoccurring Nightmare

      Yeah, I probably "scolded" a few folks today.  It was not my intent to do so when I responded to a Facebook post that "retired officers that they (the city/county) can't do anything to, need to stop speaking in codes".  What I meant by that is to stop keeping our disdain for all things anti-police in this county between us.  We mostly agree inside the profession.  Yet, we lament how law enforcement has changed since the "good old days", complain about how retirees aren't kept up to date on department happenings, cannot get current officers to participate in time honored traditions, etc. etc. etc.  And while these things are true, what have we done to fix them?  Have we been to the chief, called on former colleagues still with the department, tried to network with current officers?  Some have.  Have we been INSISTENT enough?  Speaking purely for myself, I have not.

     Have we showed up for funerals, court cases, passed the hat to support officers in need?  Yes, for the most part we have, if we know about an issue.  Have we been kept up to date by the department and city on current officers and staff and their needs or predicaments?  Absolutely not.

     I started at the Greensboro Police Department in 1985.  Are the officers being hired now different?  Probably.  Is the environment, both within the citizenry and the political dynamic of Greensboro different?  Absolutely.  This difference has negatively affected every facet of GPD from recruiting to leadership.  So yes, GPD is "not the same place I joined".  The City of Greensboro isn't "run the same way it used to be".  I'm guilty of saying these things.  I've certainly heard them.  And guess what; they are largely true. The question is why we have allowed the forces of evil to drown us out when we now can have our say?  If we are so proud of the time we spent working for GPD, working with each other and are disgusted with how the years since we left have transpired, why don't we speak out?

     I am thrilled for Matt Hamilton.  I have not fully researched the detail of today' dismissal.  We can post nice things on social media like "if you know you know" (not a call out, necessarily).  If that is your preferred style of celebration, I completely understand.

     Here's my style of celebration.  To the forces of evil who in a great act of malicious cowardice, perpetrated this heinous and gross act of injustice against a law enforcement officer, one who initially was led to believe he was supported only to have a gutless elected official cower to the presence of political agendists, I hope it bothers you to the end of time that true justice has upended your apple cart.  If a civil case exists, I hope that everyone involved in this travesty suffers as much financial pain as possible, be it with the the city, the county, the District Attorney, and especially all those agendists that influenced the District Attorney to cause damage to this family.  Let's do everything we can to out this bunch.  I hope they get taken to the financial woodshed.

     For myself;  I pray that I improve and do better.  Be ever vigilant and support our current law enforcement officers, because the forces of evil will try again.