Dodany: Feb 7, 2012

Od: cveditorials

Czas: 2:1

Presented by Peter Kohler February 07, 2012 (Visit the Cablevision Editorials website at http://www.CablevisionEditorials.com/LI.html) Finally, Nassau legislators agreed to award $7.7 million to the family of Jo'Anna Bird, settling a lawsuit over the failure of police to protect the young mother who was brutally murdered despite her repeated pleas for help. The case demonstrates a top to bottom failure of Nassau's police department. So says Nassau Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt, telling News 12 he was disgusted by what he learned after reviewing an internal affairs investigation kept confidential by court order. "There are 22 police officers in this county who were mentioned in that confidential internal affairs report who ought to be ashamed to look at themselves in the mirror every morning when they get up to shave, much less be wearing the badge," Schmitt said. "Orders of protection were ignored... mandatory arrests were called for and not performed, giving a cell phone to the prisoner when he was behind bars and allowing him to call the victim 35- 40 times, and on and on and on." If so, this is incredible. Did officers actually enable Bird's killer to threaten her from behind bars? Should any, as Schmitt suggests, lose their badges? And what of those said to have been disciplined, how were they penalized? The public is left in the dark. Though Schmitt has rightly called upon Police Commissioner Thomas Dale to shake up the department in light of all this, more needs to be done. We think Schmitt, County Executive Ed Mangano and Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams should seek the partial release of this internal affairs document--perhaps with names redacted. Why cover up this failure to protect a vulnerable citizen? The public has a right to know. * * * * * To comment on this and other Cablevision Editorials, please visit our website at http://www.CablevisionEditorials.com

Kanał: News

Tagi: peter kohler  cablevision editorials  long island  jo'anna bird  joanna bird  peter schmitt  internal affairs report 

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