When our mayor sold out to the professional victims during his campaign and promised to hire a black police chief, he immediately eliminated 87 percent of the eligible candidates for the job. And then he went and hired a hack bureaucrat from one of the most corrupt police departments in the country. He must have missed the course on executive hiring when obtaining his MBA from Emory.
So now after the Murphy fiasco there is a push to promote from within. That would eliminate 99 percent of the eligible candidates for the job. There is absolutely nothing wrong with considering the many qualified personnel in our department for the position, but why eliminate every other police professional in the country?
One of the best recent government hires was Bryan Johnson from Clarksville to be superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. If we had limited the hire to local people we would have never had Mr. Johnson. I know some will say, but he didn't stay too long, but I would submit it's better to have an excellent leader for a while than a mediocre one for a long time. And that's not criticism of Justin Robertson who appears to be doing an excellent job.
And we don't need the NAACP, BLM or the, "concerned," clergy involved in the hire. Leave it up to the professionals to make this very important decision.
Douglas Jones
Ooltewah
* * *
Douglas, the "Murphy fiasco?" So someone allegedly checks a few boxes they shouldn't have. Perhaps, allegedly did some padding here/there. Yet, Chattanooga has had cops who've committed much more, and serious offenses at that. From the average street level on up to higher positions. Anything and everything from domestic assault, drunks caught on the side of the road somewhere, too drunk to drive home; caught dallying around with underage teens, and they not only got to keep their jobs, they were promoted and some even received "cop of the year" awards.
If a city cop got into trouble and it made headlines, they were allowed to hide out at the Hamilton County jail working in properties or as jailers until things cooled down and the media went away. Same as with the sheriff department Get in trouble? Go over to the city police department and hide 'til the attention cooled.
Don't come here trying to convince anyone with this holier than thou persona. There's been more fiascos that's gone on than you or anyone can shake a stick at, or are willing to admit. Try convincing someone else otherwise. Most of us don't fall for any of it.
Brenda Washington
* * *
Brenda,
As Douglas Jones so aptly described, ex-Chief Murphy's hiring, resigning and arresting is a bona fide fiasco. Your Mayor Kelly may have checked a few of his DEI and ESG boxes and came up a bit short and with a bit of egg on his face.
And, you may try to pass this fiasco off as an "allegedly checks a few boxes they shouldn't have" thing, but it just shows your complacent attitude to the rule of law.
And, no matter your obfuscations, no matter your "holier than thou" attitude, no matter your issues with the Chattanooga police.....Murphy resigned her position and was arrested and charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes. Those are the facts at this point....and it is a fiasco. No question.
And, one more thing.....Chattanooga Police are not "gestapo". Think about it. If they were really "gestapo" as you say, would you really be able to use those scare words or tell your stories in this
forum....ad nauseam?
Phil Snider