Quoted Text

A little slack for Sch’dy cops in order

    Re Sept. 2 article, “NAACP wants answers in fatal shooting”: Give the police a break already.
    I understand that police departments everywhere have a bad name because of officers who have chosen to break the law or to partake in unethical practices. This paper seems to pick on the Schenectady police the most.
    It’s unfair to constantly portray any police department, as a whole, in such a way that would encourage negative feelings and distrust toward them.
    With such an immediate and automatic public outcry for the termination of offi cers under the assumption that any police officer is guilty until proven innocent, I don’t blame the police unions for making it difficult to fi re their offi cers.
    To use the most recent example: Although the Schenectady police tried to physically subdue a suspect fi rst, his life was lost because, in his persistent menacing with a firearm, the police had to resort to using their firearms for protection. The Gazette then interviewed juveniles, the family of the victim, and any other naysayer it could fi nd.
    I seriously doubt that the offi cers involved are celebrating the fact that they had to take another human life so they could go home to their own families. In fact, with all this objective and investigative reporting, why didn’t the Gazette try to interview the families of the police offi cers?
    The average citizen curses the police every time an officer violates the law. And yet the average citizen curses the police every time an officer upholds the law by issuing a speeding ticket. I can’t imagine that being a police offi cer is easy. Let’s all cut them some slack.

    DAN DARLING
    Glenville

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01105&AppName=1

A strong leader in the City would have diffused this situation before it blew up.

A strong leader would have met with the NAACP and instead of McCarthy saying "All things will be made available, it just won't happen as quickly as people would like"; he should have ended at the word 'available'.

In my opinion, he's not handling bad situations well. They just seem to get worse...

Exactly, Rachel. He just has to get in the arrogant, condescending little dig, doesn't he?
I don't know why Mark Chaires isn't taking the lead on this. He's in the unique position of understanding the cops firsthand and being from the Hill. Yes,I wouldn't want to be on the spot like that but he is whether he likes it or not.

Quoted from Madam X

I don't know why Mark Chaires isn't taking the lead on this.

Like he is with proctors robberies???

If he is taking the lead on Proctor's robberies it will give him a lot of free time to do other things because imaginary burglaries don't take a lot of time to investigate.
Someone working for Proctor's has got to figure out which Proctor's employee/insider is going home with stuff. Maybe someone making a really high salary could take a few minutes to give this attention.

Maybe someone making that high salary is doing it.

Don't say that, Shadow! I so don't want to believe that! And yet, there has been something really hinky about that whole operation down there for some time.

Quoted Text

NAACP out of line criticizing Sch’dy cops for shooting gunman


    Re Sept. 2 article, “NAACP wants answers in fatal shooting”: I am getting really sick of the NAACP. What started out as a nonprofit organization promoting equality has become a group of vigilante racists.
    Any time there is an incident involving a black person and a white person, the white person is automatically a racist, regardless of what the black person may have done. At least that’s been the NAACP’s contention lately.
    Where does the Rev. [Ted] Ward get off demanding police evidence and trying to dictate police protocol? The NAACP is not now, nor has it ever been, a governing body, a law enforcement agency, or any other type of legal profession. They have no right to see evidence at any time, much less in the middle of an investigation. How dare they act otherwise!
    Rev. Ward is incensed at the number of shots fired by police, saying that the police put residents in danger. I’m incensed that Mr. [Luis] Rivera arrogantly held a gun on police officers, forcing the situation in the first place! Mr. Rivera put everyone in jeopardy, not the police.
    Perhaps Rev. Ward’s time would be better spent convincing “his people,” as he calls them, not to walk around the streets with fi rearms.
    Police protocol for an individual armed with a firearm who refuses to relinquish the weapon is to keep firing until the threat is neutralized. Since the good Rev. Ward was not there, and his “witnesses” are questionable, he must believe there is a vast conspiracy among the Schenectady Police Department, the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the district attorney’s office — all of whom have viewed the tape — to murder a random, nonwhite individual. Of course, since he wasn’t there, his claims are devoid of merit.
    Rev. Ward and his NAACP crusaders have no right to demand police evidence. If the family wants answers, it is free to ask questions of the police in a civil manner, when the investigation is concluded.

    SEAN MEARNS
    Glenville

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01103&AppName=1

Again, McCarthy could have addressed this issue with the NAACP rather than have the press blow it up into epic proportions.

Leaders lead. They address the tough issues and assure the taxpayers (of ALL nationalities) that answers are forthcoming.

No one likes to be ignored and when you blow off the NAACP, well, you better have more than 2 editorials from Glenville residents backing you up.  

sorry, but I disagree. This is all because the assailant was black? What if he was white? Would the NAACP still be questioning the motives of the cops? Looks like the NAACP needs to keep their status in the community, huh? I believe that it is organizations like the NAACP that helps keep the black population down with the false victimization of oppression. Without the oppressed ....the liberals would lose a huge voting base. It's all created!

It is all very renaissancie. Brings people in from the suburbs more easily.

bumblethru, I agree with rachel. Even if the NAACP is being obnoxious, which they may be in this case, the lack of leadership is what is allowing them to step into the void. Cops used to call it "getting out in front". McCarthy should've gotten out in front of this.
The letter writer does have a point, the family and friends of this guy could've helped prevent this if they cared so much, but everyone has a right to ask questions if someone gets killed by a public employee. He (McCarthy) is acting mayor to that neighborhood too.

Quoted from Shadow

When a police officer is faced with a gun there is no way to know if it's loaded or empty and they must assume that it's loaded and take the appropiate action in a split second so why do we need to know the guns condition.

Why not?   In any instance such as this the facts of such a circumstance should be laid out, whatever they may be.

If it looks like there is any kind of coverup, it only gives ammunition to those who want to use this situation for personal gain. Lay it all out there. Whether or not the gun was operable won't harm the cops' position where it matters, in court. Bennett knows this.