Transparent and opaque are not synonyms
WPD Chief Gary Gemme would make a terrible teacher, not that he’s any better a cop.
Today, the WPD was kind enough to start the trickling out of public records relating to Worcester Police Officer Mark Rojas. Worcester Magazine has the story on a press release about the… uh, press release.
The Worcester Police Department has just released a statement that the department intends to release the records this week, though samples of the records to be released include heavy redactions—including a full page blacked out in one case. In the statement, the department also criticizes the Telegram for “polarizing the debate.”
According to the WPD:
“Under normal circumstances it is not unusual for a request of this magnitude to take months to comply with, and the past several months have not been routine,” the statement reads, discussing the ongoing investigation of court overtime abuse. “While the…Attorney General is reviewing the criminal liability…[WPD] [...]
Original post by Brendan
Detroit area police admit it’s all about the money
Jeff over at Wormtown Taxi brings up revenue generation in regard to public safety in Worcester today, which is a given but awful hard to get local officials to admit too. Unless you’re in the Detroit area where it seems police are starting to come clean.
“When I first started in this job 30 years ago, police work was never about revenue enhancement,” Utica Police Chief Michael Reaves said. “But if you’re a chief now, you have to look at whether your department produces revenues. That’s just the reality nowadays.”
“A portion of the tickets our officers write helps pay their salaries, but the rest is profit for the city,” said Priebe, a former Taylor police officer. “?’Profit’ may not be the right word to use in government, but that’s pretty much what it is.
“Obviously, revenue isn’t the only reason our officers are out there — but I wouldn’t be telling the [...]
Original post by Brendan
$900
$900 is the amount I would be fined for leaving the house today according to this proposed ordinance featured in todays T&G.
The ordinance, developed by the Police Department, Worcester District Attorney’s office and city officials, would fine people $300 for carrying knives.
What exactly leads the Worcester Chief of Police Gary Gemme and District Attorney Joe Early Jr. to believe that an individual who as decided to commit manslaughter will be detered by a $300 fine? Seriously, thats the best you could come up with?
Rank and file members of the WPD and DA’s office seriously need to think about distancing themselves publicly from their respective superiors and unions as they continue to make decisions which have little to no impact on their stated goals, but instead foster a sense of contempt and distrust amongst the public they serve. This ordinance is silly and stands to make much of [...]
Original post by Brendan
Worcester after dark
The final item in Daily Worcsterias coverage of last night’s city council meeting seems to be a reoccurring theme.
9:00: Police Chief Gary Gemme is advocating for his creation of a Fall Impact Unit - similar to the Summer Impact Unit - by once again discussing how there’s a significant uptick in crime after midnight.
At what point does a member of the council ask the Chief to qualify that ideology? How can we allow blanket statements like that from city officials with no follow up discussion of population density shifts, influx into the city from surrounding towns and even the possibility that there might not actually be ‘more’ crime, but just more people available to report crime that normally wouldn’t involve the WPD? Statistics without supporting material and citations are just opinions. The second largest city in New England can’t afford to develop policy around opinion and [...]
Original post by Brendan