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NORWALK, Conn. – The Norwalk Daily Voice accepts signed, original letters to the editor. Send letters to norwalk@dailyvoice.com.
To the Editor,
In a recent Common Council meeting, the Common Council debated, or more accurately, chose not to debate the issue of whether to eliminate the position of Captain from the police force.
The resolution was introduced, but only the public was truly allowed to comment, as debate was cut off by a motion to table.
The majority of speakers seemed to think that the Common Council had no right to even discuss this issue, as the police department is subject to the Board of Police Commissioners, not the council.
Others suggested that members of the public "didn't know enough" about running a police department to have an opinion on the subject, only those who actually run a department. Others opined that Captains never solved a single crime, so they are unnecessary.
What we failed to learn from that failed debate is why Warren A. Peña (At-Large), David Watts (District A), Matt Miklave (District A), John Igneri (District E), Anna Duleep (At-Large) chose to introduce this measure. Why did they feel it important enough to raise the issue (which is of concern to the whole city), despite it being under the jurisdiction of the Board of Police Commissioners?
More importantly, with a deadline fast approaching in which those affected by this decision (the list of those currently eligible to receive promotion to Captain expires on or around November 17, 2012), other members of the council were so sure that they would not hear any information that they did not already know about this issue, much less something that might change their minds. They were so sure of this that they would not even deign to hear from their colleagues on the council.
I remind every citizen of Norwalk, that next time, the issue might be one that YOU care about - not just a handful of people whose careers are being affected. Do you really want these decisions made without hearing YOUR reasons via your elected representative?
Beatriz Ruiz – Latino Community Organizer
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