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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

Aug 15

10

Ferguson…again

Posted by Joyce Clark on August 10, 2015
Posted in City of Glendale  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 1 Comment

It has been 17 years and 221 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

So much for hiring an Afro-American as an Interim City Manager along with his side kick as the Interim Police Chief. Andre Anderson, on leave from Glendale, Arizona is Ferguson’s Interim Police Chief. On August 9, 2015 as he was being interviewed by CNN shots rang out once again in Ferguson on the anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. Here is a link to the less than 30 second video: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/08/10/video-flurry-of-gunfire-interrupts-interim-ferguson-police-chiefs-interview-about-being-patient-with-protesters/ . As the gunfire erupts Anderson looks like a deer caught in the head lights while saying, “We’re explaining them their rights and we just want to be as patient as possible.”

As new violence hallmarked the anniversary St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar estimated that more than 40 rounds had been fired last night. An 18 year old man, Tyrone Harris, has been charged with assault on officers and remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

St. Louis County Supervisors have declared a state of emergency in Ferguson as the police prepare for the possibility of further violence tonight. In fairness, Anderson has only been in charge for a few weeks but it appears that his direction to his department in terms of community outreach is not working.

There were lessons to be learned from that awful period in Ferguson one year ago. One of those lessons should have been that appeasement of a mob does not work. The minute looting started it was time to clear the streets and to arrest the looters. Instead it seems as if police officers were directed to “track and observe.” Apparently Interim Chief Anderson failed to give direction to his officers that the minute laws were broken, arrests should be made and the streets cleared. Laws are created for everyone’s general welfare and safety and are meant to be obeyed. Yes, everyone has a right to peacefully protest but no one has the right to disobey the law. The minute the event got out of hand, the event should have ended. Sadly we witnessed an eruption of violence in Ferguson again. Is that to be Ferguson’s legacy?

© Joyce Clark, 2015

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This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Jun 15

25

Beasley may have company in Ferguson

Posted by Joyce Clark on June 25, 2015
Posted in City of Glendale  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | 4 Comments

It has been 17 years and 174 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

Andre Anderson Courtesy CBS 5 News

Andre Anderson, Courtesy of CBS 5 News

Andre Anderson, a Glendale police department commander, may soon be heading to Ferguson, Missouri to join Ferguson’s new Interim City Manager Ed Beasley. He would become Interim Police Chief at the request of Beasley.

This is not the first time Anderson has sought the job of Police Chief. In February of 2013 he was one of two finalists for the position in Casa Grande, Arizona. Here is the link: http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/city-cuts-police-chief-fieldto/article_d157e5ea-80f1-11e2-8cda-001a4bcf887a.html .

To say that both face challenges would be an understatement. While the racial makeup of the town is 67% black only 3 police officers (6%) serving the city are black. The racial imbalance is stark. Here is the link: http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/aug/17/andrea-mitchell/ferguson-police-department-has-50-white-officers-t/ .  If Anderson joins his pal, Beasley, both will have to exhibit a level of sensitivity and maturity that neither may possess. Are they up to the task of restoring confidence among the officers who serve and protect that community?

Ferguson’s police department has been investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice that resulted in a long list of changes to be made. These changes will be costly. There are also a plethora of lawsuits to be settled. Ferguson’s 2015 annual budget issued in July, 2014 is $20,238,000 with a General Fund budget of $13,518,250. Here is the link: http://www.fergusoncity.com/DocumentCenter/View/1701 .

In the past Fiscal Year of 2014-15 the city’s Fund Balance dropped by $4,086,700 from approximately $15M to $11M. What will their Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget look like (beginning in July of 2015) in the light of the riots that occurred earlier this year? I suspect the city is insured to a certain extent. Some costs will be covered but it appears that new revenue streams will be needed. Let’s hope Beasley has learned his lesson and will not “rob Peter to pay Paul” as he did in Glendale to cover the annual $25M in extortion required by the NHL to keep the Coyotes in Glendale.

© Joyce Clark, 2015

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.