As Usual, Rochester Police Union-Boss Spews Reactionary Rhetoric

Primary tabs

As a leader and spokesperson for Rochester police, Ronald Evangelista is potentially a very dangerous man. Based on his comments (below), the police union boss believes that police officers, and apparently everyone else --- should continue to blindly support the status quo, which according to many citizens, and in accordance with the so-called Hargrave-Miller report, includes rampant discourteousness, inefficiency, lack of adequate and proper training, lack of a credible job performance evaluation process, and individual and institutional racism and brutality!

Prior to posting this article, I attempted to get it published as a Speaking Out Editorial in the D&C ("Demagogue and Comical"). The following is a series of correspondences that transpired between me, Ms. Kathleen Wagner (Speaking Out Editor), and James Lawrence (Editorial Page Editor), both of whom refused to even look at the article.

Ms Wagner,
I would like to submit a Speaking Out Op-Ed Piece in regard to some of the ideas expressed in the article below. If you are not interested, I would appreciate it if you would let me know --- so that I can seek publication elsewhere.
Thank you.
Howard J. Eagle

Dear Howard: I'll pass on this idea. Thank you anyway.
M. Kathleen Wagner
Speaking Out editor

Right.


Mr. Lawrence, 
I assume that you are Ms. Wagner's supervisor (or something like that). Since you know that she is discriminating against me and engaging in censorship by routinely rejecting all material that I submit for publication (for at least the past 6 months), and since you are apparently not saying anything about this --- I can only assume that you condone such practices.
Sincerely,
Howard J. Eagle

Mr. Eagle
Yes, I am Ms. Wagner's supervisor (or something like that) and yes, the rejection of your pieces are with my concurrence.
Sincerely,
James  Lawrence
Editor, Editorial Page
Democrat and Chronicle
Rochester, NY 14614


Thank you for at least having enough integrity to admit that you are a collaborationist in conscious efforts to censor views that are seriously anti-status quo and / or that might offend the sensibilities of the most staunch, racist elements within the thoroughly, racially divided, so-called metropolitan community of Monroe County and beyond. I believe that there is hope for agents who are at least bold enough to admit their dirty-dealing. 
Sincerely,
Howard James Eagle Jr.
Grassroots African / African 
American Community Advocate
Rochester, NY 14608

See Ronald Evangelista's Article below, and my Response to it. 

Reinforce public trust in RPD: Add police officers

By Ronald G. Evangelista, president, Rochester Police Locust Club Inc.

(January 10, 2005) — Under the semblance of community relations, the "Pathways to Better Police-Community Relations in Rochester" report goes far beyond its mission statement. It is a collection of convoluted logic, questionable data and unrealistic recommendations. It also segregates the police community from the rest of the Rochester community.The report says it was created to address several high-profile controversial incidents involving Rochester police officers. The only "controversy" lies with the authors who simply refuse to believe in the grand jury system as it applies to police officers and instead support the civilian review system.The "Pathways" report is hypocrisy at its finest. It's all about "them" and not about "us," the police officer and the law-abiding community.

This report suggests increasing trust between the police and the community by undertaking a pilot project whereby video cameras would be placed in police vehicles and interrogation rooms. Following up on that idea, why not a Webcam in the offices of attorney Michael Miller and the Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, authors of the report? Would this Webcam invasion begin the process of fostering greater trust? Trust is built on action, not reports. I, for one, think there is greater trust in the community than in years past.Trust grows when you feel safe. This Police Department is currently understaffed by more than 60 officers. Let's move quickly to fill those positions, and to guarantee that there will be a minimum patrol staffing level on the streets of Rochester at all times — not just in the Neighborhood Empowerment Team offices that the report highlights. Then provide adequate supervision, support and a fair system of discipline so that the police officer is held accountable for his or her actions but treated with dignity and fairness.The Locust Club is leading the way to finding new ways to protect police officers' rights. We intend to fight the battles of the 21st century instead of lingering in the 20th century.We need to avoid traveling down the "Pathways" and their yellow brick road to Dorothy's imaginary Kansas. Instead, we should travel the superhighway of professional policing together. That destination is reached by maintaining police officers' rights, guaranteeing the community minimum police staffing and police officers a fair discipline system.The "Pathways" authors need to rethink their position, move out of the 1960s rhetoric and become part of mainstream America.

Evangelista is president, Rochester Police Locust Club Inc., a union of city police officers

Copyright 2005 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Response by Howard J. Eagle

As a leader and spokesperson for Rochester police, Ronald Evangelista is potentially a very dangerous man. I figure Mr. Evangelista's recent comments (D&C Editorial, 1/10/05, see above) must be merely a matter of him spewing rhetoric as usual. Hopefully, this guy does not really believe that "the only controversy [surrounding the people that he represents] lies with the authors [of the so-called Pathways to Better Police-Community Relations report] who simply refuse to believe in the grand jury system as it applies to police officers." With regard to the grand jury system, it's not at all believable that he doesn't understand that there is widespread lack of confidence and distrust, especially among African American residents. This is part of the reason why a political struggle was waged, which included hundreds of participants, to bring "the civilian review system" into being in the first place. 
Many believe that when citizens who have been abused by police and/or family members of those who have been unjustly killed by police --- go to the grand jury seeking justice --- it is comparable to a chicken expecting to get justice from a court controlled by foxes.
Whether Evangelista believes his own staunch rhetoric or not, the message that he is sending to the men and women whom he represents as president of the Locust Club --- is potentially very dangerous. Namely, the message is that police officers, and apparently everyone else --- should continue to blindly support the status quo, which, according to many citizens, and in accordance with the above referenced, so-called Hargrave-Miller report, includes rampant discourteousness, inefficiency, lack of adequate and proper training, lack of a credible job performance evaluation process, individual and institutional racism and brutality. Regardless of what the police union - boss might think or say --- this is all very "controversial."
As it relates to filling 60 open positions in the Rochester Police Department, I would offer extreme caution. Since, reportedly, the current training process is inadequate, and the current job performance evaluation system is "a joke" --- to "quickly fill those positions" would amount to a clear case of putting the cart before the jackass. That is, a credible system of training and evaluating job performance needs to be "quickly" developed (prior to hiring even one additional officer). Otherwise, how can those of us who pay the bill even know the quality of the 'product' and/or service we're receiving? As employers, we would be simply foolish to continue hiring employees who might well end up abusing us.
The bottom line is that Ronald Evangelista, the police Chief, Mayor, City Council and all others concerned need to clearly understand that, where public safety and quality of policing are concerned, particularly as it relates to the African American and Latino Communities, continuation of the status quo is very "controversial" and absolutely unacceptable! 


 

Police and Jails