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Regarding
Today's Police Commission hearing
February 9, 2005
Hello!
Today I attended the Commission meeting -- with the hope of speaking!!!
Although I handed in a "Speaker's Card" for the "Supplemental
meeting" -- that card was never acknowledged as having
been received -- and therefore I wasted about 2 1/2 hours
!!!
"Public Comment" was ignored!!! (Or the chairperson asked
whether there were any speaker's cards submitted in such a low voice
that -- when he was told "no" by the clerk -- I didn't
hear the question or the response!!!)
So -- herewith are some of the comments I was going to make at the
meeting:
First: to present you with a "picture" of who I am: I
am a parent, a teacher, a member of the first-ever-constituted CPAB
in the City of Los Angeles, a member of the ACLU, was (at one time)
the oldest active member of the Guardian Angels and -- religiously
-- a Jain!
Next: The lack of security in the building (let alone the room!!!)
was astonishing!!! It was my expectation that everyone who entered
would be searched.
And: The speakers today (given the unusual circumstances!!!) needed
extra time to speak. Although I understand that the speaking time
allowance has doubled from what it used to be, today was special
-- and the speakers should have been allowed extra time.
And: When I called -- yesterday (the 7th!!!) I was told that the
capacity of the room in which the meeting was to be held was 60
people!!! My laughter must have "struck a chord" since
the meeting was moved to a larger room!!! But the point is that
"whoever was in charge" -- as recently as yesterday
did not expect the large crowd -- and that is significant
since it reflects the Department's thinking!!!
Finally, my concerns are:
that the
media coverage of crime in the City generally is not "wonderful"
-- and that this would be the case in this situation as well;
that "justice" needs to be served with regard to the
punishments meted out to the offending officers as well as the
criminals;
that clear plans must be created -- and publicized --
to prevent such events from occurring again!!! |
Norm Swirin
Hollywood
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