Tuesday, March 09, 2004

The Chief's Enemies List

Dick Nixon would be proud of the treatment the Chief of Cincinnati Police gave one local newspaper reporter. City Beat's Stephanie Dunlap was barred Saturday from a police briefing regarding a 17 year-old suspect who allegedly shot a bystander while handcuffed in police custody just after being arrested on robbery charges.

How stupid can the police chief be? Ok, don't answer that, but seriously consider the ego it takes to value punishing a newspaper for writing a story questioning the practices of the police over the negative media attention that punishment will make big all by itself. I applaud the Post for writing this story. I wonder if the Enquirer will have the balls to write the story. I hope this at least makes Korte's column next week, if not tomorrow.

According to what Stephanie overheard from the Public Information Officer just after she took back the sticker ID needed to enter the briefing, this was the Chief's idea of "meeting challenges, critics head on." It sounds like he would rather keep some of the media outlets from reporting the news, especially news where police officers likely really screwed up and almost killed an innocent civilian. It might have been nice for City Beat to get the chance to report on the incident with the same briefing as the rest of the local media outlets. They would surely have been more critical of the police, and the chief can?t handle that. The truth hurts, and this appears to be a pain-adverse police department.

Oh and what will likely make the Chief really feel the pain, LaTonya Springs, chief of staff for Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, was denied entrance to the briefing. Tomorrow's city council meeting should be interesting if he is going to testify.

I will also be very offended if I am not included on the police Chief?s Enemies list.

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