I, personally just retired from the Chattanooga Police Dept. after 26 years of service.
What! You say? You remember the mayor and the police brass tell the public how they value veteran officers?
I know your familiar with the term "thin blue line". The blue line at the CPD is a mile thick and it divides the officers from the brass that's down a long hallway in carpeted locked offices behind card entry doors the officers don't have card keys to even enter.
My point is this. When you get the public willing to demand more from the elected politicians for it's police and fire, your fight to get the sworn politicians hidden away behind their locked doors should be a tad easier.
This veteran sees a vindictive group behind those doors. Don't just take my word for it, ask officer David Ashley. A hero that stopped Sgt. Chapin's murderer. When a police dept. has an officer(s) involved in such a life changing event, it's common courtesy to honor them when they request to get off the streets, not ignore them. That's a grudge. That's not how brothers in blue treat one another, rather it's the haves and the have nots in that place.
One unappreciated veteran has left the building.
The thing is, in re to those lazy cops not doing anything for a raise is "opportunity". While the limited number of police taking those silly classes, the rest are in the field answering a double load of calls because the man-power has been cut. That sounds just the opposite of doing nothing, right?
Then you got the cops that are on lite-duty for medical reasons, that can attend all the classes they want.
I've said it before Ill say it again. If a officer has at least 10 years working in "patrol" they should be deemed a master patrolman. Listen to your scanner or watch the news then ask yourself, how can a police officer work 10 years on those dangerous streets and be told by a politician "they" they don't deserve a raise because it's not deserved. This is the reason they made up the term "career ladder". It's as useless as a 1999 riverbend pin.
"Article avoided discussion of sin" and other Letters to the Editors
I, personally just retired from the Chattanooga Police Dept. after 26 years of service. What! You say? You remember the mayor and the police brass tell the public how they value veteran officers? I know your familiar with the term "thin blue line". The blue line at the CPD is a mile thick and it divides the officers from the brass that's down a long hallway in carpeted locked offices behind card entry doors the officers don't have card keys to even enter. My point is this. When you get the public willing to demand more from the elected politicians for it's police and fire, your fight to get the sworn politicians hidden away behind their locked doors should be a tad easier. This veteran sees a vindictive group behind those doors. Don't just take my word for it, ask officer David Ashley. A hero that stopped Sgt. Chapin's murderer. When a police dept. has an officer(s) involved in such a life changing event, it's common courtesy to honor them when they request to get off the streets, not ignore them. That's a grudge. That's not how brothers in blue treat one another, rather it's the haves and the have nots in that place. One unappreciated veteran has left the building.
Michael Burns
Chattanooga should stick to merited pay raises
The thing is, in re to those lazy cops not doing anything for a raise is "opportunity". While the limited number of police taking those silly classes, the rest are in the field answering a double load of calls because the man-power has been cut. That sounds just the opposite of doing nothing, right? Then you got the cops that are on lite-duty for medical reasons, that can attend all the classes they want. I've said it before Ill say it again. If a officer has at least 10 years working in "patrol" they should be deemed a master patrolman. Listen to your scanner or watch the news then ask yourself, how can a police officer work 10 years on those dangerous streets and be told by a politician "they" they don't deserve a raise because it's not deserved. This is the reason they made up the term "career ladder". It's as useless as a 1999 riverbend pin.