The “Police scandal” portion is very intriguing. In 1974 Indy had a real police corruption problem that was investigated and corrective action taken.

Before that and since then, IPD/IMPD has had many individual Police Officers making bad decisions and committing flat out criminal acts. Myron Powell was even involved in a murder and robbing drug dealers. The list goes on and on, from way back.

Indianapolis is not an isolated incident when it comes to their Police Officers acting in human ways. Every large city has these issues. A Police Department is a microcosm of the society in which they serve. Officers are not some “clone army”, they are people drawn mostly right from the community. Merit Boards were not recently created or created specifically for Indy. Merit Boards were created because history has shown just as I have stated. These Boards are needed to handle these sadly human abuses of authority from time to time.

Now, the ad can claim some validity on this issue. They can make hay of SCANDAL because of the way Doctor/Director Straub has handled these situations. He has no ability to look at each individual case and apply reasoning and logic in his evaluation. Even worse, he has no ability to explain to the public the facts and circumstances of situations. Thus, these events (ranging in the Officers committing criminal acts, making bad decisions and even doing the right thing that is difficult to explain to the public) appear to be worse than they may be due to Doctor/Director Straub’s inability to do his job.

We hear so much about “perception being reality.” That is a load of junk. However, the citizens of Indianapolis are being robbed of the Police protection they have paid for because Doctor/Director Straub is unable to make “reality our perception.”

Mayor Ballard: Please take Frank Straub out to the woodshed and let him know how he has disappointed you.

The next mayoral election can be predicted. Much as Mayor Ballard won on hopes and votes against a corrupt Peterson, more votes will be cast to anyone who runs against Ballard.

Mayor Ballard, you give Peterson a run for the money on corruption.

Same difference.

The campaign ads that will attack police, will not help. Because the overwhelming majority of police do a good job every day, without fanfare, and go home quietly.

Maybe you’re right, Me. Perhaps my side should slam the mayor for his poor leadership decisions. Except…there is tremendous respect out their for the current chief. I think that may have been one of Ballard’s smartest appointments. It makes attacks more difficult.

Uh, NOT the same, Abdul.

In fact, very much not the same.

I’m not even sure the two offices communicate on these things. It’s not all lovey-dovey between those two offices.

If this is all that Ed the belly can come up with, Ballard’s fine. Right now Ballard has a 60% approval rating. It will take more than this to nibble those numbers down.

I don’t know indyernie. Ballard has lost many supporters that got him elected. I would still vote for Ballard before I would put Kennedy in office. I agree that Ballard has forgot (or did not intend to) promises that he made while running. Thirty some million to the pacers? Bringing the same republicans into office under the cloud of the republican did not even support his election? I wonder sometimes if this was not set up to start with. Water deal I am fine with. Parking meters is still up in the air. The camel that will break the back is the transportation deal costing each household $15.00 a month. At least we get to vote on this one. Sounds like another stadium deal. If you remember Ballard said he would CUT spending some $700,000 I believe. I can’t see where if he is spending this kid of money. Who is running third party this time?

To Me and TA, regarding Chief Paul, there has been a great deal of respect for him in the past, but the majority of the road officers out there now see him only as an out of touch “yes man” to the administration. If he truly believes the ridiculous ramblings of “Dr” Straub then he deserves no respect at all.
If he had any dedication or respect for the officers he supposidly commands he would resign his position, and take a Lt. spot somewhere and stay as far away from the politics as he could before he gets thrown under the bus by Straub and finds there is nobody there to pick up the pieces. His officers currently have as much distain for him as they do for Straub and the divide grows wider each day.

Ballard needs to recognize and remove Dr Peanut from the PSD position and start again from scratch. Next he needs to learn to stop pandering to the media whores who say they represent the black community and state the FACTS that the merit board bases their decisions on and tell the almighty ministers to focus their energy on teaching the youth of the community respect for themselves, their surroundings and authority.

Straub is way too full of himself to ever resign. If enough people want him gone it is going to have to come from Ballard. Pay out his contract, give him his walking papers, and start again, but please next time, do your homework. A simple look into Straub’s most recent stint as PSD should have raised all kinds of red flags and given serious doubt as to his abilities to manage, much less lead here.

I could go on and on here, but my fingers are tired, and I am getting paid to be doing something else at the moment. I may contribute more later. In the meantime someone please take ahold of Ballard by both shoulders, shake the piss out of him and ask “What the hell are you thinking?!?!?”

Wow, Blue…I wasn’t aware. It’s a shame you feel that way. I know many other LEOs who don’t feel likewise, but that does not diminish your anger.

Maybe the dems will put up pictures of the new $1million scoreboard and contrast with closed pools and libraries! I don’t think the inner city kids mean squat to these politicians.

Associated Press report in October, Ballard 58%.

http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=1292283

Ya know what, Blue? That’s the same song I heard about every PS director and every chief since I moved here in 1978.

Seriously.

I’m tempted to conclude, with no disrespect intended, that the line officers dont like any brass, ever.

Just for the sake of fairness, name me one chief or PS director you liked in the last 20 years?

Who was asked: Winnie, the 25th floor, Barnes & Thornburg, Ice Miller, Baker & Daniels. Let’s see…that about does it. Survey sample: 400.

What wasn’t to like about Scott Newman, Straub’s predecessor? He didn’t do anything like Straub is doing. He wasn’t at every press conference and didn’t formulate policies and have a hand in assigning duties to IMPD. He just made sure the various DPS departments communicated with eachother.

I’ve only been here since 1983. I was in college then and mapping out my career. I didn’t pay much attention to local politics. However, over the years, in the late 90s, I liked Mike Zunk as chief. He was hard nosed, cleaned house & was both liked and respected because he was fair, honest, and consistant. Unfortunately, his son’s antics meant a short career for him. And to echo atwrh below. Scott Newman was a good PSD, unfortunately his illness necessitated he move out of public service. Who was in it before Newman? I don’t recall either Newman or his predecessor working Spears the way Straub has worked Chief Paul. I can’t ever remember Bob Turner getting this involved with the police end of things when he was PSD. There was lots of controversy surrounding him, but none that I recall directly related to his abilities as PSD. Before that, I can’t even remember who was PSD, that’s how low key the position was

Again, to echo atwrh below, their job was to ensure open communications between the depts that are under the PSD, review and submit budgets, attend some planning meetings and that was it. (from the public eye point of view)They certainly didn’t have an assistant making 6 figures, or the delusion of grandeur that Straub has.

As far as the line officers, sure, not everyone is going to like what the chief says or does. It’s a given. I’m not sure who you are sharing coversation with, but the majority of line officers I know absolutely loath the “Dr.”, and have lost respect for chief Paul. There is a difference between not liking someone, and not having any respect for them. Sometimes they go hand in hand, but they are still two different ways to look at people.

In all fairness to Chief Paul, I think he could’ve taken IMPD to new heights, IF he’d been allowed to run and manage the dept. from the moment he took on that appointment. Unfortunately, the damage is done and continues to worsen as the puppeteer Straub continues to pull the strings of the chief.

Racer what should we do let the Pacers leave and lose the seven-ten thousand jobs that are directly related to the Pacers being in Indy?
I hate the idea of giving the Simons or anyone else a dime of our money; I also don’t have an answer to the problem.

Nightmares are also dreams TA. Kennedy becoming Mayor is the equivalent of Freddie Kruger becoming the Sandman.

Again, wow.

As for my LEO sources, I’ve got several LEO friends. For some reason, they seem to be spread across all areas of my life: occupation, church, neighborhood, etc.

They’re spread across generations, too, although the youngest is in his mid-30s. A couple are female.

It’s not a scientific sampling, to be sure. But on most issues, they’re all over the board–some Rs, a few Ds, the rest Independent. They all hated Goldsmith, most hated Peterson, all actively supported Ballard.

I know Chief Zunk. I knew of his problems, too. I liked him a lot.

Here’s what citizens like about the current chief, just FYI: while coming up the ranks, he was always polite, patient and listened to neighborhoods. He was always a fair and honest resource for those neighborhood folks. He was diplomatic. He never embarrassed his superiors…when IMPD was wrong, he said nothing rather than pile-on.

I couldn’t tell you his politics. I just don’t know.

I still like him. Your words are instructive, but not sufficient to change my mind. With all due respect.

So what prompted you, Abdul, to pipe up here, on this response, which wasn’t even yours to begin with, and defend Ballard’s alleged “numbers” ? You didn’t post the poll numbers originally. Someone else did.

A tad touchy, aren’t we?

Think Again,
Was that an attempt to redeem Chief Paul? As I read it, I thought “milk-toast.” Not quite leadership quality. I lean more toward Ash’s, On the Side of Blue and my evaluation. I find your questionable “LEO friends” list questionable if not down right suspicious???

Ernie, if TA threw out a stat like that, he’d have the documentation to back it up. I’m very curious. Tell me where this 60% figure comes from.

Thnx Paul and Abdul…that’s what I wanted to know.

This is exactly why he’s not trusted or respected. When people complain about overgrown weeds or the fact that the police aren’t making sure their kids get to the bus stop on time, he tasks his people with these responsibilities, instead of doing what a leader does and explaining to people the specific set of responsibilities that police are tasked with. It would even be understandable if these tasks were augmented to a daily work regimen. They’re not. So instead of locking up drug dealers, prostitutes, etc., we have more people than ever performing social work functions.

There are many respected appointed police officers. They aren’t politicians and they aren’t people who ran inside as fast as they could. They are people who actually UNDERSTAND what patrolman deal with. Unfortunately, traditionally there is a much more developed sense of right and wrong in cops as opposed to higher ups. Thus, when they are told to lie to a community group or do something they know is going to do more harm than good, they speak up and don’t last very long.

The AP report says “approved” for all 3 elected officials (Obama, Ballard, Daniels).

Indy Undercover, wher are you?!