Ohio has to make sure it does something even stupider.
A few days back I mentioned a situation where a highly respected and devoted detective in Tennessee was stripped of his duties and sent back to patrol because his boss had a case of assholitis. I should have known that Ohio, being the copycat of stupid moves wasn't about to be outdone.
Sadly, the rush to punish a respected police officer resulted in this headline:
Sylvania Township officer suspended, within a whisker of termination
This isn't just any old officer, with any old facial hair- he's also a well respected, well liked officer who had more than 20 officers show up at the hearing to support him.
Every single day, I read a article about some wayward officer who has committed some crime, in fact- it's big news when one of the good guys turns out bad. There's constant talk that our LE officers lack this or that, and that we have far too few 'good ones' out there. And then something like this happens, and it's not hard to figure out why there are so few of them. If this is the way we treat those who are expected to put their lives on the line every day- how are we suppose to expect them to want to continue doing so?
Someone should tell Sylvania Township police chief Robert Metzger that when our officers are treated unfairly, we notice. And we start realising how easy it is to replace the person treating them that way with someone who knows better.
Police
Robert Metzger - Chief
rmetzger@sylvaniatownshippolice.com 419-885-4962 419-885-1116
Robert Boehme - Dep. Chief
rboehme@sylvaniatownshippolice.com 419-885-4962 419-885-1116
A few days back I mentioned a situation where a highly respected and devoted detective in Tennessee was stripped of his duties and sent back to patrol because his boss had a case of assholitis. I should have known that Ohio, being the copycat of stupid moves wasn't about to be outdone.
Sadly, the rush to punish a respected police officer resulted in this headline:
Sylvania Township officer suspended, within a whisker of termination
Officer Ron Dicus was suspended for three days without pay for insubordination for disobeying orders to trim his mustache.
During a three-hour, quasi-judicial hearing before the trustees, with lawyers on behalf of both parties examining witnesses, police Chief Robert Metzger described Officer Dicus’ mustache as being a “George Custer-type.”
This isn't just any old officer, with any old facial hair- he's also a well respected, well liked officer who had more than 20 officers show up at the hearing to support him.
Officer Dicus, a nine-year veteran of the police force who has never been reprimanded, faced punishment ranging from public reprimand to termination.
He said he plans to take the matter to arbitration.
“I don’t think justice was done,” he said. “I think it’s a big waste of taxpayer money. I should have never gotten to this point in the first place.”
Officer Dicus said he believes the chief’s policy is in violation of his union’s contract, which permits officers to wear mustaches. The contract does not offer further qualification.
He said he was unfairly targeted because he recently was named president of the department’s patrolman’s union.
Every single day, I read a article about some wayward officer who has committed some crime, in fact- it's big news when one of the good guys turns out bad. There's constant talk that our LE officers lack this or that, and that we have far too few 'good ones' out there. And then something like this happens, and it's not hard to figure out why there are so few of them. If this is the way we treat those who are expected to put their lives on the line every day- how are we suppose to expect them to want to continue doing so?
Someone should tell Sylvania Township police chief Robert Metzger that when our officers are treated unfairly, we notice. And we start realising how easy it is to replace the person treating them that way with someone who knows better.
Police
Robert Metzger - Chief
rmetzger@sylvaniatownshippolice.com 419-885-4962 419-885-1116
Robert Boehme - Dep. Chief
rboehme@sylvaniatownshippolice.com 419-885-4962 419-885-1116
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