What should have been a hard hitting interview, ha! turned into a public service announcement promoting Rodney Monroe. The warm and fuzzy feel good about "me" interview won't earn WCNC's Sonja Gantt an Emmy, but we will give her an appropriate award at the end on this post.
From WCNC: Infomercial
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is facing turbulent times after three officers have been disciplined for everything from accusations of sex in public to sexually assaulting women while on duty.
"I was highly offended," Chief Rodney Monroe said about hearing of the arrest of Officer Marcus Jackson.
Jackson was fired in December 2009 after allegations he sexually assaulted six women while on duty. In January, an officer resigned after allegations he had sex in a restaurant bathroom while on duty. Another officer was placed on administrative leave with pay last week after a domestic violence arrest.
The chief worries about the impact of officer misconduct on the community.
"That's why it's so hard when somebody breaks that trust and respect. It's not just about violating a policy or law, it's more about violating that trust," Monroe said.
Monroe said he offered encouragement to his officers after Jackson's arrest.
"This Jackson case -- no matter how horrific it may be -- it's not a reflection of them. It's not what they do each and every day, and they have to continue to be proud of what they do," Monroe said.
The chief is proud of the changes he's put in place, including 40 more marked cars on the street.
"You go to the movies or church or other places or just driving around, and, you know, people are seeing police everywhere," Monroe said. "We haven't really increased our numbers that much but we've increased our visibility."
Monroe also gave Charlotte's patrol captains more decision-making power.
"The bread and butter of what we do is in those neighborhoods," Monroe said.
And with that power comes more accountability.
"If you have a goal of reducing robberies by 20 percent, we go in and look at how you're doing, what strategies you are employing," Monroe said.
Another change: Monroe requires reports every 28 days, rather than every nine weeks, and leaders at all levels meet weekly.
"A lot of people say, 'Oh, Monday morning meetings,' but in order to stay focused, to stay engaged in what we are doing every day," Monroe said.
The chief celebrates what he believes are safer streets. The latest crime statistics show overall crime in Charlotte is down 17 percent when compared to this time last year. Property crime is down by 19 percent.
He says the results are hard-earned. Monroe resents the implication by some that he's manipulating the numbers.
"It would take a great conspiracy for me to manipulate that," he said. "You know, we've got less homicide victims. Am I hiding bodies? That's not the case."
Still, Monroe says there's plenty of hard work ahead.
"We need to get to know the people that we are hiring," he said.
Jackson had been on the force for less than a year. His case led to changes at the training academy. The chief has added staff and ordered a change in how background checks are done.
"A lot of it was being done by the phone. I call up a reference, I call up an employer and get what I get, and some of that needs to have some face-to-face so that you can see people's expressions," Monroe said.
Some criticized the department, saying that Jackson was a young officer and wasn't properly supervised.
"Sergeants respond to certain critical incidents and so forth, but they can't be there for every incident that may occur," Monroe said.
By summer, there will be 125 more officers on the street. In the fall, a new district attorney will take charge.
As Charlotte's chief, Monroe knows some of the changes he has made weren't popular but he believes they were right.
"But I think if nothing else we can say we did it for the right reason, for the right people and we are getting the right results," Monroe said.
The chief is hoping that his officers will get a raise this year. He's hoping that by holding off on his request for additional officers, it might be more likely to happen.
And now for Ms. Gantt's well deserved video acknowledgement. No this is not PC!
23 comments:
That is pretty funny Cedar! What the F**** are you doing Sonja?
There are so many holes in that PR sound byte for rodney, I don't know where to begin.
HE was "highly offended" by the actions of Marcus Jackson? Egomaniac that he is, HE is highly offended...how about he should be offended because of how it impacted the officers and CMPD...but once again, it's all about rodney.
And he SHOULD be worried about officer misconduct and how it affects the community.....that is, HIS misconduct...that is not only affecting the community, but greatly adversely affecting CMPD.
It wouldn't take a GREAT CONSPIRACY for him to manipulate the numbers....just fear of losing your job, your living and a bunch of ass kissing yes men. That's ALL IT TAKES....or that's all it TOOK. And he always throws the homicides out there....you can even manipulate how you report those, although not as much...accidental shooting? And he got lucky with the national trend.
So the BIG CHANGES he has made in background checks are "face to face meetings", WTF??
We can all sleep better at night knowing he has made "unpopular decisions" but for the "RIGHT REASONS"....again WTF? What a victim he is, poor rodney, he's not understood. Fact is, he has made CRAPPY DECISIONS THAT RESULTED IN MARCUS JACKSON NOT BEING FIRED WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE, HIS OFFICERS NOT GETTING A RAISE LAST YEAR, AND PROBABLY WON'T THIS YEAR, BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY TWO MILLION OVER BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND WAS THE SAME LAST YEAR. That's why people didn't/don't like his decisions, not because they weren't "popular"..once again, he's playing the "victim".
Awful interview of no substance...but what did anyone expect? How he can continue to be so very disingenuous and get away with it is beyond me.
Should have asked him about the IA Memos, and, oh yes, exactly WHAT CLASSES is he taking to get a legit college degree? Remember he said, he was "taking classes"?
A tragedy for CMPD, allowing him to stay.
Where to begin...Everyone already knew the interview was staged, so there goes any facade of credibility. Further,those "unpopular choices made for the right reasons, for the right people" were clearly made for diversity sake, and one credit we must give him is he has admitted this earlier. It remains the one thing he didn't lie about. The employee raises went to the idiotic RAC program ($4.3million),renovating offices, hiring friends for meaningless jobs, etc...Webster, you are so bad at your job you need four (4) paid mouthpieces to speak for you? Shame on you, and shame on city council for knowing and doing nothing.
I just re-read his comments, and I can't believe we all missed it. He told the "reporter", and I use that lightly, what he thought sergeants do. He has no idea what our sergeants do because he wouldn't lower himself to speak with a sergeant. He considers them "under achievers", despite the fact that nearly all of THEM actually have a degree, and are responsible for the most thankless job in ANY organization! My sergeant ROCKS, and I see decisions made "on the fly" that most command folks couldn't match.
Thanks Cedar, that youtube part made my day. Love your dry sense of humor.
Did her name get misspelled somewhere along the way. according to the urban dictionary....
Gnatt
An annoying little (fictive) being that makes life especialy difficult for Croquet players as well as all life forms in general. The Gnatt is also very short tempered (see: hockey-temper) and can bite and claw any innocent passer-by to death. No gnatts have been properly documented, but they can resemble an angry lepricorn. Can also be used as a word for anything negative or as an insult.
I know. that was bad...
I am just kidding...
It's called narcissistic personality disorder...(Tiger Woods has been diagnosed with it).
It fits perfectly: The hardest thing for them to do is apologize and take full responsibility. They have a feeling of entitlement and being able to get away with anything.
"The narcissist is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, and prestige.[2] Narcissistic personality disorder is closely linked to self-centeredness.
"has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements
"# has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
# is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
# lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
# is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
# shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes"
There you go, folks, who does this sound like?
20/20 is looking for compulsive liars to do a story on. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3073297
if you know of a good candidate...sign em up
20/20 is looking for compulsive liars to do a story on. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3073297
if you know of a good candidate...sign em up
Concerning monroes comments as to he is not manipulating the numbers is quite true now. It is being done for him. It is my understanding the Sgt's in the districts are reclassifying the reports of House Breakins to misdemeanor offenses which reduces the crime stats. This info comes after the great story monroe did on TV along with cpt al rutledge (and he is most definitey a YES MAN) where commendations were given to the Steele Creek Division for their great work in crime reduction. Dont get me wrong these officers in Steele Creek work very hard and are as honest as the day is long. They write the report and submit it to the Sgt for approval. What does the Sgt do? In many cases they re-classify reports telling the reporting officer "this really isnt a real house break-in. I think it could be well, maybe a damage to property or a misdemeanor tres passing or something , Dont You? And what is the patrol officer to do at that point? What ever SGT he says!! I hear there are many reports like this, and obviously that is true due to the high % of reduction in crime in Steel Creek division. I wonder how the home owners feel about this or Do they even know? And dont forget the bundling of vehicle break-ins into one case. If there are 15 vehicles broken into in the same time and place proximity then it is only counted as one reported crime.
So Is monroe meanipulaitng the numbers himself? No!! He is having others do it for him!.
If we could just get those report numbers this could be proven very easily.
Pretty stupid of monroe to even mention the homicide rate. Murders go up and down every year. No police dept anywhere has any control over how many homicides occur. It is obviuos he considers the public to be very stupid and not able to figure that one out.
CMPD has the best homicide dvision around. Its leaders and officers have the utmost integrity and professionalism. Had to throw that one in.
They cant send us to the 3rd shift. Im sure Drac is doing just fine out there.
General,
The reports are there, it's getting them that is near impossible, and rodney KNOWS THIS.
If you even LOOK at a report on your computer at CMPD, you leave a "fingerprint", they know who looks where and let's say you made copies of reports, and those reports ended up on the news, they would know exactly who supplied them.
It would take someone not caring about the consequences.....and who is going to do that? Families, mortgages, etc. get in the way....if someone was COMPELLED to turn over the information in question by, say, a subpoena.....
It's a Catch 22 situation, get the info to the media, lose your job, don't get the info to the media, hate your job.
have a non officer fax a request to records for all reports on specific streets over a specific period. they will then give you a list of the reports and try to send you on your way. take that list and put it into a written request for each report on the list that you want. when they bitch, threaten them with an emergency hearing to get them. those are public records,and they know they will lose in court.
once you have that, I guess someone has to contact every victim to see what happenned.
violent assaults might be easier to see if a victim was diverted to a trauma unit, but shows a simple assault, you know its a lie. Also other parts of the report may tell. Ambulance records could also do it.
no need to have a police officer do this.
I understand your fear of financial strain re: mortgages,providing for your families, those necessary car payments. I was there. There are ways to get this info to cedar. Emailing from home computers, library computers, neighbors computers, etc.
When an officers absolutely perfectly classified report is down graded you and I both know he will talk, complain, bitch, etc to his friends whether in the locker room, roll call room or side by side chatting during the tour.Just listen and make mental notes for later transmissions to cedar by email. It can be done without anyone knowing. The heat will come down and the fun will begin, Life is a circle and sooner or later his circle will crack.
The same goes for specific streets and neighborhoods. We have to have somewhere to start looking.
General
It is impossible to access CMPD computers and the info therein without leaving your own personal "fingerprint" whether it is from your home computer, library computer, etc.
If you access the CMPD data base from anywhere, they will know who it is and where it came from...period.
Everyone knows what is going on, people have SEEN the reports, people have HEARD ray/ray and rodney "suggest" ways to "minimize" crime stats...EVERYONE KNOWS.
It will take someone with courage, a backbone and a strong sense of integrity to speak up and expose what is going on.
Unfortunately, there has not been someone, to this point, with these characteristics that is willing to blow the whistle and speak the truth.....but I don't believe little rodney and ray/ray will get away with the dishonestly and corruption for much longer, not from what I am told.
You are not reading what is there correctly Try again.I know its impossible to do it the computer way..We all know that. Police Officers are creative and masterminds at getting the job done. Just figure it out or wait it out. If you wait it out then you take the consequences of whatever happens. And that could be another contract for rodney. God help you if that happens
"General",
I thought my reading comprehension was pretty darn good....and sometimes you can be just a wee bit pompous, don't you know......O)
If you've got a foolproof idea, pony up!!
After all, you are retired, right?
You coudlnt be any more wrong. My apologies if that is the way you see me. Websters defines pompous as arrogant or magnificient. I am neither. I am one, along with many others out here, wanting so desperately to help. But without that info it cant be done. Dont sit and wait for others to do what you want done. Be a part of this tea party.
Retired? Yep. Here? Maybe. somewhere else, maybe.I know what needs to be done. Even old G W 1ST coudlnt do it by himself. It takes more than one to row the boat.
General, and I am serious, if you have a foolproof way, I want to know what it is.
It's been impossible to get people to band together, to date anyhow, because of the "fear factor".
The one true hero so far is whomever got the memos about Marcus Jackson to the press....but has that gotten the results it should have? IMO, no...
The media and city council are so afraid of the race card it's not funny, and that little worm curt walton is so intent on covering his own ass, he will block/impede ANY kind of action that will expose him for the incompetent low level bureaucrat back room dealing power hungry napoleon that he is.
Instead of being an arbiter of standards of ethics and integrity, he is just the opposite, he reached his peter principle level of incompetency a LONG time ago, like in 6th grade.
It seems everyone's corrupt ass relies on everyone's corrupt ass to keep the corrupt machine rolling.
So imagine the frustration on the Officer level over the inability to get anything done or anyone to listen, they are just trying to survive this corrupt mess.
Honestly, if you have an answer at this point, I am all ears!
General,
imo what you said is clear. let me recap it and correct me if I am wrong please.
forget cmpd computers and signing into that system.
Do keep your ears open and if you hear anything of substance email the info to Cedar from a friend or neighbors house if you dont feel comfortable with your own home computer.
Send whatever you have. Someone else may send the rest of the peices and you may have that one peice that connects the puzzle.
If you know of a certain location and time frame where issues are rampant, send that info. maybe someone else will research it.
If everybody will just do that much, eventually it will work out.
if you want change, you have to do your part. we cant always expect someone else to take care of it. Everyone must do the little bit they can. That does not mean you must put yourself in a bad position to do it.
It has to start somewhere. Start with this. you never know where it will lead. Just start.
General, feel free to correct me.
different note... does anyone know if Charlotte uses a Brady list or the same thing by another name basically compiled to tell defense attorneys about any police officers who may have lied in an official capacity.
The Brady List comes from a US Supreme Court ruling.
Thank you anonymous 12:41am..Now if the rest of them will get it and then start sending info to cedar this train will roll..As far as I know we havent received any info yet...We will look into your question of officers misconduct..
thanks
To anon 2/27 12:41
Here is your answer re DA's officer list of names
The NC Advocates for Justice has tried to start a state-wide list, but to my knowledge, it has not gone anywhere.
It has been rumored that our local Public Defender's Office kept a list some time ago, but I've not heard anything about it in years.
Judging from ADA Jeff Davis' comments in today's paper about Officer Cloninger, the District Attorney's office would like to review any such information.
As an aside, Brady vs Maryland deals with a prosecutor's duty to disclose exculpatory evidence to the defense. However, they can't disclose anything they don't know about. That's why the DA's office now requires Detectives to bring their entire case file to court for review before a jury trial is scheduled
thanks general,
I just saw this. information moves on so quickly.
Is there a way to pull up recent posts if the article is older?
At the bottom of each page it says "older post". Just keep clicking on it until you find your article. Cedar writes so many articles it is very hard to keep up with all. Have you read all the posts about the paint ball event. The torch was lit and has burned to the ground with that one
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