Springfield Commissioner Fitchet Plays Both Sides At Once

Police Commissioner William Fitchet, (over there, to the left,) is playing both sides. Trying to please everybody all the time, it seems. Didn’t Abe Lincoln disprove that theory? Anyway, he defends the cop who beat Melvin Jones’ head into an inhuman shape during a traffic stop, but he says he wants citizens to handle discipline with an oversight board because he would rather spend his time fighting crime and running the department. He finds discipline of cops to be “tedious”.

Fitchet admits he tried to prevent the public from knowing any details of the Melvin Jones beating, but was forced to come forward after the citizen video surfaced. He said he acted on advice from department lawyers when he held back with the facts. With that in mind, how seriously can we take his words when he claims he wants citizen-powered police discipline?

This is typical cop smoke and mirrors at best. We all know cops can’t take orders, and they thrive on lies to accomplish what they need. They pride themselves in their cleverness when devising a ruse. Lying quickly becomes habitual for them. If view of these facts, Commissioner Fitchet’s words sound suspicious. Even worse, the Commissioner expressed concern about public confidence being shaken because of the Jones cover-up.

Please Commissioner, Jeffrey Asher has been abusing citizens for years, and he is just one cop on the force. Has nothing prior given you a sense that the public was less than happy with you? Your department is regularly bombarded with complaints about Asher and others, and protests abound. And now, suddenly, you want citizens to be in charge of cop discipline? Sounds good if you mean it, but from here, it just sounds suspicious.

Prove me wrong Commissioner. Get behind Mayor Sarno right away and push the citizen oversight panel, with teeth, into reality. Don't hold out much hope for Jeffrey Asher when the panel is complete, but Jeffrey can’t responsibly operate a flashlight, as Melvin Jones’ head proves, let alone a gun, TASER, car, etc. We are all better off without him. How about this? Stop defending Jeffrey Asher and fire him now, before a discipline panel has to do it. Consider it an act of good faith on your part.