A Chief's Story/Public Information

From the Midnight Rider:

A Chief’s Story: Internal or External?

By: The Midnight Rider

Recently, the Muscle Shoals Police Department named a new Chief of Police when Robert Evans had decided to retire. While we knew the three candidates well enough to speak to them, they all appeared to be good candidates. Capt. Clint Reck was named the new Chief. We want to congratulate him on the promotion and hope him the best.

While writing the above, we had the thought, is it best to hire within the Department or outside the Department. We spoke to several employees at the various Departments and got positive reviews. Actually we didn’t hear anything negative. Let’s look at some examples:

Within:

Colbert Co Sheriff’s Dept. Frank Williamson. Sheriff Williamson was a Sheriff’s Deputy before winning the last election. He has implemented things that have brought the Sheriff’s Department into this Century.

Florence Police Department. Ron Tyler. Chief Tyler worked his way up the Ranks. FPD seems to be better accepted by the citizens.

External:

Lauderdale Co Sheriff’s Dept. Rick Singleton. Sheriff Singleton has definitely brought new ideas and updates to the Sheriff’s Dept.

Tuscumbia Police Dept. Tony Logan. Chief Logan has brought Pride back to the Tuscumbia Police Department. The pay may not be the best but the Officers seem happy.

So, which way is the best, we don’t know. Both seem to have its merits. Sheffield Police Department is the last Department in this area to not to have a new Chief or Sheriff’. But of course, Sheffield has a major turnover problem. When it is time to hire a new Chief at Sheffield, should it be internal or external? Probably the best is to hire someone that has no idea where Sheffield, AL is. They can come in and shake the place up. However, how are you going to get a quality person with what they are paid at Sheffield?

The Riots

As most you know, as seen on the television, newspapers or internet, there are Riots in Milwaukee after an Officer Involved Shooting. As we sat watching the news on Sunday morning, there was a report of a Firetruck and Ambulance that had come under Gunfire while responding to one of the many fires there. Okay, Mr. Rioter, those First Responders are trying to help you. If you keep shooting at them, they will stop coming to help you. Then what will you do?

Until next time…

I am and always will be, the Midnight Rider.

*****

Readers, usually more aptly termed critics, often contact us or make remarks on Facebook about information contained in this blog. The critics also take swipes at the Shoals Insider and the Quad-Cities Daily which publish arrest records and Pen-N-Sword which publishes certain high profile arrest articles and later follows up on the disposition of these miscreants.

Apparently these critics slept through the year 2000 or thereabouts when the Alabama open records act was passed. The act covers several areas, but for our purposes we’re discussing only information concerning prisoners.

With the exception of prisoner transfers (shuttling a prisoner from the county lockup to the state facility), prisoners sent for temporary medical treatment (drug rehab not included) and the very few in protective custody, the public has the right to know where a prisoner is at any time.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the law coincided with the advent of a true Internet. In other words, open records plus Internet equals a major breakthrough in public knowledge. No longer can a mother tell her neighbors that Little Johnny is away working on the Alaska pipeline when in fact he’s down south working in a prison laundry.

So when you rant and rave about such articles being “gossip” and “no one’s business,” you don’t look very intelligent, do you?

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