Comments on Advance Indiana™: Ballard Folks Not Reaching Out To Everyone On Straub's Appointment

There is a troubling climate both in IMPD and in t...

2009-12-30T17:15:44.702-05:00

There is a troubling climate both in IMPD and in the Sheriff's Department.

The citizens have only themselves to blame. We have way too many good, honest citizens who flat out refuse to ever think about a job in police work.

Example: A very nice suburban department had a hiring process. Their pay goes up to the mid-$50K after six or seven years. There is over-time and the ability to work off-duty as well. If you live in the county, you get a company car worth at least $3,000 even if you only drive it to and from work. So after seven years, you are making roughly $60K/year, and this isn't some poor urban area either. However, even with that, in this economy, only about 200 applied and around 150 showed up on the first day of testing. 150 people in a metro area of over 1,000,000 people. There were even people from outside the metro area, even out-of-state.

While citizens can sit back and complain year after year to their politicians, citizens get the police department they allow. As more and more people tell their kids to avoid law enforcement, refuse to think about it as a career, that leaves a very small % of individuals to hire from. Obviously we aren't getting the best of the best in the applicant pool. I for one am happy with what we have. I don't think we have that many issues, considering IMPD is a 1,300ish officer department.

HEI, I agree with the need for an outsider. Ther...

2009-12-30T15:48:20.052-05:00

HEI,

I agree with the need for an outsider. There is a troubling climate both in IMPD and in the Sheriff's Department.

I'm willing to give Straub a chance. I did li...

2009-12-30T12:55:07.270-05:00

I'm willing to give Straub a chance. I did like Renner, also. But, there is the outstanding issue of whether or not IMPD and the Sheriff's Department have a culture of corruption. We still haven't heard the final word on the scrap yard issue. And, before that it was one bad cop after another.

So, short story, an outsider may be exactly what this community needs; so we can come to believe that all the bad apples have been appropriately identified and dealt with.

Spook, Carl Brizzi is as hositle to gun rights as...

2009-12-30T07:56:19.844-05:00

Spook,

Carl Brizzi is as hositle to gun rights as D.O. would be. Brizzi carries on a long tradition of Republican prosecutors here not supporting gun rights - Goldsmith, Newman and now Brizzi.

Ballard said he wanted New York City style gun con...

2009-12-30T05:42:58.952-05:00

Ballard said he wanted New York City style gun control here in Indy. That means no carrying of handguns, permit or not. No "assault" weapons. You combine Ballard, Straub with a possible anti-gun prosecutor in David Orentlicher, and my guess is these three would rather have law abiding citizens disarmed than putting criminals in jail.

...and I'm a Life Member of the NRA! -I wonde...

2009-12-29T22:51:26.672-05:00

...and I'm a Life Member of the NRA! -I wonder if Straub is a fit for our community values?

The job of Public Safety Director needs to be elim...

2009-12-29T22:50:21.250-05:00

The job of Public Safety Director needs to be eliminated! -It's just an unnecessary layer of government that costs way too much.

Supporters of the right to bear arms need to rephr...

2009-12-29T22:43:10.833-05:00

Supporters of the right to bear arms need to rephrase their advocacy of the issue to the natural right "...to defend oneself."

You have a right to defend yourself and your property and should not be restricted from arming yourself appropriately for the task.

This is not a right that government grants, it is one that you have naturally as a sentient being.

Excellent post. Make no mistake about it, the Bal...

2009-12-29T21:33:06.329-05:00

Excellent post. Make no mistake about it, the Ballard administration could not be more hostile to gunowners. He's had plenty of chances to support gun rights and has at every opportunity came out against them.

Even if you just examine the politics of the issue, it shows me that the Ballard administration has no clue regarding the power of the gun issue within the Republican Party. Gun activists are terrific voters and they will vote their issue over anything else.

I wonder what's next - is Ballard going to take on pro-life activists next? He seems to be trying to alienate every Republican group there is.