Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Nice acknowledgement

I’m one of those people who still likes holding the newspaper in my hand. One of my favorite weekly routines is leisurely perusing the Sunday paper in our north-lit living room with a pot of coffee. It’s actually about the only time we ever use the room.

My newspaper habit is fixed: I turn first to the Editorial page, then to the local section, then back to the front page, and wrap up with sports. I suspect that the majority of police chiefs start at the editorial page. This is a highly political and pressure-packed position, whether you’re chief in a big city or a small town.

Yesterday, the lead editorial in the Lincoln Journal Star was focused on the police department. That sentence alone is enough to make most of my colleagues cringe, but this editorial was a compliment, not a criticism. The editorial staff has taken notice of the trend in party disturbances in Lincoln, and was passing on props for the results achieved.

I certainly appreciate the recognition of the department’s work. Specifically, it’s the late-shift officers and sergeants that need to take the deep bow, along with the five Team captains who have worked with landlords, property owners, managers, and in some cases parents. These calls are more than annoying. It is a genuine pain to work your way through a big party, where there is inevitably a handful of obnoxious drunks, a pre-law major who wants to engage in a curbside debate, and a loud mouth whose daddy is personal friends with Chief Cassaday.

It is good to know that the editorial board recognizes the positive impact that this good police work has had on the community in several ways. Thanks!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you spell your name wrong??

I also noticed the article on Thoms in the local

Anonymous said...

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd say you misspelled your name to illustrate just how well the partyer really knows you, right? In any case, it's a nice editorial.

Anonymous said...

How much willingness is there in city government to go after the thick-walleted and well-lawyered and owners of certain large apartment complexes (I think you know the ones I mean, because you're dispatched there often) for violations of any applicable ordinances, including maintaining a disorderly house?

Anonymous said...

My thoughts are all in the song:

"Those Were The Days"
by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse

Boy, the way Glen Miller played. Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us, we had it made. Those were the days.
Didn't need no welfare state. Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great. Those were the days.
And you know who you were then, girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content. Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent. Those were the days.
Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin.
Hair was short and skirts were long. Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong. Those Were The Days.

Tom Casady said...

7:28 and 8:04 -

Misdemeanor name dropping: The offender claims to be a close personal friend of the chief, but mispronounces his name.

Felony name dropping: The offender claims be a close personal friend of the chief, can tell you his middle name, and can describe his living room furniture with a fair degree of accuracy.

Both forms of name dropping are punishable by receiving the citation you were entitled to in the first place.

ARRRRG!!!! said...

Some people read the news paper. I use it for other things.

Anonymous said...

Chief, what is the proper response when someone sayd "I'll have your job"?

Bill-formerly-from-the-hood said...

As someone who has had to call LPD upon more than one occasion to shut down a college party I would like to add my thanks also. Prior to a recent move we had far more contact with LPD than we really wanted, and they were almost universally very responsive, friendly, and helpful.

Anonymous said...

10:39 -

We are currently taking applications!

Anonymous said...

How many letters were sent by your Captains in 2009?

Steve said...

Perhaps our chief was referring to this chief. More likely, the spelling was his way of indicating that the aforementioned party's father didn't really know the chief of police, hence the misspelling. Our chief would never misspell a word. (Except for maybe yesterday's blog where he mentioned Wyuka Cemetary.)

Tom Casady said...

Steve-

How do I spell uh-oh?

:-0

Anonymous said...

Some people need to remember, however.... it is NOT illegal to have a party. Just because the neighbor has a few people over and is having more fun than you does not mean you have to call the police. Just saying...