[Mpls] re:Lt. Arradondo removed from the Police Community RelationsCouncil

[Dennis Plante]

MICHELLE HILL WRITES:
First of all there is no such thing as equal justice in the minority segment 
of impoverished neighborhoods. Secondly, I have to keep remind you of what 
my previous post say each time I respond. How White officers became a part 
of my opinion to support the two African  American officers I do not 
understand. The reason I would agree with the officers asking for federal 
intervention is because this complaint has a political smell to it. I made 
no mention of white officers nor did I say "when a white officer is accused 
of excessive force while arresting a black, it's the police dept. that need 
to be investigated? " THOSE ARE YOUR WORDS AND SHOULD IN NO WAY BE 
ATTRIBUTED TO ME.

DENNIS PLANTE WRITES:

Michelle, your letter to City pages states a much different view:

""I would like to commend Anderson and Demko for their hard work and great
effort on the article titled "The Hit Parade Revisited" (7/20). I believe
that every tax-paying citizen has a right to know that our police force is
not being held accountable for their actions, but we are, through lawsuit
settlements for their excessive force and violation of civil rights. Until
the individual officer is held accountable financially or through
discipline, the taxpayer will continue to pay. If only the good officers had
the courage to stand up to the bad officers. Clearly our City Council
doesn't seem to have the courage.
People want to point the finger at Mr. Anderson and Mr. Demko for reporting.
I say, "Don't get mad at the messenger, get mad at those who refuse to
demand accountability."
Michelle Hill
Minneapolis""

It appears you are flip-flopping on this issue.  Either ALL officers are 
investigated for possible misconduct (regardless of how "sterling" thier 
records are) when a complaint is filed, or they are not.  Which is it?

MICHELLE HILL RESPONDS:
We disagree again, CP Samuels took what was told to him, "second hand 
information," and complained on behalf of this constituent. That is not the 
part that bothers me. I agree that he can pass his "secondhand" information 
on. What I take issue with is him going above the commanders head before the 
commander had the chance to fully look into the matter. You can mince words 
all you like. Proper protocol was to notified their immediate supervisor and 
that was the 4th precinct inspector. Now Chief McManus may say CP Samuels 
can do what he did, but that is a dangerous thing to do. Now, I like Chief 
McManus a lot. He has that same command presence that Chief Finney had in 
St. Paul. But the question becomes, "Will the chief take the same swift 
action everytime we call our council person to complain?" That is a 
dangerous precedence to set, and it puts the chief and our individual 
council people on the spot.

DENNIS PLANTE RESPONDS:
I guess I'd like to know what evidence you have that CP Samuels "filed a 
complaint", or even "complained"?  The way I read the reply from Jose Velez, 
his aide, is that he notified the appropriate parties to make sure that the 
complaint filed by a constituent was handled in an appropriate manner.  
Which is what I would want my elected council person to do.

dennis plante
lind-bohanon