Columnist James Ingram
After last year’s East Boogie murder-fest, no one in their right mind would argue against the suggestion that East St. Louis is in desperate need of more police officers.
That doesn’t mean, however, that Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. and City Manager Robert Betts should just throw caution to the wind in their rush to fill the void.
But, apparently, that’s precisely what they have done in swearing in the latest batch of police officers.
I turns out that one of the newly added men in blue had a warrant pending for his arrest, as well as had used a false name in applying for the job. He was also charged (back in 1997) with domestic battery. At press time, he had scrambled to post a $2,000 bond.
Another newly sworn-in officer, Michael Baxton Jr., swiped a police car (back on September 15) from the Brooklyn police department, only to be busted, that same night, at one of Brooklyn’s finer establishments, The Pink Slip (strip club). Baxton happens to be the son of the ESL police chief.
Oh, but it gets even worse. ESL city councilman (and former police chief) Delbert Marion disagrees with the latest set of police hires, and for good reason.
According to Marion, several recruits failed to complete portions of the entry-level physical examination. Fingerprinting was incomplete, with some being processed, while others were not.
In addition, some background checks were incomplete. Betts even had to go on the record, admitting that ESL was still “waiting on FBI background investigations to come back.”
But that didn’t stop Parks from reeling off his usual string of overly optimistic and insulting rationalizations for his apparent goof-up. He said, “I hope everyone can remain.”
Even the woman beater and application cheat, Mayor Parks? Boy, I bet he’d really be sympathetic if he had to respond to a spousal abuse call. And I’m sure that every syllable of his report would be the truth … just like the false name that he used on his application.
Parks went on to comfort us by assuring us that “these officers are still on probation for a year … they can still be let go.”
Thanks for the consolation, Al. But since many background checks are still pending, how many possible lawsuits will the City endure because of the potential for more embarrassing revelations?
How many times will Michael Baxton Jr. borrow the squad car when he gets an itch to make a run to the local strip club to “make it rain”?
Mayor Parks, what kind of flawed thinking led you to such a mad rush to jeopardize the lives of ESL residents by swearing in a group of unknowns?
I know, it made headlines. It made you look like a big shot, like you were taking the bull by the horn, rooting out crime, ya-da, ya-da, ya-da.
But, if the background checks reveal more flawed candidates, it will make you look like the moron of the month.
ESL has had enough bad cops, from former Chief Ron Mathews being sent to federal prison, to Detective Ricky Perry being caught disoriented (some allege drunk) behind the wheel of his police car in Belleville.
Now, it appears that your latest batch of “microwave” police hires could make the Keystone Cops look like the FBI, by comparison.
Thanks a lot, Mayor Parks. Next time, do us all a favor and wait for the background checks. Next time, cross all of those t’s and dot all of those i’s that you promised would be the hallmark of your administration.
Selecting policemen should not be a crapshoot. Let’s leave the gambling to the Casino Queen.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.