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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us July 13, 2005 Bianca’s police style is what Ashlanders want By Leah Ireland Ashland Tidings editor Scot Bolsinger is to be commended for editorializing that he would use the Freedom of Information Act, if necessary, to find out what was happening in the police department regarding Police Chief Mike Bianca. We can only guess that the police department has some members who go for a different style of policing than Bianca and power wars ensue. Bianca was chosen overwhelmingly by the community specifically because he puts peace before policing, and that’s how locals like it. If Bianca disarms dangerous-weapon-wielding suspects without using a gun, shouldn’t he be commended and not criticized? And if there isn’t enough action in Ashland for zealous police whose gun gives them license, they need to go work in Medford, which is known for its LAPD tactics. Bianca is unusual in that he supports the rights guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights for each and every citizen. That means rich and poor, those driving BMW convertibles down the boulevard and panhandlers. When locals and others demand that Bianca “clean up downtown,” perhaps he is mindful that the streets are public, and Ashland is not for rich people only. City Administrator Gino Grimaldi is also to be commended for standing solidly behind Bianca when challenged, knowing that the citizens of Ashland have made Bianca their choice for police chief loudly and clearly. It is public knowledge that Chief Bianca has always allowed an open dialogue for disagreements within the department, and that he encourages a full range of ideas and practices as long as they are pro-justice. Since Bianca has been police chief, incidents of police stopping motorists for no good reason have dropped, illegal searches of our teenagers’ backpacks has slowed down, and the harassment of minorities (yes, even some of the black actors we admire so much) have also eased. The town has less police incident stories spreading around, and complaints are handled with more respect for citizens’ rights. Police who think the gun is God and that the illegal election of a pro-war president gives them license to come down hard on vulnerable citizens should find work where such enthusiasm is needed in the terrible meth wars in our state. The only difference between democracy and fascism is whether the men with guns work for or against the people. If we can’t have democracy in wonderful Ashland, where can we? So the questions that threaten our world threaten our town. We can hide from the pollution our lifestyle creates, the suffering animals go through for our gourmet restaurants, even the empty schools and underfunded library our indifference creates — but the homeless are in our faces, where they belong. Do we have the right to know more about what happens in publicly funded institutions? You bet. Should we support our police because they face untold dangers we never know about? Absolutely. But we need to remember that our local, remarkable, varied, courageous, well-trained, really great police force works for us. Police should respect those they protect By Aaron Corbet Ashland The vast majority of people wishing to become police are the last ones in the world you want to hire for this job. I know of no other profession on the planet with this problem. The No. 1 job requirement for police work is a genuine concern for the welfare of others. The No. 1 job responsibility is to protect that societal welfare. This comes before everything else; if we’re not still on the same page, you should forget about police work. A large amount of authority must be vested in an officer, in order for them to perform this function. Moreover, reality sometimes necessitates that the officer be willing and able to exercise physical force in their duties. On rare occasion, this may even be lethal force. This is not an easy job. I personally feel that performing it with conscience and judgment makes it a truly noble job. Anyone who has traveled the country knows this is not the way it generally turns out. Most people attracted to police work think it would be really cool to wear a uniform and run around with a badge and gun, telling people what to do. On April 22, Dirk Binder, to protect himself from being tackled by police in what he perceived as “vulgar, military-style aggression,” brandished a knife at them. An officer at the scene reports that she was ready to drill Binder, except for someone behind him in her line of fire. Chief Bianca, who, along with several others present, knows Binder, simply walked up to him, gently coaxed him to give up the knife, and the whole incident ended without anyone getting a scratch. I recently discussed this with an APD veteran. He firmly stated that he thought Binder should have been killed. As a matter of “policy.” That the above incident ended amicably for all proves the correctness of Bianca’s evaluation. On the basis of her own knowledge, the officer wishing to fire may or may not have been justified, at that time. But this officer ought now be able to recognize that her evaluation was, in fact, incorrect. If she can’t do this, something is terribly wrong. To endlessly argue categorical imperatives, and not recognize that such imperatives must always be informed by all pertinent details available — this is what is known, in the technical literature, as “stupid.” When I moved to Ashland I was favorably impressed with the APD, on whole. And Chief Bianca is definitely my kind of cop. But over the last few months I’ve seen some disturbing events in the downtown area. There has been a consistent overreaction in terms of the number of officers deployed. And physical constraints have been applied where I did not myself see the necessity. But mainly what is offensive is attitude. There is an arrogant display of authority as of an alien occupying force. This may partly be due to youth and/or inexperience. Perhaps if these guys just relax, integrate better into Ashland society, and reflect on who is paying whom, it’ll improve. But the best way to earn respect from others is to genuinely feel it for them. I think Ashland should expect the highest quality of police officers. I hope that the interview processes for candidates are sufficiently penetrating to enable such discrimination. 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