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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 15, 2005 Readers defend Ashland police chief While driving to work this morning I heard about the requested resignation of Police Chief Mike Bianca by the Ashland police force and it really saddens me. I was born in Ashland and lived there for over 22 years. I am currently living in Portland, but Ashland will always be my home. I remember Mike as I was growing up. He was different from the other officers. He was approachable. He remembered my name and was happy to see me. He was genuinely concerned about my well-being and treated me with respect. How many officers establish that kind of rapport with the citizens of their town? How can anyone say that he isn’t the man for the job when he creates the kind of place we want Ashland to be? Ashland is a small town and needs officers that will treat it as such, not hardened cops with big-city attitudes. I have had my share of run-ins with police in that town, and I can tell you none of them have gained my respect and admiration like Mike has. Show him your support and don’t let the police force decide what kind of town Ashland will be! Darcie Pelsor Portland Peaceful communication is a way to transform our grief-stricken shattered world back into balance. That is also true for communities. Mike Bianca is a man of peace, a true peacemaker, which is what we need and want to guide our law enforcement department. Mike handled situations with my then-teenage son in a manner that headed him in the direction of a good responsible life. If the situations had been handled with violence, anger and power-strutting, my son could easily have gone down the path of darkness. Mike has attended community meetings, mediated in volatile situations such as flag-burning, attended personal growth workshops and is a welcomed community member. I was not able to attend the rally, but was told that when a supporter told Mike, “Sorry for your troubles,” Mike answered, “Troubles? When a tsunami wipes out your community; when uranium bombs cover your country; when your child has cancer; that is trouble. This is work.” Mike Bianca is the kind of human being I want to have fill the job of protecting our community. Jill A Iles Talent It is with deep concern that we read from afar on our vacation that Police Chief Mike Bianca’s leadership has been called into serious question. We would rather be served by the likes of Chief Bianca than those such as Officer MacLennan, whom we have seen in action and been troubled by his lack of knowledge or flat-out disregard for our community in his approach. Chief Bianca, despite resistance to his style from the outset, has been a suitable choice for chief in our community. It is unfortunate that those officers who have a different vision for their police force can’t simply find other work in places that will better fit their own personal needs for tough policing. Chief Bianca needs our support. David and Linda Young Ashland I am responding to the attack on Mike Bianca for what it is: an attack on the civil liberties of the citizens of Ashland. This is an orchestrated effort to attempt to erode the civil liberties of Ashland, and not what it looks like on the surface. Please stay alert! Mike Bianca walks his talk in support of civil liberties and his many years of service to the city show his leadership. The community policing model, which has been a success for the people of Ashland, is a direct result of his leadership. I was honored to watch Mike Bianca receive the Peacemaker of the Year Award from Mediation Works just a few months ago. He accepted the award with all the humbleness he usually has and shared the story of getting to know a homeless man as a friend. This moment is an opportunity for the citizens of Ashland to reiterate that we want community policing. I am thankful to have such a peaceful community because of Mike Bianca’s steadfast leadership in conflict resolution and nonviolence. Linda Richards Ashland Police Chief Mike Bianca has my full support. His reasonable approach is exactly what our community wants and needs. Furthermore, this is an inspiration to other communities, where heavy-handed police tactics are no more welcome than they are here. We are just lucky to have Chief Bianca. I understand that there are many reasons someone would go into police work. If there are bullies on the force who resent the chief restricting them from exercising their power-tripping desires then, clearly, they should transfer to another area where their approach would be more in line with existing policy there. Will Wilkinson Ashland I write to state my full support of Chief Mike Bianca. This is a man of great courage and wisdom, attempting to bring compassion and caring to an area of public service that has long believed in force as its primary modality. Our Ashland community is intelligent and thoughtful, and does not need or want its police department using heavy-handed tactics. Thanks for doing whatever you can to help Ashland keep Chief Bianca in his position and help those at odds with his leadership style to relocate elsewhere. This is what the vast majority of Ashlanders want. Dennis Mead-Shikaly Ashland I write to express my concern about the complaints lodged against Chief Bianca, my dismay at the association’s opinions about him and its approach in publicizing its discontent. First, I think it shows a lack of good order and discipline by the members of the association to air such grave complaints in public when its concerns are being addressed. The excuse that members fear retaliation seems flimsy to me if 50 percent of the force oppose the chief. Second, I see nothing in the complaints which do not appear either meritorious or negligible. The complaint that he placed himself and others at risk in three instances is unsubstantiated. He handled the most recent case involving a mentally disturbed individual with competence, compassion and respect for the life and welfare of a citizen whose behavior was less criminal than uncontrolled. Indeed, the chief took the risks, and his discretion and bravery should be commended, not condemned. Apparently, the members of the association dissatisfied with the chief’s performance would have preferred to protect themselves rather than the citizen. I am not happy to think that they apparently would resort to force in the first show of violent behavior. Michael L. 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