Jeffrey Blackwell – The Puppet Police Chief

Last week the Townehouse Phoenix provided insight to issues with regards to the current Police Chief of Cincinnati, Jeffrey Blackwell. It is not my intent to rehash the same talking points I discussed last week. The purpose of this article is to continue the ongoing saga of how Jeffrey Blackwell continues to mismanage the Cincinnati Police Department, and to ask the question, why is he still here? The most recent issue is the handling of an article printed for all Cincinnati Police Department employees by the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT) Liaison Officer. The article, and the position of the Liaison Officer brings several questions to mind.

First I cannot help but wonder why the tax payers of the City of Cincinnati are paying for a position such as this Liaison Officer. It is my understanding that this Officer is not used for street duty, this officer is not in a patrol car, this officer is not answering citizen’s calls for service. This officer has no traditional police duties. Her only role is to interact with the LGBT community and to make Cincinnati Police officers more sensitive to the needs of the LGBT community. How exactly does the employee interact with the LGBT community that helps in any way to further the mission of the Police Department. Why is this position even necessary. We have many subcultures in the Cincinnati Community. If this position is important, should we not have a liaison officer for all the other subcultures. How about a homeless person liaison? How about a Southern Appalachian Migrant liaison? I have repeatedly heard Blackwell espouse the need for more cops on the street, yet he pulls cops from the street for positions such as the LGBT Liaison or the Executive Aide or the Police Chief’s Adjutant, all members of the Police Chief’s non-diversified staff, and all trained police officers who could be patrolling the mean streets of Cincinnati instead of bowing and kowtowing and feeding the Police Chief’s ego. With such a large staff, one would think someone in that group would have caught the remarks in the news letter that Blackwell is now apologizing for, which brings us to my second point.

Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell is now apologizing, I guess to anyone who may have been offended, by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender news letter that is published on a regular basis and distributed to all Cincinnati Police Department employees. I wonder how much that costs? The keep the record straight, the remarks are not those of Jeffrey Blackwell, but as we all know, the Police Chief is at the top of the chain of command, and thereby is ultimately responsible. Well, he used to be at the top of the chain of command, but now the City Manager has dictated that he wishes to review and approve all material generated by the Police Department. In my eyes this makes the Police Chief nothing more than a puppet of the City Manager. This of course will make him less effective (if that is possible) as the Police Chief. In my experience, which is extensive as I worked for seven police chiefs (and numerous acting police chiefs) during my tenure. I have never seen a Police Chief as weak or ineffective as the current police chief. For those who desire more information, I am linking the news article here.

In my opinion this is just another nail in the coffin of Jeffrey Blackwell’s service, or disservice, to the Cincinnati Police Department and the citizens of the City of Cincinnati. They deserve better, they are paying for better, but all they are getting is a puppet chief. It is time for him to move on.

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Those are my thoughts, what are yours?

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