Tonight I write an angry letter to city council member Demetrus Coonrod urging an awakening of Christian or moral conscience on behalf of the citizenry of Tennessee who inhabit the city of Chattanooga and pay its taxes. The abuse of Diana Watt by city police and in the courtroom of county sessions judge Clarence Shattuck strain the patience of any ordinary mortal who hears about this story, which faces a climax in a week in that court.
By David Tulis / 92.7 NoogaRadio
The city council is city government’s representative body, and has a duty to look out for the peace and tranquility of the people. It has a duty, in other words, to impose reforms upon Mayor Andy Berke’s department of police. This department, though led by a well-intended and honorable chief, David Roddy, is a source of violence, unease, damage, oppression, humiliation, perjury and false claims among the people in the city, especially African-Americans, especially the ignorant and especially the poor.
Policing brings roughly one third of the population into the court system every year. That’s 50,000 cases a year, with the city population being about 179,000 souls.
Using budget to impose will
[Dear Madam,] You and the other members of city council have the power of the purse. The only way the people can get control of Andy Berke’s police department is by the people making a vow (through you) to cut the police budget F$15 million next year unless four reforms are made before the next budget vote.
Here’s why. The Diana Watt abuse by cops, and in the courts. The city and the sessions court border on criminal. The arrest was illegal, and Judge Shattuck’s forbearance of a 6x no-show cop is typical of how far the system has tilted away from ensuring justice to locking down injustice.
The four reforms would be among those I have written and talked about.
— Training schedule revamp to focus on negotiation, treatymaking, de-escalation and less on shooting, tasing, gassing, clubbing and punching. The ratio now is 10x in favor of official violence and shooting.
— Title 55 obedience pursuant to the rules of statutory construction, which the courts of appeal have thrown out. Follow the law as written, and stop harassing private people such as Frederico Wolfe using the roads for pleasure and personal necessities (not transportation).
— And two more you’re smart enough to think of.
Set deadline
A F$15 million cut if the reforms are not accomplished within the last 75 percent of this budget year. Oversight committees are toothless and woolgathering.
If you want the city to obey the law, respect the people and create a sanctuary in the modern American police state, Pick up your authority as a thinking person, and use it.
The people are waiting and watching. And I am here to help.
