Question Time.
By Jim Conley • Jan 22nd, 2008 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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Question: What will happen at tonight’s Brookline Selectmen’s hearing into the Arthur Conquest matter?
Answer: More absurdity. The selectmen will announce that they have put together a “blue ribbon panel” to advise them on new wording to the policy they use to review citizen complaints against police. And then there will be a comment period to help “charge the panel.”
Question: Who will be speaking tonight?
Answer: Well, Arthur Conquest for one. I’m also told that several residents will urge the selectmen to reopen Conquest’s appeal of Police Chief Daniel O’Leary’s findings of no police misconduct during last May’s Brawl at Town Hall. I don’t believe that the police officer who is the subject of the complaint, nor former ZBA member Lawrence Kaplan, will appear.
Question: What are the chances of the selectmen reversing their decision and hearing the appeal?
Answer: Virtually nonexistent. Three of the selectmen - Daly, Allen and Mermell - see themselves as part of the force. (And they appear to have forgotten that Brookline police officers are part of a collective bargaining unit.) This trio is not about to question the actions of any officer, at any time. Obviously, it’s not a matter of politics (unless it’s the politics of looking stupid). This nonsense is a product of an ideology - one that holds Brookline town government as infallible.
Question: Hasn’t this moved beyond the incident in the lobby of town hall?
Answer: Good question (I’m glad I asked it). It seems to me that certain members of town government acted to obstruct Conquest, as he tried to aggrieve his treatment by police. I’ll bet that if I gave a quiz to the five selectmen concerning the internal investigation and Conquest’s appeal, only Gil Hoy would pass. The other four take what town administrators say at their word and I don’t think that they really understand the nature of Conquest’s beef.
Question: What will happen from here?
Answer: I suppose that the “blue ribbon panel” will set out to do its thing. But who cares what they do? They might as well be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. More genuine reform will come from - and if - those residents who say they are bound to do so, will bring a host of measures to the May Town Meeting that will effectively remove the selectmen from the review process.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Internet)
“blue ribbon”: of outstanding quality; especially : consisting of individuals selected for quality, reputation, or authority
Let’s see how close the Selectmen come to satisfying this definition.
A blue ribbon panel needs a “mission statement.” Perhaps initially the Selectmen may provide such. But the panel should have the authority to refine it as appropriate.
There should be a time period by which the panel should submit its report. Since two (2) Selectmen seats will be on the ballot in May, it would seem appropriate that the panel aim for at least several weeks prior to the May elections to submit its report, especially if Chair Daly and/or Selectman Hoy seek reelection. In addition, approximately 80 TMM seats will be on the ballot. Voters should have the benefit of the panel’s report for the May elections. Panel members should be prepared to meet such a deadline. If such a deadline cannot be met, then the panel should schedule a sufficient number of public meetings/hearings prior to the May elections so that voters may have some idea of the panel’s efforts and progress in time for said elections. Presumably the goal of the Selectmen is not extended delays that may carry over to the 2009 May elections.
JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN
The Charlie Rose Show, in recognition of MLK, Jr. holiday yesterday evening presented a rerun of his 12/01/05 interview of Franklin. This was repeated at noon today on Channel 44. It will be repeated again on Channel 44 at 6:00 PM today. I would highly recommend this show to viewers of this Blog as they think about the Town Hall incident of May 24th and its aftermath. But even more so, I wish the Selectmen and the members of the blue ribbon panel they are to select would consider John Hope Franklin’s testimony during this interview.