‘Dyspeptic op-ed’

Regarding the recent op-ed from SLO police Chief Steve Gesell, “A shocking and growing lack of deference to the law”:

What’s shocking is the chief’s dyspeptic op-ed published absent benefit of final word from the federal investigation of the Ferguson matter. The Department of Justice is the only credible fact-finding agent whose opinion matters.

Compounding the wrongheadedness of this tone-deaf op-ed is the New York City grand jury exculpation of another killer cop, captured on video clearly choking the life from a guy with an illegal chokehold.

We’re supposed to “defer” to this kind of police brutishness? The chief’s op-ed seems to be saying we should bow to authority, be more servile. Really?

Are we to take the chief’s opinion as being SLO city policy on how it will deal henceforth with race-related law enforcement?

If not, I’d strongly encourage the SLO City Council to rein in this cowboy. In case no one has told the chief, he’s not the boss in town: the City Council is.

What is the upside to the City Council and the community from a loose cannon with a badge stirring the pot locally with ill-considered rhetoric like this?

I don’t see any.

This story was originally published December 6, 2014 at 6:26 AM with the headline "‘Dyspeptic op-ed’."