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COLUMBUS, Ga. — A 16-year veteran officer of the Columbus Police Department spoke some well-needed, unadulterated, and uncensored truth as she addressed city council during the public agenda of the meeting held on April 11, 2023.

The officer’s words appeared to seriously set the record straight as she politely — yet firmly — addressed the recent history and future needs of the department as it relates to the city’s outrageous rates of violent crime.

Given the strength of the officer’s brave and bold message, we will allow her words to speak for themselves.

Here is what the officer had to say:

//——BEGIN TRANSCRIPT——//

The reason why I’m here is I’m employed with the Columbus Police Department; have been for sixteen years.

First, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to listen to the officers’ concerns, to take the different reports and the analysis into mind when you had to make a decision. No matter what ‘side’ you were on, the decision to tell someone that their three decades of service is no longer doing any good for the department or for the city: that’s a really hard choice. And I’m thankful that you guys stuck through — ignored the race-baiters, the political agendas for whatever they may have in mind — and you stood strong, and you made a decision that you believed was best for the department and the city. 

Ms. (Toyia) Tucker, you took a beating on social media. And for people to claim that someone has to vote solely based on race — is asinine. You showed how strong you are and that you are your own person, and you made your own decisions. And I appreciate each and every one of you for fighting for the department that I love and that the officers that I work with love.

As far as an interim chief: I know you guys are going back-and-forth; you really don’t know who to put in that position. 

We do have capable people in this department to fill in as an interim. 

Outside interims take two, three, four months to figure out where to even begin, when we (already) have the leadership within our department to go ahead and hit the ground running and make the decisions that need to be made to save this department and to save this city — whether that would be Herman Miles, Debra Kennedy, Lance Deaton — they’re there, while you take your time finding a permanent chief and not rush it.

And if you have applicants that come in for this permanent chief position, and they buck on the pay, and we end up with the lowest bidder: there’s a problem.

We have to have strong leadership at this department to combat the violent crime in this city.

People can't even go to the banks without being robbed in broad daylight.

People are being shot on the street, all day every day.

And I would like to take the time to say (turns and looks at crowd) that those of you who stand up here and preach about ‘this was racist’: I don’t see any of you out there in that community consoling the families. I don’t see any of you out there doing anything to stop the violence in the street. 

But — it is (takes pause) there is an entire generation of families that are being wiped out: either they’re gonna be murdered, or they’re gonna be in prison for murder. And we have to have someone in this police department that is gonna combat the crime, and be steadfast in approaching that crime — not ‘community policing.’ 

We have to have an aggressive police department to gain this city’s control back.

Thank you.

//——END OF TRANSCRIPTION——//

Perhaps our city’s leaders ought to seriously consider every single bit of everything that officer stated.

The future of every single bit of our city’s future depends upon it.

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

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