Rochester's police chief bests politicians and protestors alike

If we could only get the politicians out of police work

Courage. Character. Honor.

There are some people and circumstances better walked away from. Rochester (NY) Police Chief LaRon Singletary is doing exactly that -- all measures of the man intact.

Amid recent protests over the March 2020 death of a man in bodycam-documented mental health and drug crisis with whom several of Rochester police officers had contact, Chief Singletary announced his retirement yesterday. Accused of a coverup with Mayor Lovely Warren, until his announcement, calls for his resignation dominated social justice group press conferences, protests and rioting.

Make no mistake, Chief Singletary retiring is a strong statement to the community. No government, no job, no career is worth sacrificing your character. Sadly, his leaving (and that of much of his command staff) is a loss a department in crisis can ill afford. Moreover, the exodus of yet another city's top cop is an unfortunate trend nationwide; police chiefs, by their choice or not, throw themselves on the sword when blamed for unrest by self-preserving elected officials.

Weak leadership is to blame, but it's certainly not the cops.

In Rochester, in her first response to Daniel Prude's death made public by family attorneys, Mayor Warren didn't even bother throwing her police chief under the bus before she backed it over him. She claimed she reprimanded him for not telling her the whole story. A scant few days later, when pressed, she refused to acknowledge her obvious faux pas, stating she had full confidence in him. Two days later, here we are.

Chief Singletary did his due diligence reporting the incident to the Office of the New York State Attorney General which opened an investigation. He remained the consummate professional as Warren (an attorney by profession) made the obvious thin excuse she couldn't report the death to the community because of the AG's investigation. The AG would refute this while Mayor Warren pointed the finger at the city's attorneys as well.

If you're in law enforcement, you know all too well that the coppers, from the street to command, know the real story. There's every confidence the truth will come out. Chief Singletary stood up for what was right. It wasn’t political, nor was it popular; it wasn’t right simply in the moment, but for the long term. He proved short-sighted politicians and overzealous activists have less vision than those with no sight at all.

Likewise, the attorneys for the Prude family know the rub. No one blames the family for their grief or outrage. Working within the system, and even people surrounding them working outside some boundaries is understandable. Civil disobedience is one thing. But civil unrest, and tacit approval of it by anyone, nevermind elected officials, is a whole other animal.

Unfortunately, the very people for whom the message is intended won’t get it. They’re too caught up in ignorance, arrogance, and a rush to judgment before all the investigations are through. That applies to populist-pandering politicians like Rochester's silly schoolgirl mayor who has a track record of deferring to street mobs instead of upholding the law (yet another nationwide epidemic).

It applies to a spineless, powerless, politically-stunted county executive who calls out police officers through press releases and social media in desperate attempts to appear relevant. It applies to a television reporter-turned county legislator who tweets selfies with protestors, then whines about getting hit in the head while attending a protest. It applies to "community activists" and their followers who tell us they abhor violence, but with a wink and a nod, do nothing to stop violent agitators, then criticize the police for doing so.

Interestingly enough, the concept of Progressive Justice – one of the very things protesters (legitimate ones) are fighting for – is founded on the “Golden Rule.” Treat others with dignity and respect -- the way we all want to be treated. To call all police, never mind officers connected to any person's death, "murderers" before all the facts are known, is irresponsible, undignified, and disrespectful. To knowingly misuse a medical examiner's ruling of "homicide" to characterize what happened, again, before all facts are known, flies in the very face of justice.

And that is the ironic hypocrisy of both politicians and activists.

As seen in other parts of the country, some Rochester area elected officials would rather commit nonfeasance in the name of social justice than do their jobs. They cast aside any obligation, legal or moral, to protect the people and property they swore an oath to protect, and let government property be damaged, police hurt, and allow anarchy to reign. Under the guise of representing constituents, they've become the empty-suited politicians they themselves railed against when they ran for office.

As for activist groups -- specifically Free The People Rochester -- its leaders trashed the chief and steamrolled anyone daring to offer a different perspective. False, knowingly misleading rhetoric reached such divisiveness that community Elders, who stood this past Sunday as a buffer between protestors and police, are now calling them out.

No question, the treatment of Mr. Prude by a handful of Rochester Police was not humane, but neither is throwing frozen water bottles and fireworks at officers ordered to be there. Nor is trashing a man’s character and attempting to derail his career without the facts. Devoid of humanity is saying “F**k The Police” or “All Cops Are Bastards.” To quote the same social justice “warriors” themselves, such language is violence.

There have been calls from urban activists to suburban and rural residents to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Those appeals have been answered in person and on social media. Reformers would have us believe social justice, economics, police reform and fixing poverty can’t happen in a vacuum – that the future of the City of Rochester depends on involvement from citizens and outlying area governments. But their short-sighted methods drive people away.

The majority of people, good people, support the PRODUCTIVE intentions of the Black Lives Matter movement – perhaps not every objective – but the messages of justice, systemic racism, and police reform … when not hijacked or drowned out by violence, rudeness, intimidation, property damage, or an ignoring of facts.

Chief Singletary tried to speak. People didn’t listen. Too intent on drowning out reason, they think they won – broadcasting their supposed victory over the big bad police chief on social media – too blind and deaf to realize they’ve been bested. As woke as they claim to be, they just got thrown the virtual finger and they’re too blind to see it.

Chief Singletary made his statement without profanity, anger, shouting, pounding his fist or marching. He did it with class.

He just walked away.