YOUR AD HERE »

This will not stand

Dear Editor:

Let me try to get my head around this Basalt police chief saga. Someone in the department doesn’t like their boss. That person does not have the capacity or grace to work out their differences with their boss. They then file a complaint with the state, skipping the town manager as one would assume would be a fair mediator for staff differences.

Then the bleeding of our tax dollars begins. An independent review firm is hired to review the complaint. The town attorney is charging for his time on the matter. One fewer officer is on the beat, presumably tripping the remaining staff into overtime. The police chief is still getting paid while on suspension. The charges are found groundless. The police chief resigns with an $84,000 severance package.



The stench fills the air. Regardless of the state law the Town Council is hiding behind and the protected anonymity of some rat coward who remains in our Police Department. We as taxpayers deserve some real numbers on this mess. Furthermore, the accuser, whose accusations contained absolutely no merit, should have the integrity to step forward and apologize to the community and Roderick. Take responsibility for the loss of a highly valued member of our community and wasting thousands of our tax dollars. You should then resign.

A person with honor knows when it is time to be honorable.




Whoever you are, you are not welcome here “protecting” our community. You just dug a deep wound in Basalt, and until you come clean for creating this mess, the community will have no faith in our Police Department as a whole and the remaining individuals who serve. Your cowardliness is messing with your fellow officers’ integrity, as well. Who are you? Whoever you are, it’s time to “man up,” apologize and go away.

So then what if this accuser fails to find their integrity and honor and continues to cower? What then? Well, town leadership needs to act. There is a cancer and liability in the Police Department. Who is to say this accuser won’t like their new police chief. Another complaint to the state and Round 2? We can’t afford the cost and damage to our community. It would then be time for the Town Council to lead and atone for its failures in the handling of this matter.

It also owes the Basalt community a big apology.

Doug McMillin

Basalt