Frequent readers know that, last week, I ran a series entitled, “Witch-Hunting a Blogger in Whitewater, Wisconsin,” in which I posted public records that showed how public officials used their resources, time, and effort against the lawful, pseudonymous commentary. (For that series, please click this link: Witch-Hunting a Blogger in Whitewater, Wisconsin.) There is another…
Police
City, Police
Lawsuit Against Larry Meyer Continues
by JOHN ADAMS •
Longtime readers of FREE WHITEWATER know that I have followed the federal lawsuit against Larry Meyer, a former investigator of the Whitewater Police Department. The lawsuit is a matter of public importance: (1) it involves constitutional claims against a former public employee, (2) it tells much about how that employee was supervised and managed, and…
City, Police
Police and Fire Commission: February Meeting
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Police
The Upside Down Commission
by JOHN ADAMS •
A reader wrote me, and observed that there would be no response to my Police Commission Series, or my follow-up post, because PFC members would be asked to step down if they acted independently. That’s turning the roles and responsibilities of those on the commission, and those under its authority, upside down. That’s likely true,…
City, Police
Police & Fire Commission: Reasonable Procedures Update
by JOHN ADAMS •
Readers may recall that I posted a series in December on the Whitewater Police and Fire Commission. I set out reasonable suggestions for a sound police policy based in part on a U.S. Justice Department white paper, entitled, “Principles for Promoting Police Integrity” Below I have reproduced a table that lists reasonable suggestions, and progress…
City, Police
No Enforced Settlement in the Lawsuit Against Larry Meyer
by JOHN ADAMS •
On January 22nd, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Callahan, in a thorough, thirteen-page decision and order, denied federal defendant, and former Whitewater investigator, Larry Meyer’s motion to enforce settlement in this the lawsuit against him. The order including setting a scheduling conference between the parties for February 8th, at 10:00 a.m., to “discuss with the parties…
City, Police, Press
Answers for a Reporter, and the Community, on the Larry Meyer Case
by JOHN ADAMS •
Last week, I wrote on the Larry Meyer case in a post entitled, “Questions for a Reporter, and the Community.” I had two questions about coverage of the lawsuit against Larry Meyer, the now-retired investigator of the Whitewater Police Department. My questions were directed to the reporters of the Janesville Gazette, The Week, and their…
City, Police, Press
Questions for a Reporter, and the Community
by JOHN ADAMS •
Readers of FREE WHITEWATER know that I have written about the lawsuit against Larry Meyer, former investigator of the Whitewater Police Department. This is a public matter involving the conduct of a public employee. It tells much about how that employee was supervised and managed. Most recently, in a post entitled, “Clear Information in the…
City, Police
The Force We Need
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Police
Clear Information on the Lawsuit Against Larry Meyer
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s an update on the lawsuit against former Whitewater Police investigator Larry Meyer. I will offer a chronology, information on the latest legal developments, and an assessment of the coverage from Bliss Communications, publishers of the Janesville Gazette and The Week. This will be a long post, with the advantage being that it will serve…
City, Police
Police and Fire Commission: Hirings without Oversight?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Under the Wisconsin Statutes that provide for the scope and authority of a Police and Fire Commission, there is a requirement that the Board Shall Approve a Department’s Subordinates. “The chiefs shall appoint subordinates subject to approval by the board.” 62.13(4)(a) A review of the minutes of our Whitewater PFC reveals that citizen approval of…
City, Police
Police and Fire Commission: Citizen Complaints
by JOHN ADAMS •
One measures the strength and honesty of an organization not merely by what it asserts, but by its willingness to allow others to test its assertions, so that it might be open to better practices. It is in this way that the lack of an authentic, accountable citizen complaint process illustrates so much of what…
City, Police
Police and Fire Commission: Performance Generally
by JOHN ADAMS •
This is the fifth post in my series on the Whitewater Police and Fire Commission. The first post was an introduction to the series, and the second post cited the authority of our PFC under Wisconsin law. The third post suggested reasonable standards for Whitewater’s PFC. The fourth post discussed meeting minutes. Let’s consider PFC…