Well, aren’t we lucky that the finalist for police chief blew his top and disgorged his bigoted vitriol before his hire, rather than afterward. His remarks, as quoted in this paper, were extremely troubling to say the least, and exhibited a temperament and lack of judgment unsuitable for police work generally, to say nothing of police chief. We are a small town and must take care that all officers on our police force, with authority to arrest and carry a weapon, are scrutinized for emotional stability – before hire and during service. As required by statute, the Alaska Police Standards Council criteria for police officer certification must assure that candidates are free from any emotional disorder that may adversely affect their performance. Surely, the displayed combative temperament that would demoralize our police department and the town comes within this disqualification. So we should thank our lucky stars that this explosion took place before he was hired and inflicted on our town. Perhaps it is a good idea to seek professional services in vetting this important position.
Merrill Lowden