The headline in this morning's Joplin Globe says, "Joplin settles suit," with the subhead, "City to pay $16,000 after allegations of civil rights abuse."
If I may offer a correction- Should that not be "Taxpayers top ay $16,000?" After all, that is the taxpayers' money that city officials are using in an effort to put this fiasco behind them.
And let us remember what this settlement is about. An off-duty Joplin police officer, with the help of a fellow officer, used his position to bully his way into an elementary school, question a boy who had a run-in with his son that did not even occur on the school campus, then he handcuffed the boy and arrested him.
The article says, "The city and the officers continue to deny 'any and all liability' connected with the Karns family’s allegations, the agreement said, which include damages suffered during the restraint of the child with handcuffs, questioning and arrest of the boy."
I don't recall ever arresting the boy and I am sure that none of my readers from Joplin had anything to do with it either, so why are we footing the bill for it?
Of course, it may be paid for out of the city's insurance policy. That scenario would most likely lead to an increase in insurance rates, which taxpayers would have to pay.
We're the ones who are paying for it, yet city officials will still not tell us what disciplinary measures were taken toward the two officers who no doubt traumatized an 11-year-old boy when they treated him like a common criminal.
City officials have continued to hide behind municipal regulations which they say prohibit them from talking about disciplinary actions. The handling of the entire matter has been a joke. Unfortunately, we are the ones who have ended up paying for the punch line.
5 comments:
The city and us taxpayers got off cheap. If I was their lawyer I would have never settled for such a small amount. I'm glad he did, so we didn't have to waste anymore valuable tax dollars on this mess. That sort of abuse of power shows the highest level of immaturity by an officer and is a sign that he is not qualified to provide security at a video store.
I have no doubt that this money will be more likely to be squandered by the parent than set aside for lets say...a college fund.
Do you know these parents personally for you to make that comment. How do you know that is what they will do. They may have to use it for counseling for the boy! If they were in for the money believe me they could of got more than $16,000.00. You are about as pitiful as the incident itself!
What difference does it make what will be done with the money??!! An injustice was done to a child by a law official. Any abuse of power should result in firing of that individual. Otherwise, I hope these so called officers have learned a lesson!
Free money is more a burden than a godsend for most. It's well known amongst lottery winners. There are at least a few cases of Picher Superfund site checks getting cashed and spent entirely at the casinos in NEOK. Can you imagine spending 40k in one night? They can.
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