Arfee, citizens left in the dark
After arduous and even life-threatening exterior illumination efforts, Clark W. Griswold has the family gathered in the front yard for the much-anticipated lighting ceremony in the holiday classic "Christmas Vacation."
But as the assemblage flutters drum-rolling tongues and Clark belts out the opening of "Joy to the World" with season-inspired gusto, he falls flat on his figurative face.
The damn lights don't work.
In Coeur d'Alene today there isn't much joy, either. After weeks of ardor and anxiety, the much-anticipated illumination in Arfee's murder mystery fell flat on its face. A press conference that so many hoped would answer every salient question and restore desperately needed confidence came off instead like a surprise visit from Uncle Eddie.
The question on everybody's mind - precisely how was justice served in the killing of Craig Jones' pet, which was shot when it barked inside a van as a police officer approached? - went unanswered. And if city officials have it their way, the question will remain unanswered because it's a "personnel issue."
We contend that taxpayer-financed personnel and their performance is every bit the public's business. An individual's right to hide behind bureaucracy's obscure shield must not supersede the citizens' right to know how their employees are doing on the job and being managed. Simply stating specifically what disciplinary steps have been taken would breach no logical expectation of privacy. Instead, it would shed light on how seriously poor performance or incompetence is being addressed by management.
At Friday's press conference, one got the feeling, watching the body language of new Mayor Steve Widmyer and new Police Chief Lee White, that they wanted to be more forthcoming. On legal advice, apparently, a wall separating the taxpaying citizenry from its right to know how the shooter was disciplined left the mayor and chief playing the role of reluctant good soldiers.
People care less about the shooter's name than they do about being told precisely why the officer's body camera was turned off. They want to know what punishment he and possibly others received for not following policy and, in fact, posing a serious threat to the safety of citizens. They want facts leading to assurance that all the disease has been excised so full healing can take place.
Chief White was hired by a mayor and council who buy into his enlightened approach to transparency. Chief White understands that the responsible thing to do is to disclose all relevant facts from a concluded investigation to the people he and other city employees are paid very well to serve. After weeks of investigation, though, citizens have not had some of the most important blanks filled in. That's not just disappointing. Depriving citizens of the most basic information they're entitled to so closure can begin and some semblance of confidence can return is unethical.
City of Coeur d'Alene, your little lights are not twinkling.