Support Sgt. Lovejoy Bandit's K9 Handler
- da: His supporters
- destinatario: Sgt. Lovejoy, Chandler Pd
The same Sheriff Arpaio who went on a witch hunt after Sgt. Lovejoy guilty of covering up 3 dogs deaths in his own department.
This Sheriff and his administration started this media attack by releasing misinformation, lies and defamation on Sgt. Lovejoy after Sheriff Arpaio had covered up 3 dogs in their own dept. No investigations were done on their dogs deaths, no press releases were called and no arrests were made. This proves that the Sheriff's sole purpose in this was for a national media opportunity. You read the "memorandums" that were released and decide for yourself.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/106319
Remember, these dogs are trained jumpers and don't die from a 5 ft. fall from the "inside ceiling" of a kennel. The 2 gallon water bucket knocked over with no water for 12 hours would be a much more logical explanation. The second "story" of how the dog died from heat in his shaded kennel with fresh water after 2 1/2 hours is ridiculous. It is any easy accusation that it was much longer then 2 1/2 hours and no water was available. This handler should have known better as the first dog was also his so he knew the danger of not having a secure water source. He waited until the following day to take his dog to the vet because the vet would have known he was lying and the dog had been dead for much longer then an hour or two. The third dog died because the handler didn't give him his required medication for almost 1 year.
Now this same Sheriff is claiming he had nothing to do with the arrest and is putting it off on one of his fall guys. We all witnessed it for months and now he sits there and lies and says he had nothing to do with this case!
Sgt. Lovejoy has taken full responsibility for his tragic mistake and gave all the facts and told the truth from the beginning. It is that truth that people have used to crucify him. The nail & hammer holder is the same person that covered up his agencies dogs deaths and protected the people who lied and recklessly neglected their animals.
Finally, no longer admonished, Sgt. Lovejoy gets to speak out. Please watch:
http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=54c26f22-dc28-4ca7-8112-dea57ab807d4
Sgt. Lovejoy demonstrates the OCUALERT!
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/video/?bcpid=1155316042&bclid=1155075693&bctid=1267613078
As has been requested by many supporters. Thank you for this!
The Lovejoy Defense Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
3522560642
If you are transferring money from a Wells Fargo Acct. to this fund please type in " Lovejoy Defense" in the "first name" block of the account holder name. Leave the last name blank.
Any remaining funds will be used to subsidize the purchase and installation of equipment to prevent this horrible ACCIDENT from happening again. Sgt. Lovejoy worked diligently with the maker of a unit that will prevent this tragedy in the future. The prototype has been installed and is being tested. Phase II is close to being installed and tested. Check out the information on this product at http://www.ocualert.com/.
Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, then who can be against us?
Carolynn Lovejoys Interviews can be heard on KTAR and Channel 10 Phoenix
http://ktar.com/?nid=220&query=lovejoy
Support Links from understanding agencys:
http://www.ahpa.com/content.php?info_id=118
Sgt. Lovejoy self reported this incident and has taken full responsibility for his action. Never have they placed blame on anyone else or have they been anything less then completely and totally honest. What they have done is tried to explain how possibly it could have happened as he did not intentionally leave his K9 behind. He truly believed Bandit was safe in his kennel area. It was unintentional and he would have never done anything to purposely hurt Bandit. For anyone to insinuate or accuse him otherwise simply does not know him or is capable of human compassion and forgiveness.
A media hungry Sheriff trying to feed his insatiable need for national media attention. The full report is available on Azcentral.com and shows that much more happened that day in Sgt. Lovejoys life and he went through his day fully believing Bandit was safe.
Chandler has been on high alert due to the Chandler Rapist. They were called out during that morning and it was a very good possibility they would be called out again during his extra duty city job, (It was not a construction job as they state, but was a job that keeps illegal immigrants from loitering in front of Chandler businesses) because that was the time previous rapes had occurred. For him to travel home to retrieve the dog would have taken too much time and he would not have been able to respond quickly. His extra duty job was in the K9 vehicle not his personal car. During the course of that job, he attended to a 2 year old walking alone down a major street in Chandler while her mother who had warrants was talking on the telephone in their apartment. He dealt with all that went with that during the course of his job and getting the appropriate people to respond.
Trying to lessen the events of his day by insinuating that his stepsons accident was not very upsetting and that his nearly totaled vehicle was a minor accident and not a contributor is just disturbing. The fact he was cited for not having current proof of insurance is just another irrelivant fact they are using to state their ridiculous judgments and did not make him liable for the accident. The ticket was immediately dropped when he presented that information to the judge.
On August 11, 07 After only 2 hours sleep, Sergeant Lovejoy was called out at 2:15 AM for the Chandler Serial Rapist. He and Bandit responded. After the search being called off later, he returned home, removed Bandit from the vehicle, fed him and put him in his quarters. Sgt. Lovejoy was due at a second duty job (police dept. related where he was in his patrol vehicle) at 6 am. Sgt. Lovejoy left at 5:30am and so to be prepared if they were re-dispatched for the Chandler rapist who is out raping 12-13 yr. old girls, decided to take Bandit with him. He normally did not have Bandit with him on this duty. Due to the distance from the assignment and his home, it would have taken too much time to respond if he had to travel back home to retrieve Bandit. This was Bandits normal down time. Sgt. Lovejoys normal shift is 7PM to 4AM. Monday-Thurs. Bandit was with him for 3 1/2 hours on the extra duty job, he had been sleeping sound and when Sgt. Lovejoy returned home, he completely forgot Bandit was with him since this was not normally the case. As soon as he returned home he was hit with several incidents including his sons car accident that nearly totaled his car (not the fender bender that was reported) and was soon gone again for most of the day. He returned around 3PM and as Sheriff Arpaio stated "napped" for approx. 1 hour as he had only had 2 hours sleep in over 24 hours prior to that. He awoke to more issues and dealt with those over the next 3 hours until his wife returned home after a 12 hour shift at which point he went with her to grab some dinner and take care of another errand. When he returned home and went to prepare his vehicle for his next morning extra duty shift, he discovered Bandit.
Bandits kennel area consists of a large covered cage area approx. 20 feet by 10 feet, surrounded by greenery that makes it "cave like" and is equipped with an air cooler unit. It opens up into a very large yard where Bandit was joined with other family dogs. There is approx. 50 gallons of water available at all times in 6 different containers. Bandit loved water and one was set up that he climbed in and out of throughout the day. So it was not totally necessary that he be "checked" on for that period of time. Normally yes, he was, but because of circumstances of the day Tom believed he was safe.
On a normal day, the pets are in the home during the hottest parts of the day, but if left outside due to the fact no one is home, they are very well provided with comforts most don't have. Looking at Bandits picture it is obvious he was well cared for and obviously not neglected. Sgt. Lovejoy did not leave Bandit in the SUV to perish, intentionally, knowingly or otherwise. It was a horrific accident.
Now we have a pompass media craving Sheriff who needed to get his 15 minutes of fame by turning this into a national media coverage circus. Arpaio states, "this was unintentional neglect". Well Arpaio needs to reread the law. If he agrees it was unintentional then why is he charging him criminally? Let's hope the prosecuting attorney isn't as misread as Arpaio and throws this case out.
The out pouring of support has been great and this petition is serving its purpose. Sgt. Lovejoy can come here daily and see the love, prayers and support surrounding him.
One blogger writes:
The real problem is that some administrative genious at the police department prematurely released an inadequate statement to the media without consideration of the consequences.
Sgt. Lovejoy made a mistake and he knows it and has not asked for any special treatment from anybody. He reported to his superiors as he was supposed to, and has not lied about or denied anything that happened. Yet he is the one who is being crucified by the media and the public, and our elected megalomaniac sheriff is taking advantage of the situation to get another fifteen minutes of fame.
If anybody should be disciplined it should be the person who made the decision to send out a press release before all the facts were known and the incident was investigated.
Onefan-azcentral.com
WE FEEL:
This man is being unfairly judged by uninformed people and poor initial media reporting. News articles stated that no investigation had been done and that Sgt. Lovejoy reported back to work Monday following the accident.
Sgt. Lovejoy was in no condition to report to work at any time during that week. Contrary to media and unknowledgable people speaking out against him, this was devastating and incapacitating to Sgt. Lovejoy.
News articles also quoted statements made by Russ Hess, chairman at United States Police Canine Association. After hearing the facts and a huge out cry from the K9 community that totally supports Sgt. Lovejoy, the following retraction and apology was published on the front page of their website:
From the Office of the National President
My condolences go out to Sergeant Lovejoy and his family. I have been a handler for over twenty years and I can speak of the bond between a
handler and their canine partner. Any death of a police canine is hard
for a handler and their family; in this situation it has to be doubly hard.
Our Executive Director Russ Hess commented on a situation where full
knowledge of the details were unknown. I have talked with Russ and he is aware that he should have deferred comment about this tragic incident.
We know that Sgt. Lovejoy didn't intentionally leave his canine partner in his vehicle.
On behalf of the members of the United States Police Canine Association
please accept our apologies for comments made.
Respectfully,
James Matarese
National President
U.S.P.C.A.
Sgt. Lovejoy has had an impeccable record for his almost 17 years of service with the department and has done great things for the K9 division. Including rescuing dogs and raising funds to purchase the dogs for the department. The K9 community stands behind Officer Sgt. Lovejoy because they know him and know how he was with Bandit. There is no doubt that this was just a terrible, terrible accident and that he will punish himself worse then anyone else could punish him. Everyone will forget about this within a few weeks or months, but Sgt. Lovejoy will live with this for the rest of his life.
We need to support him and let the department know that he needs to remain in his position. He will be an incredible advocate for getting new safety features in the vehicles to ensure this never happens again. I understand he has already been working on this while he has been on his administrative leave.
It is very simple, Sgt. Lovejoy loved his K9 Bandit, ask anyone who KNOWS him, he did not wake up that day and say, I am going to destroy my families life as they know it, put myself out there to be crucified and destroy my career by leaving my dog in the SUV to perish. That is just plain ignorance for anyone to accuse him of that.
He called his department when he found Bandit, told the truth and has been taking all the responsibilty for his action. He could of buried Bandit, said he came home and Bandit got out and ran off. If they wanted to cover this up, no one would have ever known about it. That says something about his integrity.
Post from one of the guys on Sgt. Lovejoy's Team:
Aug 25, 2007, Alonzo Bacon , Arizona
Not only is Tom my supervisor and friend, but he is also a great benefit to the K9 Unit as a supervisor and K9 handler. Before him, there was no direction or sense of order. We had four handlers and five supervisors all at the same time. Since Tom has been in the unit, we have seen many great changes come forth for the K9 unit and the department it represents. Furthermore, the training we have received in the past 4 years has been impeccable, as he has always pushed each of us to become better handlers and police officers, which the department and public have benefited from. This type of supervision could not come from a supervisor who was lacking great leadership skills. To remove him from the unit would only deteriorate moral within the unit and quite possibly the department. Police departments will always be faced with public outcry on whatever circumstances they feel fit to complain about; it%u2019s the %u201Cnature of the beast%u201D. However, if public opinion always prevails, then why should anyone ever stand up for speaking the truth or for what they believe is right. In the end, the community will always get what they want which may not always be the right thing to do. I recommend Tom be allowed to stay within the unit, regardless of what public opinion believes. In due time, this entire incident will be forgotten no matter the outcome, but Tom will never forget his partner/friend.
August 24, 2007
Where is mercy?
He is a murderer.
He should "never be allowed to be within 1,000 feet of an animal again."
Such is the overwhelming tenor of responses we at The Arizona Republic have received regarding the unfortunate death of Bandit, a Chandler police dog accidentally left in a squad car by the head of the department's K-9 unit, Sgt. Tom Lovejoy.
Far more infrequent, we must report, is the following conclusion from a Kingman reader who identifies himself as a strong advocate for animal rights: "Where is mercy in this matter?"
Where, indeed?
Early on the morning of Aug. 11, Lovejoy parked his squad car at home after working an extended shift. Accidentally, he left Bandit inside and failed to realize his tragic error until 12 hours later. To Lovejoy's horror, the animal - his professional and personal companion for four years - had died.
The public response to this accident - and, pending two separate police investigations, it is impossible to call it anything else - has been stunning.
Online responses to Republic news stories on the subject have run in excess of 78 pages, an enormous amount regardless of subject. Readers have submitted at least 80 formal letters to the editor, more than we have received on any other single subject since our first story on the dog's death ran on Tuesday. Our columnists who have commented on the incident say they rarely have been swamped with outraged reader responses quite like they are seeing now.
A Chandler police spokesman contends the department has been deluged with calls and e-mails. The Arizona Humane Society, likewise. And, uniformly, they have been stunned by the ferocity of hostility directed at the Chandler officer. Much of it is simply unhinged.
It is fair to conclude that a bit of community perspective is due.
Only a few weeks ago, a Phoenix police officer was gunned down in cold blood. It was a genuine murder of a public servant.
While the outpouring of sympathy for the late officer, George Cortez Jr., and his family was commendable - and substantial - there was noticeably less condemnation of his accused killer than what we are seeing now regarding a well-respected police supervisor who, by all available evidence, simply made a mistake.
Here is what we know of Sgt. Tom Lovejoy: He is a 17-year veteran of the Chandler police force. He is chief of the department's K-9 unit, with which he has served 4 1/2 years.
We know that Bandit was not merely his professional partner but also a member of his family. We know from interviews with Lovejoy's wife, Carolynn, that the officer is mortified. He had ended a long shift. Not long after getting home, he discovered his son had been in a serious car accident. He forgot about Bandit. Whatever that means, it hardly constitutes "murder."
It is entirely proper to surmise that Lovejoy may deserve some censure for his neglect. Reasonable people, including the executive director of the U.S. Police Canine Association, have cited the officer for a "lack of judgment."
It is also possible that the story of Bandit's sad fate extends beyond what we now know. The Chandler police are conducting a policy review of Lovejoy's actions, while the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is looking into any criminal wrongdoing that may have occurred. At this point, however, most indications point to simple, regrettable human error.
But if Lovejoy displayed a lack of judgment on a wretchedly hot day, the dog lovers who are calling him a "murderer" and worse now are every bit as guilty of the same.
It is time to ratchet back the rhetoric. And, to say the least, time to exhibit a measure of mercy.
Firma la petizioneFirma la petizioneThis Sheriff and his administration started this media attack by releasing misinformation, lies and defamation on Sgt. Lovejoy after Sheriff Arpaio had covered up 3 dogs in their own dept. No investigations were done on their dogs deaths, no press releases were called and no arrests were made. This proves that the Sheriff's sole purpose in this was for a national media opportunity. You read the "memorandums" that were released and decide for yourself.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/106319
Remember, these dogs are trained jumpers and don't die from a 5 ft. fall from the "inside ceiling" of a kennel. The 2 gallon water bucket knocked over with no water for 12 hours would be a much more logical explanation. The second "story" of how the dog died from heat in his shaded kennel with fresh water after 2 1/2 hours is ridiculous. It is any easy accusation that it was much longer then 2 1/2 hours and no water was available. This handler should have known better as the first dog was also his so he knew the danger of not having a secure water source. He waited until the following day to take his dog to the vet because the vet would have known he was lying and the dog had been dead for much longer then an hour or two. The third dog died because the handler didn't give him his required medication for almost 1 year.
Now this same Sheriff is claiming he had nothing to do with the arrest and is putting it off on one of his fall guys. We all witnessed it for months and now he sits there and lies and says he had nothing to do with this case!
Sgt. Lovejoy has taken full responsibility for his tragic mistake and gave all the facts and told the truth from the beginning. It is that truth that people have used to crucify him. The nail & hammer holder is the same person that covered up his agencies dogs deaths and protected the people who lied and recklessly neglected their animals.
Finally, no longer admonished, Sgt. Lovejoy gets to speak out. Please watch:
http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=54c26f22-dc28-4ca7-8112-dea57ab807d4
Sgt. Lovejoy demonstrates the OCUALERT!
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/video/?bcpid=1155316042&bclid=1155075693&bctid=1267613078
As has been requested by many supporters. Thank you for this!
The Lovejoy Defense Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
3522560642
If you are transferring money from a Wells Fargo Acct. to this fund please type in " Lovejoy Defense" in the "first name" block of the account holder name. Leave the last name blank.
Any remaining funds will be used to subsidize the purchase and installation of equipment to prevent this horrible ACCIDENT from happening again. Sgt. Lovejoy worked diligently with the maker of a unit that will prevent this tragedy in the future. The prototype has been installed and is being tested. Phase II is close to being installed and tested. Check out the information on this product at http://www.ocualert.com/.
Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, then who can be against us?
Carolynn Lovejoys Interviews can be heard on KTAR and Channel 10 Phoenix
http://ktar.com/?nid=220&query=lovejoy
Support Links from understanding agencys:
http://www.ahpa.com/content.php?info_id=118
Sgt. Lovejoy self reported this incident and has taken full responsibility for his action. Never have they placed blame on anyone else or have they been anything less then completely and totally honest. What they have done is tried to explain how possibly it could have happened as he did not intentionally leave his K9 behind. He truly believed Bandit was safe in his kennel area. It was unintentional and he would have never done anything to purposely hurt Bandit. For anyone to insinuate or accuse him otherwise simply does not know him or is capable of human compassion and forgiveness.
A media hungry Sheriff trying to feed his insatiable need for national media attention. The full report is available on Azcentral.com and shows that much more happened that day in Sgt. Lovejoys life and he went through his day fully believing Bandit was safe.
Chandler has been on high alert due to the Chandler Rapist. They were called out during that morning and it was a very good possibility they would be called out again during his extra duty city job, (It was not a construction job as they state, but was a job that keeps illegal immigrants from loitering in front of Chandler businesses) because that was the time previous rapes had occurred. For him to travel home to retrieve the dog would have taken too much time and he would not have been able to respond quickly. His extra duty job was in the K9 vehicle not his personal car. During the course of that job, he attended to a 2 year old walking alone down a major street in Chandler while her mother who had warrants was talking on the telephone in their apartment. He dealt with all that went with that during the course of his job and getting the appropriate people to respond.
Trying to lessen the events of his day by insinuating that his stepsons accident was not very upsetting and that his nearly totaled vehicle was a minor accident and not a contributor is just disturbing. The fact he was cited for not having current proof of insurance is just another irrelivant fact they are using to state their ridiculous judgments and did not make him liable for the accident. The ticket was immediately dropped when he presented that information to the judge.
On August 11, 07 After only 2 hours sleep, Sergeant Lovejoy was called out at 2:15 AM for the Chandler Serial Rapist. He and Bandit responded. After the search being called off later, he returned home, removed Bandit from the vehicle, fed him and put him in his quarters. Sgt. Lovejoy was due at a second duty job (police dept. related where he was in his patrol vehicle) at 6 am. Sgt. Lovejoy left at 5:30am and so to be prepared if they were re-dispatched for the Chandler rapist who is out raping 12-13 yr. old girls, decided to take Bandit with him. He normally did not have Bandit with him on this duty. Due to the distance from the assignment and his home, it would have taken too much time to respond if he had to travel back home to retrieve Bandit. This was Bandits normal down time. Sgt. Lovejoys normal shift is 7PM to 4AM. Monday-Thurs. Bandit was with him for 3 1/2 hours on the extra duty job, he had been sleeping sound and when Sgt. Lovejoy returned home, he completely forgot Bandit was with him since this was not normally the case. As soon as he returned home he was hit with several incidents including his sons car accident that nearly totaled his car (not the fender bender that was reported) and was soon gone again for most of the day. He returned around 3PM and as Sheriff Arpaio stated "napped" for approx. 1 hour as he had only had 2 hours sleep in over 24 hours prior to that. He awoke to more issues and dealt with those over the next 3 hours until his wife returned home after a 12 hour shift at which point he went with her to grab some dinner and take care of another errand. When he returned home and went to prepare his vehicle for his next morning extra duty shift, he discovered Bandit.
Bandits kennel area consists of a large covered cage area approx. 20 feet by 10 feet, surrounded by greenery that makes it "cave like" and is equipped with an air cooler unit. It opens up into a very large yard where Bandit was joined with other family dogs. There is approx. 50 gallons of water available at all times in 6 different containers. Bandit loved water and one was set up that he climbed in and out of throughout the day. So it was not totally necessary that he be "checked" on for that period of time. Normally yes, he was, but because of circumstances of the day Tom believed he was safe.
On a normal day, the pets are in the home during the hottest parts of the day, but if left outside due to the fact no one is home, they are very well provided with comforts most don't have. Looking at Bandits picture it is obvious he was well cared for and obviously not neglected. Sgt. Lovejoy did not leave Bandit in the SUV to perish, intentionally, knowingly or otherwise. It was a horrific accident.
Now we have a pompass media craving Sheriff who needed to get his 15 minutes of fame by turning this into a national media coverage circus. Arpaio states, "this was unintentional neglect". Well Arpaio needs to reread the law. If he agrees it was unintentional then why is he charging him criminally? Let's hope the prosecuting attorney isn't as misread as Arpaio and throws this case out.
The out pouring of support has been great and this petition is serving its purpose. Sgt. Lovejoy can come here daily and see the love, prayers and support surrounding him.
One blogger writes:
The real problem is that some administrative genious at the police department prematurely released an inadequate statement to the media without consideration of the consequences.
Sgt. Lovejoy made a mistake and he knows it and has not asked for any special treatment from anybody. He reported to his superiors as he was supposed to, and has not lied about or denied anything that happened. Yet he is the one who is being crucified by the media and the public, and our elected megalomaniac sheriff is taking advantage of the situation to get another fifteen minutes of fame.
If anybody should be disciplined it should be the person who made the decision to send out a press release before all the facts were known and the incident was investigated.
Onefan-azcentral.com
WE FEEL:
This man is being unfairly judged by uninformed people and poor initial media reporting. News articles stated that no investigation had been done and that Sgt. Lovejoy reported back to work Monday following the accident.
Sgt. Lovejoy was in no condition to report to work at any time during that week. Contrary to media and unknowledgable people speaking out against him, this was devastating and incapacitating to Sgt. Lovejoy.
News articles also quoted statements made by Russ Hess, chairman at United States Police Canine Association. After hearing the facts and a huge out cry from the K9 community that totally supports Sgt. Lovejoy, the following retraction and apology was published on the front page of their website:
From the Office of the National President
My condolences go out to Sergeant Lovejoy and his family. I have been a handler for over twenty years and I can speak of the bond between a
handler and their canine partner. Any death of a police canine is hard
for a handler and their family; in this situation it has to be doubly hard.
Our Executive Director Russ Hess commented on a situation where full
knowledge of the details were unknown. I have talked with Russ and he is aware that he should have deferred comment about this tragic incident.
We know that Sgt. Lovejoy didn't intentionally leave his canine partner in his vehicle.
On behalf of the members of the United States Police Canine Association
please accept our apologies for comments made.
Respectfully,
James Matarese
National President
U.S.P.C.A.
Sgt. Lovejoy has had an impeccable record for his almost 17 years of service with the department and has done great things for the K9 division. Including rescuing dogs and raising funds to purchase the dogs for the department. The K9 community stands behind Officer Sgt. Lovejoy because they know him and know how he was with Bandit. There is no doubt that this was just a terrible, terrible accident and that he will punish himself worse then anyone else could punish him. Everyone will forget about this within a few weeks or months, but Sgt. Lovejoy will live with this for the rest of his life.
We need to support him and let the department know that he needs to remain in his position. He will be an incredible advocate for getting new safety features in the vehicles to ensure this never happens again. I understand he has already been working on this while he has been on his administrative leave.
It is very simple, Sgt. Lovejoy loved his K9 Bandit, ask anyone who KNOWS him, he did not wake up that day and say, I am going to destroy my families life as they know it, put myself out there to be crucified and destroy my career by leaving my dog in the SUV to perish. That is just plain ignorance for anyone to accuse him of that.
He called his department when he found Bandit, told the truth and has been taking all the responsibilty for his action. He could of buried Bandit, said he came home and Bandit got out and ran off. If they wanted to cover this up, no one would have ever known about it. That says something about his integrity.
Post from one of the guys on Sgt. Lovejoy's Team:
Aug 25, 2007, Alonzo Bacon , Arizona
Not only is Tom my supervisor and friend, but he is also a great benefit to the K9 Unit as a supervisor and K9 handler. Before him, there was no direction or sense of order. We had four handlers and five supervisors all at the same time. Since Tom has been in the unit, we have seen many great changes come forth for the K9 unit and the department it represents. Furthermore, the training we have received in the past 4 years has been impeccable, as he has always pushed each of us to become better handlers and police officers, which the department and public have benefited from. This type of supervision could not come from a supervisor who was lacking great leadership skills. To remove him from the unit would only deteriorate moral within the unit and quite possibly the department. Police departments will always be faced with public outcry on whatever circumstances they feel fit to complain about; it%u2019s the %u201Cnature of the beast%u201D. However, if public opinion always prevails, then why should anyone ever stand up for speaking the truth or for what they believe is right. In the end, the community will always get what they want which may not always be the right thing to do. I recommend Tom be allowed to stay within the unit, regardless of what public opinion believes. In due time, this entire incident will be forgotten no matter the outcome, but Tom will never forget his partner/friend.
August 24, 2007
Where is mercy?
Aug. 19, 2007 12:00 AM
The officer should be imprisoned.He is a murderer.
He should "never be allowed to be within 1,000 feet of an animal again."
Such is the overwhelming tenor of responses we at The Arizona Republic have received regarding the unfortunate death of Bandit, a Chandler police dog accidentally left in a squad car by the head of the department's K-9 unit, Sgt. Tom Lovejoy.
Far more infrequent, we must report, is the following conclusion from a Kingman reader who identifies himself as a strong advocate for animal rights: "Where is mercy in this matter?"
Where, indeed?
Early on the morning of Aug. 11, Lovejoy parked his squad car at home after working an extended shift. Accidentally, he left Bandit inside and failed to realize his tragic error until 12 hours later. To Lovejoy's horror, the animal - his professional and personal companion for four years - had died.
The public response to this accident - and, pending two separate police investigations, it is impossible to call it anything else - has been stunning.
Online responses to Republic news stories on the subject have run in excess of 78 pages, an enormous amount regardless of subject. Readers have submitted at least 80 formal letters to the editor, more than we have received on any other single subject since our first story on the dog's death ran on Tuesday. Our columnists who have commented on the incident say they rarely have been swamped with outraged reader responses quite like they are seeing now.
A Chandler police spokesman contends the department has been deluged with calls and e-mails. The Arizona Humane Society, likewise. And, uniformly, they have been stunned by the ferocity of hostility directed at the Chandler officer. Much of it is simply unhinged.
It is fair to conclude that a bit of community perspective is due.
Only a few weeks ago, a Phoenix police officer was gunned down in cold blood. It was a genuine murder of a public servant.
While the outpouring of sympathy for the late officer, George Cortez Jr., and his family was commendable - and substantial - there was noticeably less condemnation of his accused killer than what we are seeing now regarding a well-respected police supervisor who, by all available evidence, simply made a mistake.
Here is what we know of Sgt. Tom Lovejoy: He is a 17-year veteran of the Chandler police force. He is chief of the department's K-9 unit, with which he has served 4 1/2 years.
We know that Bandit was not merely his professional partner but also a member of his family. We know from interviews with Lovejoy's wife, Carolynn, that the officer is mortified. He had ended a long shift. Not long after getting home, he discovered his son had been in a serious car accident. He forgot about Bandit. Whatever that means, it hardly constitutes "murder."
It is entirely proper to surmise that Lovejoy may deserve some censure for his neglect. Reasonable people, including the executive director of the U.S. Police Canine Association, have cited the officer for a "lack of judgment."
It is also possible that the story of Bandit's sad fate extends beyond what we now know. The Chandler police are conducting a policy review of Lovejoy's actions, while the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is looking into any criminal wrongdoing that may have occurred. At this point, however, most indications point to simple, regrettable human error.
But if Lovejoy displayed a lack of judgment on a wretchedly hot day, the dog lovers who are calling him a "murderer" and worse now are every bit as guilty of the same.
It is time to ratchet back the rhetoric. And, to say the least, time to exhibit a measure of mercy.
Vedi altre petizioni:
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