John Gaccione

07/27/18

God help us, some of the folks in Kensingtonianville would have us erase the past and pretend we all live in the “now.” The new dodge is that those who refer to past misdeeds by our “independent” police department are still living in the early 2000’s. (Gasp!)

That’s right, apparently headquarters has proclaimed all Kensingtonians are now living in the new age and all of the sins of the past have been wiped clean. Gone are the scandals, cover-ups, police intimidation and prior KPPCSD board’s incompetence. We are as if reborn and moving forward. Can I get an amen?

While that all sounds terrific, some of the old baggage left over from those early 2000’s still drags on our new reality. Case in point, the much lauded savior, interim Chief of Police/General Manager Kevin Hart. I know it was like eons ago but remember him from 2016?

Mr. Hart was championed by a host of attorneys who were serving on the KPPCSD board at the time. They vouched for his credentials even though he had never served as a chief of police. Mr. Hart was promoted as the experienced law enforcement professional that would turn around our troubled police department.

That did not work out so well. Mr. Hart only succeeded in enriching himself with additional health, education and financial benefits while failing to tame the organizational chaos in the department. His mismanagement of the Berkeley Stop incident, CLETS abuses and the ensuing Richmond Police Department Investigation highlighted his utter lack of professionalism.

Rather than recite Mr. Hart’s long list of sins, lets just say he wisely chose to quickly leave Kensington to spend more time with his family. But all that chicanery took place way back in 2016 for heaven sake. Its like ancient history, if you are going to be living in the “now”.

The same good folks who brought you Mr. Kevin Hart, are now planning to put forth candidates to run for the KPPCSD board director seats. If we are asked to trust their judgment in the selection of competent candidates based on the past selections, it seems like an iffy proposition. But since all that ancient history was like years ago in the “early” 2000s, it’s a whole new ballgame now!

“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.”  (Laurence J. Peter)

Keeping K-town First in Pettifoggery since way back in 2008