Ocotopus was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to cross-post this (from my blog). Thanks for taking the time to read it.
A good cop
I have mentioned to a few folks that I was going to put up a blogpost about an issue that I feel is important. That it involves a young man I've know for his entire life, the son of one of my best friends makes it much more personal than most of the things that I talk about here.
I've known Brad Jardis' dad about 40 years, and I've known Brad's mom for something like 35 years. I have known Brad Jardis since he was a very young boy. In the time that I have known Brad he has gone from being a curious and very determined child to a smart, hard working, honest and very courageous cop. He's a good son, from a good family, who has always acted as a professional in his LE capacity and who has always been cognizant of the fact that he is first and foremost an officer of the LAW.
Brad has been a police officer since he was eighteen years old. He graduated the NH State Police Academy before he was 19. He has served ably and honorably on three different departments. In the ten years that he has been a uniformed officer Brad has worked his share of petty and major crimes, domestic disturbances and drug busts. He has also volunteered his time as a counsellor for crime victims.
Brad is currently at loggerheads with his employer, the Epping, NH PD because of his integrity, honesty and outspokeness. He is a member of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) an organization that is made up of law enforcement professionals who believe that the current policies of most law enforcement agencies, re: criminalization and prosecution of drug use is misguided and counter productive. His public stance on this issue is amply documented and it is a major reason, if not THE reason, that his employer is attempting to deprive him of his livelihood and his good reputation. Suffice to say that Brad is being "railroaded" by his department and his union. The charges are trumped up and Brad is fighting them. As is usually the case with fighting city hall, they don't bother to post the rules in a concise and clear way, so that gets added into the mix.
Following the links at the bottom will allow you to familiarize yourself with the situation.
Brad is a bright, energetic and earnest young man. He and I have had some fairly "energetic" discussions in the area of politics. We don't always agree, but we always respect one another's viewpoint. His positions are never based on anything but logic and his reading of the U.S. constitution and the laws of the United States. He's the only guy I ever met who actually keeps a copy of the constitution on his Blackberry. More to the point, he understands it as well as--and often better than--many people who are older and have made the study of that document a passion of their lives. I have suggested to Brad that going back to school and working toward a degree in law would be a great way to channel his energy and passion about justice. Whether he ultimately remains as a police officer or moves on to another career, he has my total support as my friend and my "nephew".
I would be quite happy if any of my readers want to take this post and re-post it. It would be a nice if it went viral and brought the sort of attention to his employers that they are most certainly trying to avoid.
Links:
http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Epping+officer+suspended%2C+alleges+harassment&articleId=8738624e-5502-4f5e-9bb3-0bc45f22549b
http://gamma.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Selectmen+deny+Epping+officer%27s+bid+for+public+hearing&articleId=e99f3b6d-556a-4a1b-9e1b-890912a46d06
http://copssaylegalize.blogspot.com/2009/10/leap-speaker-in-nh-legal-battle.html
http://freekeene.com/2009/10/30/free-keene-hits-the-raw-story-via-heroic-cop-brad-jardis/
http://rawstory.com/2009/10/claim-cop-turfed-pot-legalization/
http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Wrongful+death+suit+to+go+forward&articleId=89ae4274-a613-421f-a106-fa3fad3486e9
http://forum.freekeene.com/index.php?topic=1786.msg21054#msg21054
democommie - I looked through the links and it seems young Brad is getting the shaft for his rational and compassionate stand on drug use.
ReplyDeleteLooking in the comments section of those articles it would seem that he is developing a support group among the more sane citizens of Epping. I've been there; small mountain town with plenty of conservative types.
I also spend some time in the county jail here where I see first hand the overcrowding due to nonviolent drug possession arrests.
Please send Brad my best wishes and keep us updated on his fight. Also, if there is someone to write to or call, get us that info too.
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ReplyDeleteBrad is in between a rock and a hard place. I hope either he or his union rep or lawyer have some experience dealing with police departments on disciplinary issues. It's easy to get sidetracked in an interview and have it appear you're being untruthful. That is a capital offense in most police departments.
ReplyDeleteI hope Brad is tough enough to stick this out. He will be shown his options if he quits or retires as well as what he stands to lose if he gets fired. And in my experience, (small time. I'm not Jimmy Hoffa) the threat of prosecution for whatever the person interviewing or interrogating him can think up.
If he's as smart as it sounds, he's already got his things in order to fight this attack on his views. I can imagine he is and wants to stay loyal to his department. But in these matters, they won't be loyal to him.
Truth 101:
ReplyDeleteYes he is a sharp young guy and he's got quite a package of documents from what I'm told. This is not an issue that blew up overnight and he could read the handwriting on the wall a while back.