Followers

Monday, November 02, 2009

A good cop

UPDATE 11/12/09 4:14 PM EST Brad has informed me that the town has reversed itself and will be granting him a hearing. Notice: My blog's timestamp is screwed up. This is actually being posted at 9:43 PM (EST) on Wednesday, 11/04/09. 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

14 comments:

Richard said...

"Home of the brave?" Natch. "Land of the Free?" Not so much.

This is as we used to call it in the news business "a hell of a story and we gotta get it in front of Olbermann and Maddow. They get a lot of their stuff from Think Progress so we got to get it posted there. I have other ideas as well. Ron Reagan would do it on Air America. Thom Hartmann would run with this story. Hell, I'd run with this story. All I lack is a show...

I'll get to work on this right away if you don't mind.

Tammy said...

I will repost, Honey! In the meantime we gotta teach you how to do linkies. I will send you an email tomorrow... oh wait... today, but after I sleep...



"dompun"? that sounds like the jokes Dano & his Dad tell...

democommie said...

Richard & Tammy:

Thanks to both of you. I think that Bradley has been incredibly gutsy--, considering that he has been on his own--albeit with some cheerleaders like me and his other friends--for much of this ordeal.

This looks very much to me like the sort of thing that was done by the GOP to Bill Clinton. Brad has taken a stance which is unpopular (for any number of reasons) with his colleagues and superiors in LE and since he has a constitutional right to free speech they attack him on other grounds and try to silence him. That what they are doing is immoral, unethical and probably illegal matters not in the least.

This sort of incident is what causes so many people to distrust and disrespect civil and military authority. Of course to such people as those who are attacking Brad, being respected is a bonus, what they must have is a fearful populace.

Rev.Paperboy said...

Senor Democommie, Esq. sir,

not to quibble with Richard, but this is what we call in the news bidness...er...how you say?...boolsheet!

Whether anyone anywhere agrees with what this officer of the law has enspoused as a political cause - be it legalization of marijuana, slavery, the supremacy of the Red Sox or plural marriage - is pretty much totally fucking irrelevant. Nor is insubordination in the face of an illegal order a crime, quite the contrary (see: The Nuremberg Trials). Frankly, I'm impressed with your reserve in describing what is happening to your young friend as a "railroading".
The most depressing part was reading the comments on the news stories and wondering how many of the "he's a hippie pothead cap blarharhar!" comments were left by his fellow officers. I think he should fight this to the last to be sure, but I also think he should start looking for a new job to take after he wins and then quits, because it I fear the well will be poisoned there for him. And thus respect for law and order dies by another inch and idiot frat-boy fascism grows a little stronger.

democommie said...

Mr. Rev. Paperboy, Sir:

I agree with most of your comments. Whether he goes or stays, he will not change I think. It is disheartening that a young guy should have to defend himself against such crap.

Nomi said...

Please feel free to post this on the Grace Paley ( and friends ) blog and I can fix the links if it's there...

I will be posting about my friend Diana's birthday and recommending her books to folks...

Diana Abu-Jaber...wonderful novelist...

Love to Everyone!

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

DC, would you like to have a guest blogger invitation at the Zone to post this?

democommie said...

Mr. Octopus, Sir:

That would be great, or you can just lift it right off the blog, whichever is simpler. I'm a little bit of a technoluddite.

Batocchio said...

I hope he gets a full and fair hearing. The newspaper following it can't hurt.

Mr. Mack said...

Well, I'm completely flummoxed. You mentioned a certain post to come read, but don't provide a link in the email, or leave one associated with your user name at my place. It was by pure luck that I remembered "polrant" then googled you. Dude.

Your friend's son is finding out what I learned back in 79...only, its way worse now. There was, at one time, a push to have law enforcement personnel standards raised then 'codified" (P.O.S.T.)
but I suppose budget restraints forced cities to hire anyone with a pulse...

He sounds too smart to stay in uniform, I wish him well in his next endeavor.

democommie said...

Hey, Mack:

Sorry. I thought that you did like me and just kept the blogs you to regularly in a "favorites" box.

Yeah, he is is a smart kid. He's also got something that they don't teach at the academy, integrity. I keep my fingers crossed.

Rev.Paperboy said...

Glad to hear the town is giving him a proper hearing at least. The world desperately needs good, sensible, thoughtful police to balance out the goons that go into the job just because they like to boss other people around and carry a gun and a stick and a taser.

democommie said...

Rev. Paperboy:

His hearing is supposed to be conducted on 11/30/09. I will update as I get new info.

Aaron Kinney said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.