Local Activist Challenges Police Union President To Drug Test Showdown in Cleveland

DING!! DING!!

Local Activist Art McKoy challenged Steve Loomis, head of the Cleveland Police Union and member of the Citizen’s Police Commision, to a drug test showdown. Art thinks Mr Loomis should lead by example and voluntarily submit to a drug and alcohol test. In an effort to make Loomis breathe easy about it, Art is willing to take one too!!

There has been a lot of talk about the hiring practices of the Cleveland police. They hired Timothy Loehmann and his file from the Independence Police Department states:

Loehmann, who was hired in Independence in July of 2012, became distracted and weepy during a state range qualification course, he could not communicate clear thoughts and his handgun performance was dismal.

In a letter in his personnel file, a deputy chief states that he did not believe Loehmann showed the maturity to work at their department. The letter stressed his “dangerous loss of composure during live range training and his inability to manage personal stress.”

It also added that the deputy chief did not believe “time, nor training” will be able to correct the officer’s deficiencies.

Cleveland police said about hiring Loehmann,

The Cleveland Division of Police does not have a written policy mandating a review of an applicant’s previous employer personnel file. While our policy does not require obtaining a personnel file prior to employment, the Cleveland Division of Police has amended our policies to request a personnel file from previous employers.

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Our investigation into this matter has revealed that during the background investigation of Officer Loehmann Cleveland Police detectives, assigned to the personnel unit, interviewed the Human Resources Director for the City of Independence. During that interview detectives  inquired if there were any disciplinary actions or incidents that Cleveland Police should be aware of prior to hiring Loehmann , at which point they were told there were none. The reason for departure indicated was resignation. Officer Loehmann indicated that he resigned for personal reasons which was substantiated by the City of Independence.”

It has been rumored that Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams is also a good friend of Loehmann’s father, who retired high in rank and respect from the thin blue gang. One could surmise that Loehmann senior gave a pre-employment phone call to his buddy Chief Williams asking that his incompetent son be hired as a favor.

What do you think Cleveland? How ’bout we demand drug and alcohol testing for all police? Why is it not mandatory in the first place? Oh wait, I know! Since they are the ones implementing the drug testing, they warn each other when they have to pee! So then how about demanding INDEPENDENT testing of police officers to be transparent enough to have the results published publicly. These are after all the people fighting the failed drug war right? What better group of people to lead by example to show the ultimate failure of the drug war. That failure being the fact that you can’t even get the cops to stop doing drugs, how do expect to stop everyone else?

Local Activist Challenges Police Union President To Drug Test Showdown in Cleveland is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights