Charlottesville Police Give Up On Charlottesville

This is a heartwarming story:

“The department is experiencing a “mass exodus,” according to Police Chief RaShall Brackney.

“It seems like, I think, on average, one to two officers a week are leaving the department,” she said.

Brackney said the department, which has 128 officers, is conducting exit interviews with all departees and four issues are the leading causes — salary, a lack of take-home cars, the climate in the city since Aug. 12 and attitudes of members of the initial Police Civilian Review Board.

“It’s very difficult in this time, in this place, given the culture and the climate,” Interim City Manager Mike Murphy said. …

The third big issue for officers is the climate in the community, which Brackney said has been toxic since before the Unite the Right rally.

“Officers in our community are routinely verbally assaulted, they’re cursed at. There’s a lot of not feeling as though they’re appreciated,” Brackney said. “We have it on video where people are cursing our officers, calling them names for no other reason than walking down the street.”

Brackney said officers see an opportunity for a better environment in other departments. …

Brackney said board members are on radio and TV and at marches saying officers’ days are numbered and that they’re coming after them.

“The officers do not believe that there’s going to be any fair, impartial oversight,” Brackney said. “It’s well-documented of how some of them have treated our officers, including me.”

City residents’ attitude toward officers hurts recruitment, Brackney said, which makes positions remain open longer. …”

I didn’t fully understand what kind of place Charlottesville was when we had the Unite the Right rally. I had gleaned some insight into it from the mass arrests at the Loyal White Knights rally and the crazy people hijacking city council meetings, but I didn’t anticipate the total collapse of law and order. Normally, the police exercise authority in a community, not a violent howling mob.

The police are giving up on the People’s Republic of Cville. They can’t take it anymore. I can’t say I blame them. I couldn’t think of a place that I was less inclined to revisit this summer when offered the chance to attend Unite the Right 2. It made New Orleans with all its crime, graffiti and stench of urine look reasonable. Why would anyone want to visit a place where mobs can attack you with impunity and its courts will prosecute you and throw you in prison for attempting to defend yourself?

Imagine having to deal with a community like that on a daily basis: a place where random people explode on you in anger for no reason at all while walking down the street.