Alexandria (Va.) Police Chief David P. Baker, 58, has been put on administrative leave after crashing his unmarked city car and then blowing 0.19 on a sobriety check — twice the legal limit. Deputy Police Chief Earl Cook has replaced him as acting chief.
Recently, the then-Superintendent of Schools in Alexandria Rebecca L. Perry was arrested for drunken driving. She was, however, allowed to keep her job. That may be more difficult for the top cop.
This is not the first cloud over a top law enforcement position in Alexandria. There are continuing rumors that former Sheriff Jim Dunning.is a suspect in the still unsolved murder of Nancy Dunning, here.
For the DUI story, click here.
Wait a minute… 40 years of unbroken abeyance of the laws, 20 years of service to the public. One infraction and that’s it? Career over? I know the police wreak these thunderbolts daily onto other people bu that’s what they’re employed to do. I think the whole system needs revising. One time caught, your a silly boy. 2x and it’s a pattern. Off to perdition you go. Zero tolerance is the civil arm of fascism.
In this day and age Police officers everywhere usually receive a short suspension (in most cases with pay) and are put right back out on the street to harm more innocent citizens.Right before this episode Cook suspended one of his officers for shooting a teenager in the parking lot at an Ihop restaurant in Alexandria! It seems like it is becoming harder and harder to find a police officer that is not a member of the good ol’ boys in the blue club. They receive free passes way too often and this is not right!
I agree the chief should be fired immediately, but it will never happen.
The police chief and the Sheriff in Alexandria are two different positions. It was the former Sheriff’s wife who was killed.
Did someone say “Space Program”?? (here cometh the rant) Galactic Commander Pollack would be a vast improvement. In 1901 the Wright Flyer flew a distance less than the wingspan of a Jumbo jet. In 60 years we had the SR-71 Blackbird flying 3.5x the speed of sound at the edge of space. And in the intervening 50 years we got… what? The Space Shuttle? What the hell happened? Did Big Finance swerve all the capital off the road into worthless scrip? mebbe.. mebbe..
Baker Replaced By Cook
no no no, this will never do, this would be like putting Jackson Pollack in charge of the Space program
Can we expect the citizens of Alexandria to surround a microphone and demand an apology from the police force?
I have been in the alcohol and drug rehab field for over 30 years and when I first started, accidents causing death from drunk drivers were routinely given a suspended license for 6 months. Thank goodness America has awakened to the tragedy related to driving under the influence. Anyone in a position of authority, and especially the Chief of Police must resign and show the pubic that he has sought the necessary alcohol treatment to bring him into the twenty-first century. If you need help or professional advice around these problems, confront what needs to be done and do it. Prove that you don’t need the police to force you to do the responsible action.
Drunk and damaging city equipment.
I’d fire him in a heartbeat if he were my employee. I wouldn’t think twice. That this guy still has a badge is simply unacceptable.
With great power comes great responsibility. – Spiderman’s Uncle
Don’t they have taxi’s in Va? This wasn’t even a close call…0.19.
He should man up.
Hidflect,
Really, you think that companies that have to insure people who drive as part of their job don’t care about DUIs?
This was the city’s car he crashed, so at the very least he’s on the hook for that, if I got drunk and damaged an expensive piece of equipment at any job I worked, I probably would have been fired.
We’re all human. In any other job this wouldn’t be a career breaker. How many good cops have been sacrificed to the alter of Political Correctness? It just allows his subordinate (who by definition isn’t as good) to step up to the role.
Ordinarily I’m no great supporter of “the fuzz” as they used to be known in England. But I think it will make him a wiser man, especially if he can come through the other side unscathed. “There but for the grace of God go I”, etc.
Internal investigation my ass. Fire him.
“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. – Unknown”
“It is very disappointing when any of our colleagues makes a bad decision,” Hartmann said at a news conference Sunday. He said that although he has the authority to fire Baker immediately, he will await the findings of the internal review, which are expected within a week.
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This I think, is an underestimated understatement.