Ridgefield Letter: Does Ralph Money Understand the proper role of a Police Commissioner?

I attended the September 20th meeting of the Ridgefield Police Commission in which Ralph Money, one of the commission’s five members, made an ostentatious speech in which he referred to himself as a “rule breaker” and “rule maker.”

His rhetoric runs directly contrary to the purpose and goals of the Police Commission. The Commission is responsible for maintaining a mutually trusting relationship between Ridgefield’s citizens and its police force. The public has to trust that its police force is acting within the law while the police force is dependent on a compliant, trusting public. Public safety depends on both.

A police commissioner declaring that he can “break and make” his own rules erodes that essential trust and potentially harms public safety.

In that same Police Commissioner meeting Chief Kreitz stated that he was a rule follower and would support maintaining the long-standing guidelines for the question at hand. Mr. Money voted against that position.

By all accounts, the Ridgefield Police Force is professional and does an excellent job.   I wonder how they feel about a police commissioner making their job needlessly harder and even more dangerous. And it’s ironic that the one entity that is singularly responsible for maintaining that trust is, if Mr. Money ‘s words are to be taken seriously, the proximate cause of distrust.

I believe Mr. Money owes the town an explanation: was it a political comment or does he believe that he can “break and make” his own rules. If he truly believes that, does Ridgefield want someone on the Police Commission with such radical views?

Sean Archambault

Ramapoo Rd

Ridgefield

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