Standing behind the bull offers a risky position for accuracy

Retired city police Lt. Rolando Ramos in a “Behind the Badge” column offered his perspective about what occurred inside the police department during the reign of former police Director Joseph Santiago.

What Ramos does not understand is that the public holds perceptions as well. People liked Director Santiago whether police officers did not.

Ramos said that 95 percent of police disliked Santiago. And? How many worker bees truly love their bosses, especially those who demand our very best each and every day we suit up or boot up? Police, a paramilitary organization where orders matter, spend an exorbitant amount of time fighting each other, especially in Trenton when they do that black and white race dance.

Public observation? If they’re fighting each other then there’s minimal chance they will win their battle against criminals.

Loved the line that “Santiago surrounded himself with a group of supervisors and officers that were loyal to him.” Duh. If you lead as dog, singer, or alpha male then you get to decide your backup.

A real problem underscores the fact that Santiago departed town almost a decade ago and he still garners this angry response from a retired officer who had his dream of being police director derailed when mayoral candidate Paul Perez lost his 2018 election to Reed Gusciora.

Ramos, who could address many city-based law enforcement issues, never ventures into police who break the law, including an officer arrested for sexual assault against minors; an officer arrested for massive amounts of child porn found on his computer and another incident which is not allowed to be mentioned here for risk of litigious retribution.

Ramos does not discuss the fact that 54 percent of police officers are Caucasian nor that most police officers live in the suburbs. Come on man, millions of dollars loaded into the trunks of vehicles, money that supports the economies and tax bases for suburban dwellers.

An FBI investigation launched against several city police officers remains a topic Ramos will not touch. These events erode the trust that should exist for law enforcement officers.

Ramos wrote Santiago spent millions in overtime “that had never been reached before or since Santiago was director.”

A July 2017 article referenced this information about overtime and the millions awaiting police officers and firefighters.

David Foster, a former city beat writer noted, “For the city’s fiscal year 2017 that ended on June 30, the fire department spent $1.04 million more than police in overtime, according to budget documents obtained by The Trentonian through a public records request. In total, firefighters received $3.52 million in overtime while the officers in blue took home $2.48 million, records show.

Given the constant crime and violence in Trenton, it is a point of contention for some police officers, who spoke to The Trentonian on the condition of anonymity.

“How do you justify spending more on fire OT than police when you have juveniles getting killed in the streets,” one ticked cop said. “If you’re a parent of a kid who was murdered, you should be really pissed. If public safety is your #1 concern, police should be getting more OT.”

While there’s risky money in crime, obviously fighting crime offers a lucrative enterprise for those who fight lawbreakers. Mr. Ramos offers minimal positive memories of Santiago, sounding more like a jilted lover then former ranked officer.

And now, after numerous articles were written about former Sgt. Carol Russell headlining the fact that gangs were gaining footholds in the city, an assertion that gained the female officer serious pushback from Santiago and others, Ramos alleges many other officers advised the police director about the issue.

Santiago, hired by Mayor Doug Palmer in 2003 then lasted for approximately five years, is history. The fact that a mere mention of his name produces a torrent of Ramos rant, is exactly why Trenton remains stuck. It’s the past and hopefully we all learned something from mistakes and successes of Santiago’s reign.

While Ramos can give personal insights about his police recollections, this writer resides inside the belly of the beast.

Even South Ward Councilman George Muschal has alleged publicly that police do not respond when residents call about hookers, drug dealers and other law enforcement issues.

Ramos can shake his head, fist or attempt to rewrite history but the police department seemed better under Santiago.

And if 95 percent of police officers hated the former director then at least more camaraderie existed on that issue.

Bottom line, police have been hired to protect and serve.