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Ludington Police Chief Barnett: Wastes Taxpayer Money, Does Not Feel the Need to Explain Why

Gee, at the last Ludington City Council meeting on Monday, even a couple of citizens berated me for "wasting taxpayer money on FOIA requests", dutifully reported at the head of the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) story, which strangely left out my own true story about being charged $57 via a FOIA request to inspect 24 pages of a $1.2 million contract with the water tower painting company, which hasn't covered its part of the contract for the third year running. Whereas, I hope those two citizens look at what was said at that meeting and what was reported by the COLDNews and put two and two together, I won't hold my breath. After all, some arbitrary figure of $6500 which that citizen called the City of Ludington to defend, is a lot easier to comprehend than $1.2 million totally wasted.

In this thread, ludington-punk-d-department, I eyewitnessed an event that took place right in front of my house. I wrote about it here immediately, and made a written complaint about it and handed it to the LPD this Monday. And today I got a response from Chief Barnett:

I've always believed that a public servant covering-up relevant information is perhaps the worst form of public corruption. Chief, I didn't notice this service you offer as being anything recognized by your office's duties. Why can't the rest of the local kids use the LPD officers to ask others out to homecoming, out to the prom, or just out for sodas at the House of Flavors? What made this one boy and/or girl special-- some link to other City Officials or well-connected citizen?

How much did you receive for allowing this, if not from the boy, but from his parents, if not money, then what favor? Why are you withholding this information from the public? For when you withhold it from one person because of your unfounded prejudices, you withhold it from all. Can you have one of your officers stop a person I know who rides a bicycle and give him one of LPD's famous 'Disregarding a stop sign' tickets? He would get such a kick out of it.

For the people who pay taxes and fees that only go up, up, and up, what do you have to say, Chief Barnett? Forcing your officers to engage in horseplay on the public's dime for whatever reason you think is appropriate is wrong and a violation of your duties. Then covering up the information unethically and illegally, just like you have for the Baby Kate and Lingyan Zou investigations, compounds your extreme contempt for the public you supposedly serve. Look for work elsewhere, sir; I hear that Wayland is looking for a police chief.

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Permalink Reply by april on August 29, 2012 at 9:02pm

Just when I think the officers/police chief cant be any more dumb or ignorant they prove me wrong. wtf?

This is not something the police of chief nor an officer should be doing. go solve your crimes and find Kate!

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Permalink Reply by XLFD on August 29, 2012 at 10:02pm

But the young lady quickly accepted the young man's invitation!

So it was worth it. The Chief is such a romantic.

God, I wish I could just take all those Baby Kate records they have, take a black pen to the truly exempt material and place it all out on Facebook and the Torch and give all the Baby Kater faithful legions all the facts. But the Love Chief won't allow it, because it would only show how many big mistakes were made throughout the case because of the lack of any leadership at the top of LPD.