It is with great concern that I learned of the suicide of
Officer Craig Tiger. My heart broke for his family, but then, as I became
aware of the circumstances leading up to it, I became angry. I am angry
that our city let this officer down, that he was injured in the line of duty
and we did not provide for him. It is my understanding that both his
personal psychologist and a city psychiatrist diagnosed him with PTSD
stemming from the shooting that occurred while he was on duty. Had he
been physically injured in the altercation, the department would have provided
him all the medical care, leave, and assistance humanly possible. Had he
been killed in the incident, he would have received an enormous recognition
from the department and his family would have been taken care of.
Instead, due to the stigma of mental health issues and the sad state of
leadership in our police department, this officer was mistreated and discarded
by the very department he served.
This issue is compounded by the growing awareness we in the
ministry and counseling community have of PTSD related to the wars our nation
has been fighting. The egregious issues that have come to light with the
V.A. here in Phoenix should have been a wake-up call to all of us, including
the police department.
I am also concerned that Officer Tiger did not receive a
normal civilian review board hearing, but was taken directly to a Loudermill
hearing with the Chief who disregarded the findings of both counselors.
It is my understanding that the frequency of these Loudermill hearings and the
number of times that the Chief has disregarded the recommendations of the review
board have increased under this administration. The job of a leader is to
care for his subordinates, to be aware of the sacrifices they make and the
dangers that they face; it is not to be an authoritarian who demands total
loyalty and control to himself. Further, his treatment of news reporter
Donna Rossi was unacceptable. Chief Garcia absolutely owes an explanation
to Rebecca Tiger, to the officers who serve him, and to the City of
Phoenix.
It should be obvious to us all that there must be other
officers who are suffering from PTSD, depression, or other issues, who are
afraid to ask for help because they fear loss of their career, loss of
promotion consideration, loss of benefits, or stigma within the
department. This is unconscionable from a humanity point of view and
completely illogical from the point of view of a city which is struggling to
keep officers on the street and is already seriously understaffed. Why
would we hurt those who we need? How many other officers are
struggling? Donna Rossi’s final question to the chief demands an
answer: “Will it take another Craig Tiger before we do something?”
The City Council needs to get involved here and demand some
answers as our representatives. Chief Garcia owes an answer to the
community who employees him, he owes an explanation and a heartfelt apology to
Officer Tiger’s wife and daughters, and he owes Donna Rossi an apology
for his behavior towards her. If our Chief is that far out of touch with
his line officers and the community, perhaps it is time to consider someone
else for the job. I strongly request that your office would look into
this and hold the Chief and the leadership of the police department accountable
for their treatment of this officer and for the creation of what amounts to a
hostile work environment for those who risk their lives for us. I am sure
that you are a busy man, as am I, but I would sincerely appreciate a response
to this communication. I will follow up with a hard copy to your office.
