Thursday, November 13, 2014

Will it take another Craig Tiger before we do something?



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. 

Pastor Rodger S. Loar

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