12 October 2020
Honorable Director of Public Safety A. Ralph Mollis
North Kingstown Police Department
8166 Post Road
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Honorable Director Mollis:
I hope this message finds you well. With any luck, the pandemic has stayed clear of your family and the ones you love.
I am writing to you because the Police Department you oversee has upset many. Worse, it appears this all could have been avoided. We do not understand how so many in law enforcement could be out of touch with society.
Before we get to the specifics, you should know I am not a “Defund the Police” supporter. Yes, reforms are needed in many areas, especially when dealing with the mentally ill and the addicted, but defunding isn’t the answer. Of course you can tell the Defund folks are not serious since they have not invited the insurance companies to the table as of yet.
A few weeks ago, even though I believe all drugs should be decriminalized to reduce stigma and increase opportunities for recovery, I let my local Warwick Police Department know when some Methamphetamine merchants had set up a new sales location. One of the things that troubled me is there was a “new recipe” in play.
I spend a lot of time with those suffering from addiction and the mental ill so it only took a couple of days to find out the “new recipe” included fentanyl. I immediately reported that to the police and the security guards at the Warwick Mall for their own safety should they come in contact with the substance. Turns out much to my surprise that the security guards at the Mall receive “fentanyl awareness training”. While drugs should be decriminalized to increase chances for recovery, I cannot bring someone into recovery if they take fentanyl and end up dead. I was adult enough to realize that reporting was the right thing to do.
I am also adult enough to be absolutely outraged by these “challenge coins” the police in your community are espousing. The fact that you and all your local politicians have been silent regarding these offensive coins is even more enraging. None of you had the courage to stand up and do the right thing??
The “BEAR” coin starts with the word “Break”. Break what exactly?? You have a position in a lily white community with little crime. Whom is there to break?? What trend are you trying to break?? Is this just a word to make cops who spend most of their time breaking up college parties sound tough?? Wasn’t your last murder over a decade ago?? For all cops, violent crimes represent 5% of all arrests. Does that number touch 2% in North Kingstown??
The next word is more offensive. “Eradicate” the coin says. Eradicate what or whom?? We know it doesn’t mean white folks and you’re literally all white now. Most criminals are addicted or mentally ill, I’m both, are you out to “eradicate” those suffering from disease?? That means you’re out to eradicate me. I take that as a personal challenge. Oh gee, I’m up against a bunch of lily white cops who usually compete with college kids. This should be difficult. Do you have any idea how racist that makes your cops look?? Since your cops are in OUR state, how do you think that makes the rest of us look??
The next word is “Arrest”. You realize you can’t arrest yourself out of a disease, right?? There aren’t that many of you to begin with – who do you plan to arrest?? Should we tell black moms not to let their kids jog in your community since your cops are obviously out to make phony arrests?? Do we have to go through court records and supply folks with counsel since false arrests are a goal of yours??
The last word is “Repeat”. Repeat until when?? Is all white the goal?? Repeat until there’s no more addiction or mental disease?? Let me help the GED candidates running your Police Department – biology doesn’t work that way.
We expect Police Departments to treat everyone equally. This is not Louisville or Kenosha. The things about to happen to Officers in Louisville or Kenosha, regarding the financial prospects of their families, should not be happening here. By putting out this misguided and obviously white nationalist inspired coin, your department has failed that expectation.
We would like you to do two things to get back in our good graces. First of all, end the Coin Program since it is offensive. Secondly, put out a statement of apology for making us look like illiterate white trash from Mississippi. This is Rhode Island. We are a blue state. We do not act this way.
Of course since there was not an adult in the room when the coins were proposed, we do not expect there will be one in the room now. Unlike my friends on the far left, I am not a “get together with signs and yell at buildings” type. Alt right people come and burn stuff down. Far left people come and try to make the protests about something else. None of that ever works out.
I believe in using the free market. The other cool thing about the free market is you can create whatever ruckus you like and never violate the law. As I alluded to earlier, as I type this, a company in New Jersey is making an “employment decision” about a family member of an officer in Louisville. In your case, an APRA request for your grants has already been written. Those seeking to “Eradicate” shouldn’t be doing so with grant money. I’m sorry if this “Breaks”, see what I did there??, any of your long time financial goals.
There is another consideration I would like you to keep in mind. Two events in Rhode Island that you may not know about should weigh on your thinking.
The first one was in Narragansett. Remember how the Narragansett Town Council made a bunch of noise about violating the Governor’s protocols regarding the pandemic?? Then, as if by magic, they didn’t even have a vote on the motion that night?? I am the reason for the non vote. For my troubles, I got hit with a “no trespassing” order. While my friends were conducting their due diligence on the order, they discovered that members of the Narragansett Police had joined the racist and treasonous group known as the Proud Boys.
A few months later, State Representative Pat Serpa illegally used West Warwick Fire Department and Equipment to film a campaign video. I was told that she did not have permission. As we conducted our own looksie into things to see if that was true, we discovered “discrepancies” in West Warwick budgeting procedures.
Now, I wait for the day that the Narragansett cops are working on a major case only to have a Proud Boys distraction magically appear. I’m also waiting for a good day to embarrass mentally health shaming Rep. Pat Serpa. I’m thinking a relative’s death anniversary shall do nicely. If you do not choose to end the Coin Program, which you never should have started, and we have to look at your cops, what are we going to find?? How will we use it later?? Maybe after one of those magical “eradication arrests” you’re planning to make.
My suggestion is be that adult in the room. Get the folks in the Police Department, starting with the Chief – what was he thinking??, over this racist mistake and back to policing. Nobody was really thinking about your Department before. Now everyone who follows these issues hates you and thinks less of us as a result. You are supposed to be better than that.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Robert T. Oliveira
315-864-1229
Warwick, RI
Quahogs United 