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My Friends,It is with a great deal of humility and remorse that I announce my retirement from the Alexandria Police Department, effective immediately. Words cannot describe the pride I feel having had the opportunity to lead such a great department. You have much to be proud of. Your standing in the community, the region, and the country is unparralled, and you are and will continue to be respected for your professionalism, innovation, and dedication to the citizens you serve.
Thank for allowing me the privilege of serving with you. I could not have asked for a better, more capable, or more compassionate group of public safety professionals to work with. As I leave the department in your most capable hands, I wish all of you health and happiness in both your personal and professional lives, and pray that you forever remain safe and secure.
Yours sincerely and respectfully,
Dave Baker
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so to paraphrase:
Not a strong use for scare quotes. When a police officer is forced into early retirement, be it for misconduct or otherwise, it is a retirement. There's nothing euphemistic about use its use, unless he's being denied his pension.
He slipped in a big way. He followed by making the appropriate move. He's got a good speech writer.
Is that Joe Biden?
He messed up. He's resigning.
While he can't go back in time to un-do his exercise in poor judgement, resigning his position is an honorable thing to do.
If only others would follow his example.
Gotta' hand it to the guy. He did the right thing after doing the wrong thing. Why can't other public service officials see how honorable this is? With the self-serving egos running around in the human forms of Larry Craig and Rod Blagojevich and MARION BARRY it's refreshing to see that a man can openly admit his mistakes and take the curtain call.
Seriously, there was nothing noble or admirable about his forced decision to retire early. I'm not personally judging him. Lord knows I've made my own mistakes, but let's call a spade a spade: the man was painted into a corner.
I love how people are saying how "honorable" this guy is. BS. Not only did the dude have a DUI, but he injured and could've possibly killed somebody. Good riddance.
This couldn't be the first time he drove drunk. As a cop, he probably figured he'd never get caught -- after all, who'd pull over a police officer? But this time, he got into another accident and the shit hit the fan. And on top of everything, part of his job included enforcing drunk driving laws, so there's no way he was unaware of the risks to himself and others in driving drunk. Plus, he had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when given a breathalizer. This wasn't an honest mistake. It's hypocrisy.
He deserves to have been forced out by the circumstances.
As seems to be the case with other public resignations, I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the only thing we eventually hear about.
Gotta correct the passive voice there, Guestguest: he painted himself into a corner. And yeah, as Wizzyliz said, if only other public jackass officials would strut and fret their hour upon the stage -- and then get the hell off.
Exactly! Or worst, brag about it like Gov. Sanford. Yes we know we can't fly to Argentina for an extramarital affair. So just because you can, stop bragging about it.
Makes you wonder how many other times he drove drunk without getting caught. I would maybe have sympathy for him if he blew a 0.081 or something like that, but he was double that. That's like having 10 beers and then jumping in your car.
Ever since my brother was arrested for public urination (in the woods), I've had a thing against cops. Glad this guy is out.