On Friday, Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe announced he was decommissioning the Antioch Police Department rescue vehicle.
Here is a copy of the letter to Chief Ford
Dear Chief Ford:
As I’ve said publicly and privately to you, as the city of Antioch continues to grapple with the reality that its police department is plagued with deep institutional racism, I will continue to focus on ensuring that this issue is not conveniently swept under the rug. Under my watch that will not happen.
As I traverse the city and meet with residents, I am reminded daily that actionable steps must be taken to correct past mistakes. We will not be able to talk this issue away as it strikes at the very essence of who we are as a city- inclusive and open for all. I strongly believe that Antioch residents deserve a police department that every segment of Antioch’s racially diverse community can trust.
In order for us to get there, as well as beginning the healing process, the immediate termination of officers who violated the public’s trust by displaying racism (as established by the FBI and District Attorney and upheld by a superior court judge) is required. Anything less makes all of our efforts, including your community conversations, appear like nothing more than a public relations campaign.
As a result, at next Tuesday’s Antioch City Council meeting, I will be seeking the support of my colleagues to formally direct the Antioch Police Department to immediately decommission the tank, also known as the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle. The MRAP was designed specifically for the War in Iraq so that U.S. soldiers could withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. To date, there have been no such reported attacks or threats in the city of Antioch.
As evidenced in a photo on the Antioch Police Department’s website, the tank sends the wrong message to the community and absolutely sends the wrong message to prospective police office candidates.
I will also be advancing a measure that bars board members of the police union, in our case, the Antioch Police Officers Association, from serving as members of the internal affairs team. If the community is to trust you and established processes, there must be a clear line of delineation between union leaders elected to represent police officers who may have committed misconduct and those charged with investigating those officers.
To move our city forward, tough decisions must be made now. In that spirit, the decommissioning of the tank and the separation of union board leaders.
from internal affairs will send the very clear message that the city of Antioch is genuinely committed to reforming the culture of the Antioch Police Department.
Respectuflly
Lamar A. Thorpe
Mayor
19 comments
The letter is disjointed and illogical – as is pretty much any communication from Mr. Thorpe. How getting rid of the vehicle will advance reforming APD is not clear. “Sends the wrong message”?
As he “traverses the city and speaks with residents…” Who? When? Where? With the all the lawlessness taking place in this city, the police need every tool for fighting crime at their disposal. Thorpe wants to be king and desires to have the only say on everything. Making Antioch an easy target for crime has been a mistake. What Antioch residents deserve is a mayor who isn’t motivated by the singular purpose of advancing his own agenda.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
The Antioch mayor is a complete moron. Sexual predator, convicted criminal, unbelievable unprofessional. Antioch is going down the toilet fast. And this idiot is worried about a vehicle that has been documented to save residents lives.
Lamemar just continues to prove how stupid and incompetent he is .
It’s all fun and games until Thorpe has an emergency then he’ll change is up just like every other Asshole on here that thinks their life is more important then the rest!!!!
Does the big bad machine scare you?
Snowflake.
Why not publish entire woke wish list or would that cut down on free press and TV face time for Antioch’s political ladder climbers? Has to keep his name in press and TV.
hopefully one day Antioch will not have a police department and we can see how this works out.
Antioch is a war zone and they deal with documented gang members and cartel members…. They need that vehicle for the safety of officers and the community if they need it in a hostage or active shooting situation …. Thorpe your a dumbass
Well this soeakss of pure uneducated thoughts by a person has no understanding of tactics and safety. If he wants the men of woman of the Antioch Police Department to be able to perform their jobs to their best abilities, then they need the best and safest equipment Do you think Officers will approach a barricaded subject or sometype of tactical armed situation without protection and tactics. No they won’t and why would the Mayor want to the job more dangerous for these men and woman by taking this piece of equipment. I will tell you this, the citizens of Antioch need to stand up and handle this. The Department is destroyed and taking the tools away to make the job safer for not only the officers, but the citizens as well, will make Officers unable to handle dangerous and in progress crimes. If the citizens want a reactive deprartment and not a pro-active department, they are on the road to get what they asked and voted for.
In addition, If Lamar anf the two stooges with him want transparency, how about releasing all the videa realted to Tamisha and her interference along with the texts off Shagoofa’s phone. I guarantee their is illegal collusion between Elle, Lamar, and Shogoofa in addition Becton. Know for a fact, Lamar was with Shagoofa at the Brentwood Protests in additon to feed info between all of them to guide and steer things the way they wanted.
Antioch is gone and lost. It will not recover until this idiot and his two minnions are voted out! So glad I do not live or work there anymore. I drive through that City via Highway 4 and have no plans to visit it!!
in additon, during tactical operations, is Lamar ready to spend the $300-500,000 it will take to get a Bearcat or inferior vehicle? The current MRAP was obtain for less than a couple thousand in fuel to drive it down from Washington State. Then a little bit more money to retrofit it to be used by PD’s vs military. It is not a TANK as he refers to it and shows his ignorance. Other Agecncies are not going to consistently loan their vehicle, let alone their officers. This is insanity at its best!!
Can’t wait for Lamar to be voted out. Like Biden will be remembered as the worst president in history, Lamar will be remembered as the worst mayor in Antioch’s history.
…”absolutely sends the wrong message to prospective police office candidates.”
Why? Would prospective police office candidates prefer to be employed by a city without armored protection?
The sad part is that he and his ignorant cronies on the council will probably make this happen. They are all incredibly ignorant and every decision they make is based on woke bs. All racists, all unqualified, all ignorant.
The mayor of Antioch is playing politics as usual and not protecting the citizens of Antioch as he is supposed to do. He is dismantling the police department at a time where we need a police force more than ever. Under Thorpe’s watch crime has significantly become worse and he continues to make excuses for it, sweeps it under the rug and hides the statistics and doesn’t want it publicly acknowledged, etc. I do not know how in the heck he even won with his dui and questionable history and how he already ran Antioch to the ground. Obviously, some citizens are not voting for someone with character, but possibly based on race?
It’s a rather humorous document in that it is so obviously a political statement aimed at the public – not a “letter to the police chief.”
Agreed 100%
We can all remain apalled, disgusted and angry over the racism at APD and still be concerned about the crime in Antioch. Every community meeting with APD shouldn’t be one more opportunity to rub in their faces what a disgrace they are. I, for one trust Dr. Ford and Attorney General Bonta to do their jobs. Let’s support the good cops at APD to fight the food fight on crime and make sure they have the tools they need.
“To date, there have been no such reported attacks or threats in the city of Antioch.”
What about tomorrow or next year? What are you going to do then, Mayor?
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