Jeremy Shingleton, a 29-year old Democrat recently elected as First Selectman of Cromwell is clearly a man out of his depth.Shingleton's eradic behavior has raised eyebrows since his election last November, and now the Hartford Courant is reporting on this politician who has truly come unglued.
Cromwell's Chief of Police Anthony J. Salvatore, a 30-year veteran of the Cromwell force who was a policeman in town one year before Shingleton was even born and twenty-eight years before Shingleton even moved to town, was recently credited with the quick work his department had done in solving the community's first homicide in a quarter century.
Shingleton suspended Salvatore on Wednesday. Why? Good question.
On November 15th, Shingleton met with Salvatore and asked that the chief route all press releases from the police through the First Selectman's office for vetting. Salvatore declined, but did notify Shingleton's office when releases were sent.
Shingleton claims that he was not properly notified of all events as they unfolded concerning the double homicide investigation as well as minore crimes and promotions in the department, and that this prevented him from doing his job.
Then Shingleton wanted to replace the Cromwell PD's lone captain, and Salvatore refused to dismiss him. That's when Salvatore was suspended.
From the Courant:
"There is a perceived lack of professionalism with the chief of police and
the way he's conducting himself in meetings and with citizens, who have
complained to me directly," Shingleton said. "I've heard people have felt
they've been bullied and intimidated."Shingleton declined to name specific
complaints.
What is really clear here is that if anyone was interfering with anyone else's job, it was Shingleton who has been making it impossible for the chief of police to do his job. As First Selectman, Shingleton is not a participant in police investigations. While he should be notified of events, as it appears he was in reasonable fashion, he is not entitled to the level of involvment he claims he is. His attempt to manipulate the department, its work, and its personnel are contemtible.
Shingleton is clearly a young, inexperienced and inadequate carpet-bagging politician who has just demonstrated conclusively that he lacks the skills and charcter to occupy elected office.
Many in Cromwell are now calling for his removal. He should indeed resign, as he is a disgrace to his community and an embarassment. This man is an insecure control freak, and his remaining in office any longer will be a liability to Cromwell.
But first, he owes an enormous apology to Salvatore, a distinguished public servant who deserves better than to be dismissed by this inadequate hack.
6 comments:
This is typical in manyy towns. Carpet baggers move to town with the only credentials being that they drink the ultra-liberal, pro-union kool aide.
They now hold council positions, board of ed positions, executive positions and state rep positions.
The rest of us WORK for a living.
Shame on Cromwell for electing a person with NO CONNECTION to the town AND no political experience.
This is the poster child for being in over your head.
People say I am still new to my town after being here and paying taxes after 8 years. My family also lived in Windham when I was a baby.
But when I run for Selectman I am beaten by some 22 year old girl who has lived here matter of months and who said in her letter to the editor (the only thing she said throughout the whole campaign) that she was going to be "community focused".
What the hell does community focused mean?
She beat me by at least 500 votes.
And we are getting another whopper tax increase I hear this year and that’s not even including the BOE budget.
Well as they say—People always get the democracy they deserve
---- Good and hard!
So I am not really surprised at this turn of events. People in this state will vote for a drooling idiot before they will cast a vote for a Republican.
And thus they get what they deserve over and over again.
This is the sort of guy that gives "hack politician" a bad name.
Odd - most politico's take great pleasure in slapping down arrogant bureaucrats; but this jerk it appears to be his aspiration.
Ha ha! ACR, I thought "hack politician" was a bad name ;-)
But you are too right. This was no town clerk's office slapper who needed a reprimand, it was the chief of police... and Shingleton overstepped his bounds.
McCommas... I wasn't aware that you were defeated by such an inadequate candidate... that's obviously frustrating. But as you say, they get what they deserve.
Dumbledore, this is something that really aggravtes me... it's the Hillary CLinton syndrome... moving to where there is a seat ripe for pcking so you can advance yourself politically. It frustrates me that this doesn't show the voters that the candidate is about themselves, and not the town.
over his head!
Hell, he's lost his head; a Headless Selectman!
>>I thought "hack politician" was a bad name ;-)
To those that haven't thought it out all the way.
In fact it is we (certainly I would qualify as a political hack) that are running every city & town, every state - in fact the whole country!
When compared to the alternative; Cuba, Laos, the former Soviet empire - we hacks are a huge improvement!
That's what's so amazing about the dolt in Cromwell - he doesn't get it at all.
Instead of slapping down arrogant town hall idiots (I don't know Cromwell - but most town halls have more than their quota of lazy insolent jerks) he chooses to become one.
Why bother to run for election at all?
One can become an arrogant useless piece of crap without ever going to that much trouble.
Don't believe it?
Go meet Southington's Town Manager.
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