Reaves apparently believes that Steve Britton failed the police department when two of its officers critically injured a member of the public by not demanding that people keep quiet about the incident or file a formal complaint. Generally it is up to people directly affected to file formal complaints leaving the general public to use public forum. Does Reaves plan to deny 1st Amendment rights here in Coquille?

…both candidates say the community needs to mend wounds after a bruising year, especially for the city’s police department.

The department was under a microscope earlier in the year after an arrest by two officers left a man paralyzed. The officers were not brought up on charges, but concern and complaints about the department persisted.

Both Britton and Reaves say the situation could have been handled better, but they differ on how. Reaves contends much of the problem could have been avoided if city leadership had asked for official complaints, rather than let the department be judged on rumor and innuendo.

What most people reacted to was the police department’s handling of the Carl Foster issue. Why weren’t the officers involved put on leave pending investigation? Why wasn’t the safety of the public a priority? Why isn’t training for the department a priority?

Sadly, the city charter precludes the council from acting on employee matters outside the city council meetings. What Reaves really wants is a mayor who defends governance over populace, public concerns be damned.

Please encourage all your friends and neighbors who are not yet registered to vote to do so now. This is going to be one election no one will want to miss.

UPDATE: Dateline SAN DIEGO – In rereading The World article, Reaves is quoted

“I think we need to develop our city as a place people want to come visit and live permanently,”

No one can disagree with the sentiment, nevertheless, I know six productive, employed, young adult males, (the favored target of some of our officers) who have left the area as a direct result of policies put in place by Mike Reaves. Is it Reaves’ hope to turn Coquille into a retirement community?

Britton has stated that Coquille is ‘just being discovered’ by retirees and will make the transition to a service based economy. Personally, I have no desire to raise my girls in that social construct, what future is that for our youth? If Reaves has his way, very little youth will remain to service those old folk, anyway, despite our new police chief. Vote people! Vote!