Why Roderick Porter Is Logical Choice For Police Chief

During public meetings streamed on social media to vet three finalists for chief of police one thing came across like the reality of a rap sheet: the arrested dislike Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia and Captain Lonnie Blackwell harbor for each other.

All the stuff police insiders heard and talked about played out during those intriguing forums, the first of their kind for police finalists to put themselves out there, somewhat nakedly, to share their management vision of the future.

Blackwell talked about the haves and have nots–the fraternal organization he represents, The Bridgeport Guardians, persistent critics of Garcia for allegedly meting out disproportionate punishment to Black officers.

Garcia referred to commanders who tried to undercut her authority by urging subordinates to leave the city police for the greener pastures of the suburbs.

Retired Captain Roderick Porter was far more nuanced and selective in contrasting the present with his prospective future plans.

He was like the character who emerged from the cloud of dust with the other two still grappling.

The latest national search for a new chief proved one thing: internal candidates enjoy a decided advantage to top-list because they know the territory.

Porter finished among the top three in 2018 and again in 2022.

Mayor Joe Ganim permitted Garcia more than two years to display her leadership skills after Armando Perez resigned following federal arrest for rigging the 2018 top cop test. She brings decades of experience that Ganim values in the course of duty. Crime stats are also down.

He also recognizes Blackwell’s community strengths.

Ganim’s dilemma? He knows what he has with Garcia in charge. That means a rift between the chief and Black officers is not a good thing. She’s also not front and center during public controversies that end up in the mayor’s lap. She did show, however, in this public search process an ability to be much more visible raising her community profile in recent weeks.

When you talk to people who know Blackwell most say he’s likable, community engaged, yet for some there’s a but associated with it.

Does he keep score to the point, if appointed chief, he drives Garcia out of the department?

Ganim does not want that, for professional, political and practical reasons. He sees the value in both with concerns about their inter-personal fencing.

That leaves Porter.

What’s the dynamic if he’s in charge? He seems to check more boxes that fit the appointment including ameliorating the Garcia-Blackwell split. He comes across circumspect, understated without an agenda to get mad or even.

If you prefer an outsider to take over the department, Porter’s the best fit having retired earlier this year that provides a perspective from a distance.

But Porter filed a federal racial discrimination case against the city, recently dropped, doesn’t that matter?

Not to Ganim.

He wants peace within the department without a piece of controversy heading into an election year. Mayors don’t want police crap in their laps.

What’s Ganim gonna do?

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17 comments

  1. Well, there’s no doubt about it. Porter would be a choice before Blackwell, based on the external and internal police politics, of Blackness.

    Porter would be a logical choice to stem off any racial political pushback in Ganim’s upcoming election, being black. But as long as Ganim is white, it will be there in the next election cycle. One way or another. 🙂

    The question remains, what is the fallout for Ganim if he drops Garcia in the Latino vote? And If any, by whom. Where does Garia fit in the Department? Most like retire 32 years is a lot.

    As for peace within the department. well, Porter’s take on delving into the financial aspect of the 100 million dollar budget, expect some feather ruffled. 🙂

    If Porter is chosen it will give G2 cover on the outside of the political side, Porter being black, But it is not like the Guardians had overtly praised him, or the Hispanic Society for Garcia. At least that’s the way it comes off to me.

    Guardians’ play will be even marginalized with a black person as Cheif Garcia, Latino. Besides the president of the Guardians was elevated to Detective, Blackwell’s a captian. If Porter is chosen and picks a Latino to be his assistant chief it might please everyone one the political suffice for Ganim. But internally I don’t think any of them called it. 🙂

    TWT,

    P.S it’s not like any internal police department has been calling it. 🙂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPKheDNXaY

    I wonder if G2 will get the police union endorsement this election cycle. 🙂

    https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Ganim-gets-police-union-s-official-support-6363920.php

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  2. Well well well.
    On September 11, 2020 I wrote on OIB:
    “it should have been Porter in the first place”.
    That was on the news that A.J. had resigned after other separate blog comments I made about all the crooks behind his appointment.
    Cheers!

    2+
    1. Well, Rich, G2 did replace a white person for a brown, and Garcia is not AJ.

      On the racial political level that should have been sufficient for G2, in the fight against “white supremacy.” But here we are a Latino woman who is not good enough and racist, I mean unfair treatment. 🙂

      With close to 50% of the population being Hispanic is not something passively dismissive.
      Much more than local Port politics might be at play than just Garia’s unfair discipline treatment of white and black officers, considering (I believe) the newly leveled detective and Guardian president, was standing behind a Republican endorsement of Bob Stefanowski for governor what was seemingly over the police ACCOUNTABLE act, enacted by the Ds

      I know the NACCP attached their name and organization to the Guardian’s claims of unfair discipline and treatment and wants her out. But are they going to attach their name and organization to the president of the Guardian’s endorsement of Bob Stefanowski for governor over it?

      At any rate, it is not like Porter is clean of any shady shit, Ben Alverez points that out, though he is now in support of him

      But let’s be fair, everybody is playing their political cards when it comes to politics.

      However, when the clergy gets to bust out you have to ask are soul lost over it. Who knows? Time will tell.

      But rest assured every cop is/was into something, even you. JS
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemLpNETIsw

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      1. RT,
        Read the comment by Davon Polite, Guardian leader. First he said that they are not a political organization, so he would have no comment on the governor’s race this year from an organizational viewpoint. Then he mad a personal comment indicating an overall satisfaction with Lamont’s term as Governor that has him supporting Ned in this run.
        Look for your comment after a re-read in article next door. Time will tell.

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        1. Ok, John, 🙂

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3ayHAciI-E

          But when Polite was standing behind Bob Stefanowski for what was a political endorsement, was that personal, organizational support of Stefanowski? In what was seemingly an endorsement against the Accountability Act placed on the officer/policing?

          If it was personal then he has a funny way of supporting Lamont by standing behind Bob during an endorsement. If was organizational be it the police union endorsement, he is the president of the Guardians who represent them, by extension his presents is in support of the police union endorsement of Bob and the Accountablity Act

          For someone who always asks for accountability, you really doesn’t seek it. If you did you would hold Polite/Guardian/ (by extension NAACP if you want to by means of criticism on Garcia.) for his present to stand by Bob’s endorsement that was seemingly against the Accountability act.

          Honestly, I find some aspects of the accountability act misguided. It’s not just reading or re-reading. it reading between the lies, I mean lines.

          To be fair this is politics. That tents to see on evil hear no evil. JS

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPKheDNXaY

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    2. You are one true racist weasel, Benjamin Alverez. You are worst than Maria Pereira. You’re a washed out ex-cop. You are ten times worst than Pereira and AJ combined. I don’t know how Lennie Grimaldi could have missed that you are the alter ego known as Benjamin Alverez. You and your source (Lonnie Blackwell) of much of the internal Bridgeport Police Department information should be fully investigated. There are federal laws that prohibits all Police Department Personnel and civilians such as myself from revealing confidential information. There’s also insubordination. Lennie, pick up you cell phone. Stay tuned, Bendover. FEARS!

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      1. Lennie Grimaldi, notice how on this and the following Benjamin Alverez posts ends with “Cheers”.

        Benjamin Alverez says:
        October 27, 2022 at 3:59 pm
        After receiving a phone call, it appears that Garcia may be the author behind this letter to JG2. Sad that you don’t have the confidence in your “accomplishments and skills” to land the five year contract to be the next top cop. Many retirees have told me that they haven’t heard a word from the Hispanic society publicly in over a decade, and now this is written up. It seems that Garcia is becoming desperate. Time to move on, Rebeca you’ve done enough damage to the department.

        https://youtu.be/deFDXYdF2g4

        This is what the men and women working under you want to say to you besides the select few you have taken care of.

        CHEERSSSSSSS!!!

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          1. He still doesn’t get it Lennie. Maybe I should explain it to him and one eye in Spanish. But, why waste my time? Bendover can’t even spell Alvarez and one eye, well you know! Key word here is “proprietary”. But, here we have Benjamin Alverez using your proprietary OIB “Cheers” of approval, multiple times and we must believe you’re not one of the same? Even if you used JML’s proprietary OIB “Time will tell”, you clowns still wouldn’t fool me at least. JML has class.

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  3. Slow down there Speedy. 🙂

    I thought Alverez was Blackwell. 🙂 Are you insinuating he is Rich. 🙂

    Am I still as stupid?

    John does this comment by Joel raises an interesting point one worthy of a follow-up by Lennie?

    BTW All Saints Day might be another modern-day Roman/Catholic incorporation of other people’s holiday celebration called the Day of the Dead, who the conquered/or incomporated. kinda like the Saturnalia

    festival/Christmas. JS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wmp0HPCOxk

    For shits and giggles. Happy Saturnalia Day 🙂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr6gORZbOp8

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    1. Birds of a feather, fly together. You’re not stupid. You’re still a one-eyed prick. A stupid person understands that it makes no difference if Lonnie is the poster and Rich is the one providing the information. There’s a good chance that others are involved. The one eye is not sufficient for you to see that the activities that led to AJ’s fall took place behind closed doors among cops. The same way Perez and Dunn lied about their activities, Rich and his clansmen will lie and deny. So, don’t make me give you a black-eye.

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