A day after Mayor Joe Ganim received the names of three finalists to serve as chief of police, the Bridgeport Guardians advocacy organization on behalf of Black police officers is backing Captain Lonnie Blackwell, its current vice president who also has served as president. Guardians leadership has been critical of Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia who they assert disciplines black officers disproportionately.
News release:
The Bridgeport Guardians Incorporated are looking forward to having the most qualified chief appointed with advanced education, command level experience, community service and commitment, and police leadership training.
The organization fully supports Captain Lonnie Blackwell because he has attended several police leadership training schools with the FBI and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). He has served as the first Black commander of special services and the Bridgeport Police Regional Training Academy.
Currently, Captain Blackwell is a doctoral candidate who is pursuing his doctorate degree in criminal justice at Northern Central University. He has also served as a professor and mentor at Housatonic Community College, while recruiting several of his students who are currently Bridgeport police officers.
As the former commander of the community service division, Captain Lonnie Blackwell has implemented and spearheaded the first food pantry within the Bridgeport Police Department.
It is for these reasons, we are confident that with his educational background, strong leadership and his ability to lead the Bridgeport Police Department that Captain Lonnie Blackwell will be the best qualified candidate who will be committed to bridging the divide between the community and police, while serving the residents within the City of Bridgeport through 21st century policing.
Of course the Guardians are backing Blackwell, he’s their President. There would be hell to pay if they didn’t. They site all the training courses and panels he has sat on. Well here’s another fun fact about Lonnie. Being that he was such good friends with then Chief Bryan (Gary Coleman) Norwood and barely a Sergeant in grade (less than 6 months) he was afforded the opportunity to sit on promotional panels and attend training all over the country that was not afforded to senior sergeants. One fairy godmother revealed. But I sure would like to know who the fairy godmother was that was able to have all his arrests in Stratford Ct prior to becoming a police officer nolled? That like how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop the world will never know. Only in Bridgeport
“Guardians leadership has been critical of Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia who they assert disciplines black officers disproportionately.”
It’s easy to make claims and allegation in hope that they stick. Where’s the evidence or specific examples to prove or point out the above accusation?
If true and the documents are public information, then put it out there. Every complaint, matter or matter handled by the police commission is different and of different levels of severity and as such every disciplinary decision are of different levels of severity. Where’s the proof to conclude with such an accusation?
Speedy, you think? 🙂
But what you call critical of asserted accusation of discipline/treatment of black officers disproportionally from Latinos by a Latino (brown) Chief is the “Brown” race card/privilege. If
that asserted accusation of disciplinary actions was charged at a (white) Chief it would be viewed as racism/racist actions against black officers by a (white) chief, No? 🙂
An example of the black race card/privilege can be said of Jose’s charge against Blackwell. But a more current black card/privilege example, regarding the current president of the black organization within the department, the Guardians, is an officer getting into a minor fender bender and beating the shit out of the occupant of the other vehicle sending him to the hospital. Who was not protested against, nor fired or lost ofs position within the organization that put forth support for the Chief position which the “best-qualified candidate that will be committed to bridging the divide between the community and police while serving the residents within the City of Bridgeport” 🤣
Everybody has a race, has a card, and then some. 😂
P.S, It shouldn’t be confused between favoritism and racism, and let’s not forget about the blue card/privilege in this “Soap Ora on Steroids” called BPD 👮
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2X-qQ-uMW8
Peace out people, and play nice at the Police Union picnic. I have bigger tunas and Lions to fry. Apparently their thing between them. I’m out of here. 🤣 🐟🙏🦁
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzFMmb86FvY
No shit!!! …….Wow!!! The Guardians back Blackwell?
I guess he must have the best qualifications! That’s all they would care about right? I mean, right?
No shit. …….Good luck.
Cheers!!!!
Well, Rich, that’s expected, nothing wrong with that.
It’s ironic though thta the black organization, Guardians, within the BPD fights against racial inequality/racism (White Supremacy), and the president of the organization at the time (I believe) was implicated in the dissemination of a racism letter that implied racist white officers within the department were targeting the black and Brown officers of racism.
Yet it was revealed it was a Black officer who was found to have written the letter to conjure racism within the department and community of white racism, who claimed he was ordered by teh black organization, the Guardians, within the department to write. SMH
This is the same officer caught on video stomping an arrested, handcuffed suspect, who was lying flat out on the ground, along with a white, and Latino Port officer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NH9_wG4c2I
Where does this CAPTAIN Blackwell fall on bridging the divide between the community and police, while serving the residents within the City of Bridgeport through 21st-century policing? More importantly, where does this shit fall in the cast of Port’s “Soap Opera on Steroids” Called the BPD?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgOqJLRpYI8
Of course they would want Blackwell, right now out of the alleged nationwide search that gave us 3 of Bridgeport ‘s own just pick the most qualified.
Lets end this (Latina, female, Black, etc) whatever just give us citizens the most qualified candidate and let this disaster of “Nationwide Chief Searches” come to an END finally.