Thomas Breen Photo
Bob Proto testifying at this week’s hearing on Civilian Review Board nominees.
(Opinion) Retired police officer Robert Proto was recently the target of criticism at a City Hall hearing about whether to confirm nominees (including him) to a new Civilian Review Board. His personal reflections on the experience follow.
The ride from my Morris Cove home to city hall was one of the most anxious of my life. I realized, to an extent, what I faced and what I was up against.
When I arrived at City Hall at about 5:40 pm, a press conference was being held by members of the CRB Advocacy Group, denouncing both the process to select the candidates for this board and to denounce my candidacy entirely.
Being a recently retired police officer, I completely understood the concerns of this group after the many years in their fight to bring this board to fruition. The feeling among them of “one step forward, two steps back” was evident and undoubtedly permeated the evening. I listened intently as each of the members of this stepped to the mic, each gravely concerned that my presence on this board would represent just what they have been fighting against.
I was demonized for what seemed like hours. The hate filling the chambers honestly made me sad. Not so much that it was directed towards me, but the fact that it existed at all.
I would like to say to the members of this group, if you have had the unfortunate occasion of being victimized by the police, I apologize. It shouldn’t have happened and should never happen, bottom line.
I know most of you won’t believe this, but I truly hope the process is settled with a disposition of mutual agreement so the real work, what this board was meant for, can begin.
I’m trying to be careful with my words because it seems no matter what I say, some condescending meaning is derived from it. If you are dissatisfied with mine or any of these nominations, all I can say is continue your fight, I understand your frustrations.
What I don’t understand is: Why the hate? Certain members of your group stared me down throughout the evening like they wanted to engage me in a fistfight. Other members of your group stepped up to the mic and told nothing but troubling lies about me. I do not know Norm Clement and if his claims of he or his roommate being assaulted by police and “handcuffed to a refrigerator” are true, it is troubling to say the least and extremely unfortunate, but I can assure you I had nothing to do with that. How can he refer me as the “most brutal cop” as he did, especially in a very public forum?
What’s more is I could not recall being involved in any civil proceeding with Billy White. So I did some research, as I’ve been through many doors during my long career, and did locate a suit from 2002. In recalling what I could from this particular case, it involved suspected drug trafficking, and probable cause was established for the issuance of a search warrant for the suspects residence. I do not recall what the plaintiff’s claim was or what the disposition of the criminal case was, as it was 17 years ago, but the issuance of a search warrant is usually indicative that police acted in “good faith.”
What I’m also saying is if you know anything about police lawsuits, they are usually all-encompassing, meaning you can be at an incident with 20 other cops and be included in a suit for just standing there with your hands in your pockets. That’s how some of the lawyers operate, the more people named, the more money they get. Not to mention that the defending municipality often chooses to just “settle” due to the mere fact that it’s less costly than going to trial, and that a “settlement” is not an admission of wrongdoing.
In fact, the limited documentation still available from this case has entries that indicate both, and I quote directly from them, “Dismissed without cost and without prejudice” as well as indicating there was indeed some sort of monetary settlement reached, in addition to “0” settlement reached. Convoluted, to say the least.
That aside, say you think I can’t be unbiased, that’s fine. But please don’t lie, don’t provoke, don’t hate. Isn’t this the type of behavior we are all advocating against? Provocation, false accusation, hate? That’s what I believed. It completely diminishes the cause.
I have had nothing bad to say about Mr. Jewu Richardson or anyone else involved in this process regardless of their past. The word perception has been used frequently throughout this process, and I can’t help but to say that such behavior inevitably creates the perception that the desire is to establish a board that is anti-police, which would result in a dramatic loss of credibility.
I have reached out to Aaron Jafferis and invited him to a sit down to discuss my potential seat on this board. Unfortunately he was out of town at the time, but we have since committed to make that sit down happen.
As far as my becoming a member of this board, maybe he can convince me otherwise, maybe he can’t, maybe after a conversation I can convince him I am not a threat or liability to the true cause, maybe I can’t. But the point is, there will be dialogue, open-mindedness and most importantly, there will not be hate.
Emma Jones was a class act.
I would like to finalize with NHI reporting that de-escalation was some revelation I discovered “late in my career.” This is incorrect. While the principles of the PERF report greatly enhanced and enlightened my knowledge on the subject, it’s something I have believed in my entire career. The use of force only garners more public resentment against police and results in both civilian and officer injury, or worse. Why would we not make every attempt to try and avoid this?
The evening was peppered with the phrases “changed his life” and “turned his life around” when referring to peoples troubled pasts. If you have ever had negative contact with a police officer try and remember this, sometimes cops change too.