By Lola Shires
Alliance
This is an open letter to the Alliance Times-Herald and Alliance City Council. This town had an atomic bomb dropped on us by the announcement of our new City Police Chief David Leavitt of Nashville, Tenn.
There had been nine applications received by the City, among them was Interim Chief Alliance Chief Kirk Felker, since Sept. 2023, who has 26 years of service.
The applications were reviewed by very high authority groups, about which doesn’t mean much if you can’t understand them in our home town. It comes down to this after pages of David Leavitt’s activities while on duty and off in Tennessee, after misconduct, demotion, leave of absences.
The contract has been signed. Our Motto “Equality Before the Law” supersedes all these professionals, advisers because an officer follows the “Thin Blue Line” for guidance. Lt. Felker has done this for 26 years, was at the Thiele Standoff years ago and was shot in the line of duty. And being appointed Interim five months ago has more than qualified him to be Alliance Chief of Police. The other officers will follow and take his orders because they are homegrown, know this city, streets, people.
We were not allowed to speak at Tuesday’s City Council meeting and were told we would have to fill out a form from the city to speak to the council by Feb. 28, 2024, at the next council meeting March 5, 2024. Stand up Alliance, let your voice be heard in opposition to this. Break the contract. Find a legal loophole somewhere so we can have Lt. Kirk Felker as Alliance Chief of Police.
Respectfully submitted,
Lola Shires