Gig Harbor police officer called 'a coward' by her co-workers

In Castle Rock vs Gonzales, the Supreme Court ruled ruled that the police have no official duty to protect the victims of crime.  This was re-affirmed in 1989 with their ruling in DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services.  It echoes rulings in Warren vs District of Columbia 1981 and Riss v. City of New York 1968.  There are others as well but that will do for now.  Technically speaking, cops don't have to do a damn thing for anyone. 

 

Point is, you'd better be ready to help yourself or someone else.

 

Coward?  Yea I got nothing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She recieved a "shots fired" call that involved another officer and didn't begin to respond for ten minutes. That wasn't a "mistake". She is a coward and she should never work in a field where other peoples lives are at stake.

The Key Peninsula area ( un-incorporated Pierce County ) is not part of the city of Gig Harbor. There are two PCSO deputies assigned per shift to the entire peninsula from the bridge to county line and GHPO provides mutual aid response only. I was there that day and PCSO was first to respond followed by GHPO and FD. The undermanned areas of Key Peninsula for both fire and PCSO should be the real discussion here. If she was trained to secure the city first before responding for a mutual aid calls, why is there an issue? Sounds like GHPO needs to review their protocols and then assign blame to the officer or themselves.

Enough already, even Clinton didn't have to go through so much.  People make mistakes and as the old saying goes ' People who live in glass shells should not cast stones.

Seems to me if she was on another call, and trying to make sure that the area was covered before she left the area that she did not "fail" to respond in a timely fashion.  It probably took her a few minutes to wrap up the call she was on and then get coverage for Gig Harbor area before jetting off to the peninsula.  Without knowing all the details one cannot correctly surmise what she was actually doing during those 10 minutes before she was able to get in her car and go.  I doubt she was just sitting with her cup of tea thinking she'll get to it in a sec..

OUT!

Get over it already.  If she wants to quit let her but for the sake of all let it be her decision and for herself not for any other reasons.

Gig harbor has 'always' had slow response.......even when it was just the guys!  I believe they do, as any police station,  have to have 'someone stay in the station office at all times'.  I also think these guys are setting rules impossible for anyone to perform to set 'her' up to fail.  Its the 'man' code! (I worked as a Union Coordinator at Handford and know first hand what they do to get women OUT). They themselves know what 'flack' they have caught from Gig Harbor citizens about their extremely slow responses. So they know where to point the finger pretty easily.   I was told one time by an officer in Gig Harbor that it was because there is only 'ONE' officer on duty and the area to cover is too large.  The City of Gig Harbor needs to send a survey request to the citizens of Gig Harbor and see just where the complaints land. On the other hand,  there are a lot of really bad people who moved out to the peninsula....our officers shouldn't have to put themselves in harms way.  Gig Harbor officers should 'always' wear bullet proof vests on duty as it is a high risk area.  The Gig Harbor talk is that Tacoma pushed all its low life out to the peninsula then put a toll on the bridge to keep them there!  Gig Harbor could afford to put more officers on duty and spread them around because pulling over speeders and arresting drunk drivers would keep them very busy and bring in a lot of revenue to compensate their salary's. Gig Harbor has too high a number deaths amongst speeding teenagers and adult drunk driving!

Calling someone a coward sounds more like children playing on the playground not an adult police officer.  Reprimand, fire and/or what not, I don't have a problem with any of that but acting like kids is something we don't need.  That alone makes me wonder what else was going on - something else must have transpired beforehand that makes me wonder if this officer is simply caught in the middle.  If it can't be handled with civility than maybe more need to be let go, not just this one officer.

I admit that I know nothing more about this scenario then what this report says...But it seems like the bigger issue is that the police department has been defunded (or has never fully been funded) to a point where there are enough police officers to respond.  If the protocol is that you have to wait until the city is covered, it seems like that means there are not enough police at the ready.

Again, I do not know this situation, nor do I know these counties and their situations. Just an outsider with a little opinion.

If she was at the Home Depot in Gig Harbor, then she was 5 miles (11 minutes) from the Key Peninsula Market in Gig Harbor where the shooting took place.  Would it have made a difference even if she started right away?  - BTW, this is why you need to have your own protection in a rural area - no cops nearby. 

Maybe she had a Digorno in the oven?

Didn't respond for ten minutes?! It may, or may not, have resulted in the same outcome but regardless she should've immediately gone code,especially if it came accross as "person with a gun" call. If all allegations are true she should lose her job or at least her stripes.

KOMO censorship is appalling. Truth should never be admonished, even by Fisher.

Let's see...she waited to leave UNTIL ANOTHER POLICEMAN(WOMAN) could get there. AND it was protocol to make sure the area wasn't left without police.

 

Where's the case against her again?

Komo why do you keep deleting peoples comments .....these are valid opinions..... whether people agree with them or not......

Just give her permanent desk duty where you can watch and see if she does the job. I don't want her coming to my rescue if it is a delayed reaction.

its amazing that anytime you critisize a woman on the job you are labled a sexist, maybe she deserves the critisizm!!!

what does she care about more, the protocol of having someone else "cover the city" or getting your arse over there as fast as you can to ensure the safety of the public. If it were me, I would have left the city without a baby-sitter for 15 mins while I was out there protecting the lives of my city's people

I would not want her to be on call if I were in trouble! 10 minutes to react to a shooting in progress call, is completely irresponsible. The previous protocal of wait til the city is covered! What, that is why citizens more than ever need to be armed, we obviously can not count on the police.

this article really doesn't state why it took her so long to respond. That, would be nice to know.. What was she doing for that period of time? Following the protocols layed out by her LT,... is the only reference.. what are those protocols?

So, she was placed in a no win situation... criticized by not responding, or criticized for not following protocols.. Either way, she would be reprimanded. As a supervisor, she is an example.. protocols are there for a reason, not just to dump at the first opportunity..

 

Let's see:

● She was engaged with a "customer" at the time the call came in about the shooting.

● Apparently her own department's rules required her to ensure that her area of responsibility was properly covered before she ran off to go "ooo...ahh" at a shooting victim - which rules she followed and so protected her own constituents.

● Everyone seems to agree that her presence would not have altered the outcome of the shooting at all.

 

Seems to me the argument here sounds a lot like, "She didn't come running to play cowboys and indians with us when we called, and didn't join us by shooting her six-gun at the runaway stagecoach like us!" Or perhaps more to the point, "She put the welfare of the PUBLIC ahead of the welfare (or perhaps just the entertainment) of US, her fellow Police Officers!!! Bad! Police must protect Police, and screw the public! Rules don't apply!" Probably also a bunch of cops p-o'd that she passed the sergeant's exam and they failed...

Oh, yeah... and she probably wouldn't put out...

Show me the full story Komo... I reserve judgment until the full story is heard and that means both sides!

Policies are "guidelines".  As a supervisor she should be versed in deviating from policies when necessary.  In this case it was necessary.  Law enforcement officers are commissioned by Washington State, therefore they are trained and encouraged to assist neighboring agencies when something like this goes down.  Active shooters are an exception to all the rules, as they will not stop killing until the they are eliminated or they run out of ammunition.  There is absolutely no acceptable reason that the officer should delay, other than if she was currently dealing with a threat that was equal to or greater than that of the shooter.  There are two concerns here.  #1 is the possibility of her being too afraid to respond.  #2 would be her inability to work through the black and white of a policy.  Anyone can read a police manual and follow the "instructions".  If you lack the common sense and the ability to justifiably deviate from policy then you have no business wearing the badge.  

do't know the policies, but do know it's less than 5 miles between the two locations, takes less than 45 sec to say I have to go and give them your contact card. what was the original call she was on?

It is true, we don't know Gig Harbors poilicy & proceedure related to responding to an "Active Shooting" while dispatched on another call. For that reason none of us can pass judgement. However one must note that her fellow officers must surely know them and therefore must have some grounds to back their claim and one must also assume that the officers guild should have looked at these facts before passing a unanimous vote.

Do we know what she was doing when the call came in? Why wasn't that information released?

If she waited 10 minutes before responding to a dispatched call, then she IS a coward, and is a disgrace to every law enforcement officer in this state.

When seconds matter, the police are only minutes away.

 

Carry concealed.  Get trained.  Know the laws.

Why wasn’t she demoted?  This is another strong example why the State of WA needs a Police and Fire Commission that determines proper uniform discipline to ALL police and firefighters within WA, to specifically include Chief’s of Police, and command staff like Sgt. Cox.  The only relevance her gender has is that any male Sgt. would have been demoted period.  She was given preferential treatment for her gender.  Third, her gender  is also irrelevant, because I know from first hand experience that Male Chiefs, Commanders, Lt., Sgt., etc… commit cowardice and a dereliction of duty.  Finally, the headline for this article is purposely incorrect to continue this misleading stereotype that only “officers” engage in misconduct.  She is not an officer, she is a supervisor, a Sgt.  Huge difference in responsibility and obligations to the City of Gig Harbor, the community it serves and the subordinates she is a “role model” for.  Get my point?  And one more point, how long do you think this letter of reprimand will remain in her personnel file.  Actually, it’s gone already.  Most likely she will be promoted within less than a year, that’s if the current mayor is still in office.    

DANGER!!     Reading this thread may cause  your head to explode.

Let's hear her side of the story. Why doesn't KOMO report both sides?

The cops are usually too eager to draw & shoot. Certainly they would call anyone who uses due deliberation a coward. The person who is afraid of the police unions are not cowards, just smart. Cowards are those who shoot first and ask later.