Archive: Opinions

The sheriff is up for re-election Nov. 6.His record has me very concerned. Clearly Ken Lansing is not ‘the best’ law enforcement money can buy. My own experiences with him make me shutter. As a former Corrections Officer, witnessing his instability, sexism and bias towards lesbians combined with his infamous hiring of cops charged with sexual assault keeps me up at night. I challenged his troubling record, a result of his ‘leadership,’ at a public meeting, Lansing refused to my comment. He left the legislature on May 11, 2017 and in doing so did not fulfil his duties to hear grievances.

Press details keep me awake. Four deputies Lansing hired are charged with raping several women. The Williams College Study given to Lansing 3 years ago reveals Indigenous queer women are most at risk of being sexually assaulted by police. They experience rape or sexual assault in 24% of interactions with police according to the study. Officers hired by Lansing seem to validate the study on Harassment and Discrimination towards LGBTQ as accurate. He made no comment when the study was submitted 4 times to elected officials.

Lansing’s hiring style seems nepotistic. He admits hiring a cop from IPD while he was being sued for false arrest and using a patrol car to injured and threaten a lesbian who was awarded but the cop faced no accountability. Lansing later admitted the cop, “another complaint” but refuses to fire him saying he is friend of his son and, “I’m like a father to him.” His message to LGBTQ’s was made worse by Lansing saying, “I have gay friends.” His incompetence doesn’t allow a professional response and he is not the kind of leaders who ‘gets’ how bad his messages are. The entire record of his department makes survivors of rape and lesbians wondering what we are paying for service we can’t depend on.

Lansing’s ‘leadership’ over the jail produced 2 avoidable deaths, several sex crimes, rape of inmates by Corrections Officers and lawsuits by his staff for sex discrimination.
His almost all white, male and heterosexual staff examples deep, unacknowledged biases against women, people of color and LGBTQ who are employees or potential hires.

Lansing made national news for his military operation on a family in Danby whose home was completely destroyed by excessive police force. The father lay dead inside. His sons and widow made homeless and traumatized. Public confidence fell and mistrust and fears of police increased. Police cannot be held liable for damages under current law.

Lansing is not supported by Democratic party and his sign are misleading. His campaign motto is, “I’m seeking re elected to finish what I started.” His remarkable indifference to his own record, rejecting his duties to hear public comment and his lack of compassion makes me happy to vote for a new sheriff on Nov. 6.

Joanne Cipolla-Dennis
Dryden, NY
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