Ethical Dilemmas Ch. 03

"I don't know if I can speak to specifics," said Lisa, carefully working around Hudson's poorly-asked question, "but in general, Conservatives are being blacklisted by Media outlets, including may Fox affiliates. You and I are rat poison to the increasingly hostile Left that controls the six major Communications companies in America today."

"And there are only six of these," said Hudson, "as they continue to merge, with no anti-trust opposition from the U.S. Government."

"Exactly, Reed." said Lisa. "Fewer and fewer people are controlling what the People are allowed to hear and read in our television and print media. And they're working tirelessly to bring Internet news under control, as well. Though social media outlets are working hand-in-glove with the Left, the Powers-That-Be will not rest, they will not stop, until they totally control all news media, and are able to tell the People exactly what to think without hindrance nor opposition."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Come on in." Captain Tanya Perlman said to Detective Ted Parker, who'd just knocked on her door after being summoned. "Have a seat."

"Thank you, ma'am." said Parker respectfully as he took his seat in front of Perlman's desk. "You asked me to come in?"

"Yes." said Tanya. "I'm having conversations with all of the Detectives over time, and today is your turn. How are things going?"

"Er, okay, ma'am." said Parker.

Tanya made a point to take her badge off her blue Uniform shirt and put it on her desk. "Put your badge on the desk, and let's speak frankly, Teddy." she said. "I need to know what's going on."

Knowing that he was working in a Police Force where very little gets by the top leadership, Parker did not even try to pretend to not understand. He began talking. When he was finished, Tanya said "We need to go talk to Commander Ross. Right away."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"And welcome back from the exercises in pure money-making capitalism, also known as commercials." said Reed Hudson. "We're talking with Lisa Fillmore, Conservative political analyst who was wrongfully terminated from the 'Point Taken' program."

"Lisa..." said Reed, "we know that Governor Val Jared has been relentlessly attacked, called a racist and everything else, just for enforcing immigration law."

"That's right, Reed." Lisa said. "Both the Republican and Democrat Establishments are pro-illegal-immigration; the Republicans, who take millions in campaign funding from big businesses and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that want the cheap labor; and Democrats, who need the illegal persons to do the job that Americans won't do... vote Democrat!"

Reed laughed at the accurate joke, then said "Part of my question is this: Governor Jared is a politician. Of course his enemies will attack him, though Press coverage of him that is 97% negative is over the top. But Police Commander Donald Troy... he's doing his job, and has been doing his job, and very well. Why the hatred of him? Why the racist attacks on his family? Why the attempt to bribe State Bar members to suspend Commander Troy's lawyer's license to practice? Why try to strip his wife of her medical license, when she is an excellent gynecologist serving many women at the University and in our State. What is the reason for the hatred of him, especially by a rabidly over-the-top Press?"

"Reed," said Lisa, "hate comes from fear. So my only guess is that they are scared to death of Commander Troy. Look at how many leaders of the Establishment, both in business and in Government, he has arrested for crimes going all the way up to first degree murder. And the thanks he gets from the Establishment-controlled Mainstream Media are racist attacks on one daughter, and the attempt to murder his other daughter."

"Good grief, are there no ethics left in the Mainstream Media?" said Reed. "At all?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I am getting sick and god-damn tired of hearing about the attempt to murder Don Troy's daughter." said Bettina Wurtzburg as she met with Editor-In-Chief Burt West and other reporters.

"Hardwood really fucked things up, for all of us." said West. "Troy and his sycophants have been hammering us with that."

"I have an idea." said Amber Harris, who was sick and god-damn tired of the ankle monitor she was being forced to wear. "Let's start chanting it up about TCPD Detective Angela Harlan murdering a journalist... which she did."

"She also murdered a Police Officer, almost murdered another one, tried to frame the daughter of a Town Council Member for murder, and more." replied West. "If she'd just killed Dawdle, we'd have something. But the People remember... and they know that Westboro was behind Harlan's murders, too."

"So what?" said Nick Eastwood. "We're not obligated to discuss the rest of it. With this ongoing NCAA investigation, we can bring the Dawdle murder up... and bring it up again and again and again."

"That'll fire up the Iron Crowbar." Bettina said, almost bitterly. "Officer Pete Feeley's murder is a sore spot with him, not to mention Captain Tanya Perlman. Keep bringing up Angela Harlan, who murdered Feeley, and there's no telling what he might do."

"Good!" said Amber Harris happily. "All the more reason to bring it up again and again, to cause Don Troy pain."

"Amber, you're beginning to sound like John Hardwood." Burt West said severely, stunning the room into silence. "Look, folks: The Court case is going to go our way. We are going to defeat Donald Troy, and then we'll show him who has the true power: us. But don't start going nuts, like Hardwood did. At best, you might end up in prison like Brian Jennings. At worst?..." He let the sentence hang.

"Mr. West," said Lester 'Penis' Holder, "I disagree with you, and agree with Amber. We are not the bad guys, but Troy is pasting us as the bad guys with Hardwood. We have to fight back. I say we remind the citizens of what a Police Officer did to a reporter: she murdered him. And in doing so, we can imply... not say it directly, but imply... that Commander Troy is as insane as Harlan was, and that he could pop off and murder one of us, too."

"Good God, people!" Burt West exclaimed, horrified by what he was hearing. "Do you realize what you're suggesting?"

"Yes, Mr. West." said Amber Harris coldly. "We are saying we should do whatever it takes to destroy Don Troy."

"Exactly." said Holder. "Whatever it takes to get that son of a bitch."

"Everyone," said Bettina before Burt West could speak, "let me have a moment alone with Mr. West, please..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Captain Perlman drove into Commander Ross's office, followed by Detective Parker. Ross had Parker sit down next to Tanya, who'd parked her wheelchair in front of the desk.

"You said it's urgent." Cindy said. "What is it?" Tanya indicted for Teddy Parker to answer.

"Ma'am," said Parker. "You know I was dating Janice Holloway, and we broke up after Della Harlow told her I was a racist."

"Yes, I remember." said Cindy, now understanding the vibe she'd been getting.

"I've left her alone completely, like Commander Troy suggested." said Teddy. "But the last few weeks, all summer really, she's been trying to talk to me in the hallway, even suggesting we have lunch. I've been professional, I've been polite, and I've broken off the conversations as quickly as I could. But I'm worried that she's trying to set me up for a sexual harassment charge."

"Except for that," said Cindy, "are you happy working for the TCPD?"

Parker was a good enough Detective to know that the Deputy Chief must know that he'd been looking for other jobs. "I love it here, ma'am. There's nothing better than working for the Iron Crowbar and Captain Perlman, and learning from them. Jerome's a good partner, and all the guys in MCD are great.

Parker continued: "But you know how the man is always the one to get screwed in a sexual harassment charge, and guilty until proved innocent. So I've thought I need to find another job before something happens."

"Not this time." said Cindy. "We're going to get a formal statement from you, and then write her up. If she subsequently makes a false accusation, we'll be ready."

"Good idea." said Tanya.

"Do I need to go to H.R.?" asked Parker.

"Teddy, I am H.R." replied Commander Ross. "And I'm going to take care of this one personally." She took some papers out of her drawer, had Teddy write down all the contacts and his lack of comfort at them, and had him sign it. Then she dismissed him.

"Okay, I'll call in Holloway." Cindy said. "I think the Captain of Operations, or even the Chief, should be my witness."

Tanya's eyes were sparkling, and her cheeks were rosy with perkiness. "You've been expecting something like this for a while, haven't you?"

"How did you know?" Cindy said with a thin smile.

"I'm not the Iron Crowbar, but I'm a pretty good Detective." said Tanya. "And you actually having those forms in your drawer was my first clue."

Cindy nodded. "Good catch. And yes, you're right. Don's been expecting something like this, also...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"You saved them." said Burt West. "I was about to fire them, Amber and Lester both."

"I know." said Bettina. "And if you had fired them, you'd have a strike on your hands and calls to fire you, and lawsuits by them as well. Our guys are as passionately on their side as the Police are on Commander Troy's side."

"And you're okay with what they just said?" West asked.

"No." said Bettina. "But that's how bad this has gotten. Amber and Holder want revenge. I'm sure Brian Jennings will be thinking revenge on Troy every day he sits in a prison cell. And the rest of us in the Press, including me, are sick and tired of being called liars, being called corrupt, being called 'fake news', being called 'the enemy', and having what Hardwood did shoved into our faces as if we were the criminals."

"I agree, but we've got to de-escalate this." said West. "You've had good relations with the Police in the past, Bettina. How do we cool this down?"

"I don't know, Burt." said Bettina. "What I do know, is that for the sake of the Press and our Press rights, it's more important for us to win, to defeat what Don Troy is trying to do to us. Amber was over the top in the way she said it, but she and Lester are right that we have to win, and Troy has to lose..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Ma'am? You wanted to see me?" asked Lt.(B) Janice Holloway as she sauntered into Commander Ross's office. Captain Teresa Croyle was sitting in the stiff-backed chair that Commander Troy usually used. And 'Teresa Cunt' showed up.

"Lieutenant!" she all but shouted. "You've been formally summoned by the Deputy Chief! Report to her and come to the position of attention until she tells you otherwise!"

Janice Holloway's eyes widened in shock, and fright. She came to attention and said "Lieutenant Holloway reporting as ordered, ma'am."

Cindy had not looked up, and continued to look at her papers as she said "Be seated." Janice sat down. Cindy finally looked up at her. "The reason I have called you in, is to address a very serious situation that has come up. Captain Croyle is the formal witness to this; is she acceptable, or would you prefer another Captain... or the Chief?"

"She's fine, ma'am." said Holloway. "What is this about?"

"It's not your place or time to ask the questions." said Captain Croyle. "If you haven't figured this out, Lieutenant, this is a formal proceeding."

"Yes ma'am." said Holloway, now totally rattled.

"Do you want a Union rep?" asked Deputy Chief Ross.

"Do I need one?" asked Holloway, a bit of anger creeping into her voice.

"I don't know." said Cindy. "What this is about, is this: some months ago you ended your relationship with Detective Parker, and accusations of racism were directed at him... accusations which were and are false, and which offended me greatly. It has come to our attention that more recently you have been attempting to engage Detective Parker in conversations that are not official Police business."

"I said hello to him, what's wrong with that?" said Holloway.

"Considering the nature of the incidents before, and the fact that Della Harlow was involved," Cindy said, "Detective Parker has formally complained about these contacts. He is uncomfortable with them, to put it mildly, and I agree with his reasons."

"What this is," she continued, opening a folder and putting it on the desk where Janice could see it, "is a formal, written instruction that you are not to have further contact with Detective Parker at this Headquarters unless it is official Police business. Unofficial conversation is not wanted, and could be construed as an attempt to entrap Detective Parker with the intent to file a false sexual harassment complaint against him. If you persist, then this instruction will become a formal sexual harassment charge... against you. Do you understand?"

"I didn't sexually harass him!" said Janice. "I said hello to him. After what had happened before, I was just trying to be nice."

"Did you ask him to lunch?" Cindy asked, her ice-blue eyes boring hard into Holloway's brown eyes.

"I... I..." stammered Holloway, who then got smart and said "I think I want that Union rep now."

Part 16 - Hierarchies

While all this was going on, I was dealing with the bane of my job: paperwork. I finished all the SBI paperwork involving the Lance/Boynton case, including getting the State to reimburse the TCPD for helicopter fuel, which I expected would make the Chief a bit happier.

I read the Precinct Captains's reports, which Teresa had forwarded to me as she always did. Lt. Abram was doing a good job at 2nd Precinct, and the equipment was in much better shape then it had been. PCpt. Carswell had sent evaluations of the Officers of 1st Precinct, which mostly matched Teresa's evaluations and my observations...

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

It was my landline phone, and the direct line to the Chief. "Yes, Chief?" I said upon answering.

"Let's have lunch, Mr. Crowbar." said the Chief. "You, me, and the Deputy Chief. My treat."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"So that's what I did." said Cindy as we waited for our food at the Applebee's near the Mall. "Holloway is now consulting with the Union, though my action wasn't a disciplinary one."

"I think you did corrr-rect-lyyyy" said the Chief. "What do you think, Mr. Crowbarrr?"

"Totally agree." I said. "It's not the first time I've heard a story where a girl wanted a guy she'd been dating to woo her again... then she goes and files a sexual harassment claim."

"I'm not sure that was really happening." said Cindy. "But I had to act to protect Parker, especially after what all happened with Harlow."

Our food came, and we spent the next few minutes mostly eating. Then the conversation started up again as the Chief said "There are a couple of things I wanted to discuss with you both. First is the Press. I got a verrry interesting call from Burt West of KXTC. He wants to have another meeting with me, to try to work out the situation."

"Did you accept?" asked Cindy.

"Not yet." said the Chief. "When I asked him what was the point, since their lawsuit against us was in Court, he said he was hoping to find a way to resolve the issues so that the lawsuit could be dropped."

"Is he speaking for all the Media outlets that joined the lawsuit?" I asked, biting sarcasm in my voice, "Or just for himself?"

"I didn't quite get an answer on that." said the Chief. He became surprised as the next few moments were filled with gloomy silence.

"Don't answer all at once." the Chief said.

"I have nothing to say, Chief." I said. "You know how I feel about it. No matter what, I won't speak to them, at least not until they fire Lester Holder, and admit on the air that their attacks on my wife and daughter were wrong and politically motivated."

"I understand." said the Chief. "What about you, Commander Ross?"

"As you know, sir," Cindy said, "I'd love to find a way to ratchet down the rancor. I guess talking to West can't hurt. Or can it?" It is possible that she was glancing over at me as she said it. I did not meet her glance, choosing instead to eat a few bites of my lunch.

"I guess we'll find out." said Moynahan. "So... the second thing I want to discuss... and the reason I'm buying lunch is to mitigate the pain it's going to cause... is this: I have been considering this for some time, and I think it is best going forward that you Commanders stay out of the MCD morning coffee klatch."

"Whaa?" Cindy gasped. "Sir?" She glanced over at me, and saw that I was saying nothing, just looking at the Chief and listening.

"I'm sure you understand, Commander Troy," explained the Chief, "that in the military there is a separation between Officers and Enlisted, and a separation of Field Grade and Flag Grade Officers from Company Grade Officers, and so on."

"Yes sir, to a point that's true." I replied.

"I've been ob-serrrr-ving the interactions of everyone during those morning klatches." said the Chief. "While I appreciate camaraderie and the sharing of information, I have been thinking that there is a bit too much... how shall I say it... 'familiarity' amongst the various levels of leadership in the Police Force. So, if you want to watch the news with me in the morning, I'll gladly host a smaller coffee klatch amongst us Captains and above, but we need to let the Detectives have their mornings to themsellllvvvves..."

Cindy was looking straight at me. I just calmly said "Yes sir, Chief. Three bags full."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Man... that's going to be... hard." Cindy said as she sat in my office with me after we got back from lunch. "I'm shocked... why didn't you say something, Don?"

"The Chief gave us a lawful order." I said. "I understand where he's coming from, and though I don't like it, we'll do what he says."

"I guess my question is: why is he doing it?" Cindy asked, clearly still stunned.

"It's Friday." I said. "We'll have a beer at my house tonight, with Teresa and Tanya, as well. And I'll give what I think is my answer at that time."

Part 17 - Negotiations

3:00pm, Friday, August 31st. Burt West and Bettina Wurtzburg sat in the Main Conference Room at Police Headquarters, to the Chief's left. He was at the near end of the table to the door, and to his right, their backs to the door, were Commander Ross and Captain Damien Thompson.

"Okayyyyy," said the Chief after giving everyone a bottled water, "what did you wish to discuss, Mr. West?"

"The situation between the Press and the Police, particularly Commander Troy, is getting ugly." said Burt West. "I am finding it increasingly in my interests to find a way to calm things down, and I think it would be in all our best interests to make that happen."

"So do it." Cindy Ross said. "Calm things down."

"What she means is... the ball is in your court." said the Chief. "You filed the lawsuit against us. Your people, especially Lester Holder, made the attacks on Commander Troy's daughter and his wife. So, it's up to you to undo that damage."

"We're willing to drop the lawsuit," said West, "in exchange for some considerations... like opening the Press Room and having regular Press Conferences, and making Commander Troy available---"

"Stop! Stop right there!" ordered Cindy. "Let's get one thing crystal clear right now. If you want to talk about dropping the lawsuit in exchange for re-opening the Press Room, I'm willing to talk. But don't even bring up Commander Troy. Don't even mention his name. He is not going to talk to you. He would rather go to jail for Contempt of Court than submit to an order to talk to you. If you want to include Commander Troy in any of this, then at the very least, you are going to have to admit on the air that you were wrong to attack his wife and his child, and admit that you did it for political purposes."