Complaint Against Police Chief O’Shea Dismissed by Commission

Before the results of the hearing in regards to disciplinary actions against Rockford Chief of Police, Daniel O'Shea, let's review the quote that led to this point. This is comment O'Shea is "under fire" for at a past media press conference.

The 16, 17-year-olds running around shooting each other, we’re not wasting our time trying to save them. They are lost. We’re trying to focus on 4 or 5-year-olds all the way up to 12 or 13, where we have a chance at saving them, changing their lives and changing the direction they are going in it. Seventeen-year-olds that go around committing murders and shooting at people, yeah, well, sorry. Off to prison you go. I got nothing for you. Your family failed you up until this point and there is nothing that we can do for you.

After this, a protesting group in Rockford demand O'Shea react his words, followed by an online petition for him to be fired. In my opinion, could Chief O'Shea have chosen better words? Sure. Are we all guilty of the same thing at one time or another? Absolutely. I'll be the first to admit it. Was the Chief speaking with strong emotion? 100% yes. He was fired up, and rightfully so. Personally, I've attended and participated in many events, both private and public, with Daniel O'Shea and I believe he is a stand-up guy. He's a loving husband, a great dad, and a hard worker. I haven't met anyone who has said otherwise. Even though there are times when a simple quote or social media post can ruin a person's reputation, I implore you to trust the judgment of myself and many others about the man running the Rockford Police Department.

As far as the hearing for disciplinary actions against Chief Daniel O'Shea, Rockford Police and Fire Commission unanimously voted to dismiss the complaint. Their reason behind the vote should be enough to move onward and upward from this event. WTVO quoted Commission Maurice West's response,

As chief law enforcement officer, his job is to then say, if you are shooting people or each other, or murdering in the city, we have to then commit you over to the Department of Corrections. And, we have reentry programs after their time is served. That does not, to me, appear as discriminatory, prejudiced against that age group. It’s against certain ones that I think we are afraid to call ‘criminals’, because they are doing criminal activity, and they are making life miserable for those that are trying to live their life in Rockford.

You can watch the hearing, as well as hear Chief O'Shea speak on his behalf, here.

[H/T WTVO]

JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram.