Once more with the Robinson-Briggs bodyguards. Oy.

Two cops active in the Robinson-Briggs mayoral campaign
later became her bodyguards.

Trying to put a wrap on the story of Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs and her bodyguards -- getting and losing same -- is a little like scooping up quicksilver.

Even after the Courier editorialized the other day on the matter (see here), there are STILL UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, though some have been answered.

ANSWERED QUESTIONS

• The original decision to supply bodyguards, as Police Director Hellwig says in the Ledger (see here), was UNSUBSTANTIATED, as I reported on July 12, 2006 (see more here) --

PT spoke with Police Chief Ed Santiago at length about the matter of the death threat gossip last evening. The Chief assured PT that the division has very good -- even excellent -- intelligence about threats against public officials and that he can categorically say there are no credible death threats against the Mayor to his knowledge.

• Hellwig also made it clear that NO INDEPENDENT, OUTSIDE AUTHORITY made a threat assessement on which to base personnel deployment.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

• When were the bodyguards assigned to the Mayor? Before or after the rumors were reported in Plainfield Today?
  
  
• How were the two officers picked for the security detail chosen? Did Mayor Robinson-Briggs pick them? Why were no female officers ever assigned to guard the Mayor?
  
  
• Lastly, the cost to the public. While it is true that the two officers don't represent a 'new' expense to the City, no such argument can be made about the OVERTIME paid to them in the course of their assignment to the Mayor. Overtime is a true cost to the taxpaying public, more so if the justification is flimsy in any way. Overtime is always a concern in the budgeting process, and attempts to control it are mounted -- or talked about being mounted -- continually. Wouldn't it be nice for the public to know just how much overtime the two officers accrued in the course of their two-year-plus assignment?

One last point -- on the reassignment of the officers who had been the Mayor's bodyguards.

Last week's media reports cite Mayor Robinson-Briggs and Police Director Hellwig as saying the officers in question are now 'on patrol'.

I hear that is NOT the case: one is said to be in the Administrative Bureau and the other in the Community Relations Bureau.

If they're not on the streets, shouldn't Mayor Robionson-Briggs come clean?

---

Media --

• 10/12/2008 - Editorial, CN: "There's a limit to mayoral safety plan"
• 10/08/2008 - Ledger: "Plainfield mayor loses two-cop security detail"

Plainfield Today --

• 10/08/2008: "Mayor loses bodyguards. Right move, wrong reason?"
• 07/07/2006: "Death threats on Mayor?"
• 07/12/2006: "Dan on griddle over 'death threats' post?"

-- Dan Damon

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