Thread: Police officer's death should be beginning of reform

Editorial: Police officer's death should be beginning of reform

9:32 p.m., Saturday, July 26, 2008

At first the slaying of a missionary-turned-police officer in downtown Fort Myers in the dead of night led us to wonder from the heart how and why bad things happen to good people in seemingly peaceful communities.

We ponder the tragic impacts to his wife and three children, to which the extended Southwest Florida community has responded with an outpouring of cash and prayers.

We are compelled to examine the immigration and criminal justice system that contributed to the paths of Abel Arango, 27, and Fort Myers police officer Andrew Widman crossing in a violent encounter that left both dead.

After surveying the evidence of a criminal justice system that at various documented times since 1998 had Arango on its radar or in custody, it is clear that all systems failed.

Public records show that Arango, following a Naples armed robbery conviction, had been ordered deported back to Cuba — which could not be achieved due to the absence of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic ties. He had been found in violation of his probation for being arrested for selling drugs to undercover officers on Fort Myers Beach — unbeknownst to two judges who had him in their courtrooms in May and June and let him go.

This may shock and anger: One of the few people who did what they were supposed to do, at least in court, was Arango.

Then he spent that subsequent freedom on drugs, violence and death.

The criminal justice system is made up of law-enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges and their staffs. They all want to do a good job.

They all ought to eagerly resolve to have Widman’s death stand for reform — the drawing of a line.

Technology exists for nearly flawless tracking of business transactions and sharing that information with those who need it. Suspects’ and criminals’ whereabouts are the public’s business. We can identify with precision which steps of the way toward that dark street corner came up short.

Let the execution-style murder of Widman be what it takes to register on the civic and political radar and mandate a better standard of precision and justice.

With this proviso: We get what we pay for.
http://tinyurl.com/56e2mp

added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article3394.html

Criminal Cubans are becoming a real burden in South Florida for 2 reasons, Cuba supposedly will not take them back and our lax immigration enforcement policies in Florida.

I think criminals from Cuba should be shipped to Guatanamo Bay to do their prison time and when released they can walk home to Cuba.

Deporting a Cuban criminal whether Cuba will take him back or not shouldn’t be a problem. Fly them to the Guantanamo Bay military base and kick them out the back door into Cuba. Problem solved.

Officer Widman memorial goes global

http://www.winknews.com/news/local/26000324.html

By Nick Spinetto, WINK News

Story Created: Jul 28, 2008 at 5:24 PM EDT

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Support for the Widman family is coming from all over the globe.

A new YouTube video created by a 9-1-1 dispatcher from the Lee County Sheriff's Office, is allowing people from anywhere in the world to learn more about Officer Andrew Widman.

A Fort Myers Police Officer, Andrew Widman was killed in the line of duty more than a week ago.

The four minute YouTube video is filled with pictures from the funeral and the scene of the crime.

Ashley Greer is the woman who created the video.

It only took her 30 minutes to create the video, but she says if it took longer she still would have done it.

She tells WINK News she created the video for a number of reasons, but most importantly she wants people all over the world to know about Officer Widman's sacrifice.

Ashley also hopes the video reminds millions of people of the danger her colleagues face everyday.

She says, "I want them to sit back and see why did this happen? How can we get these people off the streets? How can these crimes top being committed? Andrew Widman was a father, a son, a brother. He was one person, but he was a lot, to a lot of people."

Susanna Widman, Andrew's widow heard about the YouTube video and met with Ashley on Monday.

Ashely says, Susanna is one of the nicest people you'll meet and is so appreciative of the community's support.


See the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRyAyYo_yDs