Thread: William Gheen's Letter of Complaint to Charlotte, NC Authori

The following letter is being sent to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police, Charlotte City Council members and Mayor, Mecklenburg County Commissioners, NC Media, and NC Attorney General's Office.

Why no police at Protest of thousands in center of Metro Area?

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to file a formal complaint that on March 25, 2006 the Charlotte Police Department allowed a rally of thousands of people three blocks from their station without making arrangements for any visible police presence.


On this date I attended a protest in Marshall Park in Charlotte which is located just three blocks away from the police department. I was there to document the protest with my camcorder.

At approximately 3:20 pm, an hour after the rally began, I noticed that there was not a single uniformed officer present in the park, in the parking lots, on the adjacent streets, or on the streets into the area. A friend of mine pointed out that Charlotte had a law that required any organization having a large meeting to hire or arrange security to be present.

It is common sense that visible police officers or hired security is necessary for any such event especially a crowd of 3,000 to 5,000.

As you can see from the video footage, thousands were present and no officers are seen in any of these areas. I confirmed the absence of officers with local news crews and many of the news crews also found it exceptional that there were no police to be seen in any direction.

I called the 311 Non-emergency line for the Charlotte police and spoke to an officer. When I told him what I was calling about he put me on hold. After being on hold for the first 15 minutes I started walking to the police station.

Fifteen minutes later, after being on hold for 30 minutes, I entered the Charlotte police department and spoke to officer Greeno. I showed him my cell phone and activated the speaker function to illustrate that I had been on hold for the 30 minutes. I told him that I wanted to file a formal complaint that there was a large crowd of thousands of people, many illegal aliens, gathered just three blocks from the station and there were no visible officers. In fact, I did not see a single officer or police car until I reached the station.

Officer Greeno told me that I had just filed my complaint by speaking to him and that they were taking measures. I explained that I believed it was my right as a citizen to file a formal complaint and that considering the gravity of this situation that would be best. He angrily informed me that I did not have a right to make a formal complaint. I called a friend on the phone and asked her for contact information for the Mayor. She witnessed the officer telling me that I was not allowed to file a complaint.

At an early point in the conversation, officer Greeno told me that they had no evidence my claims were accurate and I held my camcorder up so he could see it and explained I could show him the video now.

Later, they assembled a team in the lobby and said that they did not know about this event and officers were being dispatched.

I find this claim to be completely implausible. This rally had been in the local media for weeks. The organizers of the rally were required to obtain a permit that would notify the police of the event. National news has carried the stories about the tens of thousands of illegal alien rallies in cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver, Atlanta, and Phoenix.

When I returned to the protest around 4:15, I saw my first visible officer. He was standing next to the TV Station trucks. Two bike patrol officers remained invisible to the crowd on a balcony and there was one police car on the far side of the park. After seeing the first police presence only included about four or five officers I left.

If a fight had started or someone had an accident or anything at all, the Charlotte Police were completely unprepared to protect taxpayer properties and attendees. Didn't Charlotte just have a lot of property damage in the downtown area? Isn't there a heightened sense of security in the community after these unfortunate events? Isn't there a law for insurance purposes that visible security be present?

I am requesting that I be allowed to file a formal complaint that a large rally was held with no visible police officers or security. I am requesting a formal inquiry as to why the Charlotte Police department did not send uniformed officers to at least monitor the streets around the park that were filled with pedestrians, news trucks, and high levels of traffic. I would like an official opinion to know if my legal right to file a complaint about the Charlotte police department was denied by officer Greeno. I want to know if it is a law in Charlotte that officers or security are present for such events.

It is a sad day in America when thousands of illegal aliens can take to the streets in the absence of federal law enforcement who should be doing their job to enforce our existing immigration laws. Sadder still is the fact that the Charlotte Police Department had zero visible presence at a large protest that was attended by Charlotte's Mayor Pro-Tem and a County Commissioner. It is my opinion that the city government did not want any illegal aliens, wanted fugitives, or others engaged in unlawful activities to be concerned in the slightest about attending this protest.

Also, please send me a list of what other large gatherings have been allowed in the center of Charlotte without visible police or security.

I am willing to provide you with copies of the video, a sworn affidavit, and witnesses as evidence.

Sincerely,


William Gheen
President, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC ALIPAC

added to homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article-1122-thread-1-0.html

E-mailed to Chief Darrel Stephens of Charlotte PD
Mayor Pat McCrory
Council Member Pat Mumford
Council Member Susan Burgess
Council Member John Lassiter
Council Member Anthony Foxx
Council Member Patsy Kinsey
Council Member James Mitchell, Jr.
Council Member Warren Turner
Council Member Michael Barnes
Council Member Nancy Carter
Council Member Andy Dulin
Council Member Don Lochman

What do business owners in the area think of a large mob of people, who support illegal activity, milling about outside their businesses with no police around to protect their property should the crowd get out of control? For god's sake, they have police and security at sporting events for crowd control and they don't have them at a protest march!?! What is going on there!?!

I absolutely loved your letter! Can't wait to hear the outcome. I guarantee you they will not be able to show an event of that size and not put officers out in force. The police force is being told by someone to back down and they need to be exposed.

H#LL.....in California you can't even rent a community hall for a wedding reception without a permit and hiring security!

Welcome, Rumoret! Yes, I think someone in Charlotte will have some explaining to do, thanks to W! The citizens of Charlotte should know about this. Afterall, it's not been but a few months ago when violence broke out downtown at an event in downtown Charlotte and there were not enough police officers there. The people were angry about it, so the city announced that from now on, there would be EXTRA officers at events downtown. They sure did not see those officers on Saturday, huh?

What do they mean you don't have a right to file a complaint. That is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard.

This needs to be followed up with the State Police and the District Attornies office. Sounds like a case to have internal affairs looking at people.

I live in Charlotte and an ALIPAC "newbie". I would like to know who issued their permit to demonstrate? You do still need a permit to demonstrate, right? I mean, the Right to Lifers need a permit, and the Gay & Lesbian Activists need a permit, even the Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade needs a permit but not these guys? Maybe this is a silly question, but has anyone in tried to arrange a counter demonstration?

WELCOME ConcernedCharlottean

Here is a copy of the email sent to me by Emily Westbrook, who is responsible for issuing these permits.


-----Original Message-----
From: Westbrook, Emily L [mailto:ewestbrook@ci.charlotte.nc.us]
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 3:53 PM
To: XXXXXXXX
Cc: McCrory, Pat
Subject: RE: Immigration Rally Permit


Mrs. XXXX,

Marshall Park was properly reserved and the Police were notified within the requested 48 hrs prior to the event of the intent to picket.

Sincerely,

Emily Westbrook

Interesting so they did know but they didnt do anything....