I have always called Florala home even though my husband and I lived just outside the city limits for a few years, but with our recent move back to the home where I was raised, it is my right, as an official resident of Florala, to address allegations by the mayor and certain city council members of nepotistic hiring practices within the Florala Police Department.

First of all, let it be made perfectly clear that the hiring of officers is at the discretion of the chief of police, and he is not blood kin to any of his officers, although a certain kinship cannot help but exist due to their line of work.

The following are boring definitions; however, I feel they are necessary to bring to light another point of view regarding nepotistic hiring practices. These definitions were obtained from the Webster Dictionary and the Cambridge Dictionary:

Nepotism is “activity of unfairly giving good jobs or advantages to members of your family” and “favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship.” Good is “of a kind that is pleasing, enjoyable, or of high quality” and “agreeable, pleasant, enjoyable, satisfactory, advantageous.” Advantage is “a condition that helps you or gives you a greater chance of success” and “superiority of position or condition.” Kinship is “a relationship between members of the same family” and/or “a feeling of being close or similar to other people or things” and also “the quality or state of being kin(relationship).”

How do you, as citizens of Florala, want your city protected? Do you want people with no real vested interested in the city—past, present, or future—protecting you and your families, or do you want dedicated individuals who are and have been a part of the community and who plan to stay here raising their family? I would think as citizens who care about your city and your families, you would choose the latter.

Please tell me what are the advantages and the good these officers are granted in going forth on a daily basis much like a guardian or warrior to protect and serve our community? Are there any excessive goods or any excessive advantages bestowed upon these individuals? What assurances are they given….money, power, fame? They receive no extra money, no over the top power, and certainly no famous spotlight. Even though our community is a reasonably peaceful town, there is no assurance these officers will return home to their families at night. Yet, daily they protect and serve with little gratitude or respect at times. It is sad that our mayor and certain city council members feel the need to nitpick about who holds the jobs and who proudly wears the badges. Let those that point an accusing finger at the police department put on the uniform, strap on the weapon, and go forward to protect and serve instead of sitting in a chair dictating to others how things should be.

Who are you wanting to hire, Mayor, and chosen council members?

In closing I would like to direct you to eight overlooked qualities needed to be a great police officer as noted in an article by Brianna Flavin, free lance writer for Rasmussen College: Effective communications skills, empathy and compassion, integrity, negotiation skills, service minded, love of learning to improve skills and abilities, physical and mental fitness, and mental agility (common sense). I believe the members of the Florala Police Department possess these qualities and many more. Why do I believe this? Because they are my family whether by kinship or by choice, and I respect and support them all.

Sincerely,

Angelia Crosby Fink