April 22, 2004

EDITORIAL

A job well done

It’s a safe bet that Yellow Springs Police Chief Carl Bush is not likely to forget the first four months of his tenure as the head of the Village police force. And Yellow Springers should not forget how the chief, who joined the department in December, has handled himself and guided the force during this period.

Chief Bush, the Police Department and other Village officials, including the manager, Rob Hillard, should be recognized for their handling of the Ku Klux Klan literature drive on Saturday. Though Chief Bush has many years of law-enforcement experience, having to plan for the Klan’s visit was a first for him. With the potential for violence and large crowds disrupting downtown (which did happen for a short time), this event was also his first test in Yellow Springs — and Chief Bush receives high marks.

The new chief’s first few months here have been eventful. In addition to the Klan’s visit, Chief Bush had to react to the discovery of the body of Tim Lopez, the Yellow Springs High School student who disappeared two years ago.

While the Greene County sheriff’s department led the investigation into Tim’s disappearance and death, Saturday’s visit by the KKK was Chief Bush’s show. He was responsible for security — or as he put it, “the whole operation is on me” — and it was ultimately his plan that was implemented. Chief Bush said he spent most of this month planning and researching for the literature drive. He said he met several times with most of the heads of the other 13 law enforcement departments that provided support on Saturday. He refined the plans several times in the weeks before the event, including the night before.

The security plan involved about 125 law enforcement officers, as well as 49 firefighters and EMS personnel from six jurisdictions, including Miami Township. Chief Bush described the plan as a “measured response” to cover downtown adequately “without an overbearing presence.” He wanted to have enough people on hand to make everyone feel safe.

Despite all the planning, police did have to improvise, when protesters gathered around the Klansmen as they marched along Xenia Avenue’s sidewalks. The situation was confrontational, and could have turned ugly. With hundreds gathered downtown, the sidewalks were packed. Protesters overwhelmingly outnumbered the Klansmen. Yellow Springs was seething with emotions. Besides the exchange of some very nasty words, however, the day was peaceful, thanks to the good work of the police.

The police were able to provide security for both the Klan and protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights, without incident — something that was not easy, given the strong feelings of those involved in the march and protest. So from a law-enforcement and safety perspective, the day should be considered a success. It was a job well done.

—Robert Mihalek