Police Chief Tighe O’Meara’s aggressive race-baiting of Eric Navickas is reprehensible, unprofessional and should require the city to take a long, hard look at who their police chief is. Navickas is the least racist person that I know. O’Meara should not have race-baited Navickas. He owes him, at minimum, an apology. 

Navickas was protesting the Trump-like take over of the city by O’Meara. You may have read that the chief is turning Ashland into a “due-process-free” zone — one where his police officers, not a judge will determine who is excluded from town. A place where courts are superfluous. 

First it was the Plaza. Then O’Meara added Ashland Street and a significant portion of the surrounding area to the O’Meara exclusion zone. It’s only a matter of time before the chief piecemeals other parts of Ashland into a citywide exclusion zone, making Ashland a “police state.” Due process and a right to a fair hearing, prior to being excluded, would no longer exist for those whom O’Meara determines are “undesirables.”

Well, Chief, I’ve got news for you. Your polices are undesirable. It’s time that you stop retaliating against those who disagree with your extremist policies. Better yet, step down now. You’ve made it clear you are unable to serve in your profession with dignity while respecting those who disagree with you. 

Tom Dimitre

Ashland