Many of our NIK community have been critical of first-time Mayor Greg Goodnight, and I believe the latest public flogging of Police Chief Rob Baker and KPD Professional Standards Officer Mitchell might well be his last chance to redeem himself... as well as the long and formerly proud reputation of the City's Police Department.

For more than 10 hours Friday, the Kokomo Board of Works heard legions of testimony that not only proved Baker's charges of wrongdoing against KPD Officers Jeff Kirk and Greg Davis were unfounded, but made Baker and Mitchell look foolish.

As I read the Kokomo Tribune account of the hearing, and particularly Chief Baker's refusal to give real answers and instead reply "If you say so..", the mental picture instantly visualized of a hayseed, backward cop sitting on the witness stand sweating with a cap high on his brow and a toothpick nervously perched in the corner of his mouth.

In other words, the Chief looks like what he is... a patrolman who has no business running a Police Department and a 'leader' that certainly can't defend his actions when someone places the truth right at his feet.

I'm told Board of Work's Chairman Jim Brannon appeared a little dismayed when learning all the sordid details, exclaiming at the hearing's end that much more consideration was needed in this case than he originally anticipated.

Finally... somebody is listening to the real facts here.

We hope that Brannon, Gardenhire, and Cook make their decisions on the evidence and nothing else. If that happens, Kirk and Davis will be exonerated and a small portion of their considerably honorable reputations restored.

Baker and Mitchell's little witch hunt will not be resolved, however, nor will the Kokomo Police Department heal itself in the eyes of dedicated police officers or the public, until those responsible for ingratiating their madness upon the City of Firsts are dealt with....

This is an excellent opportunity for Greg Goodnight.

Apparently Goodnight attended the full breadth of the hearing as an interested party.... and we hope the new-found knowledge of questionable activities within his own Police Department leadership was eye-opening.

The Mayor should now enjoy a very good understanding of what occurred here, and seize the opportunity to make serious, long-needed changes within the KPD.

Baker and Mitchell should be asked to step down, and new leadership appointed that might be able to bring honesty and professionalism back to the upper echelons of KPD.

If Greg Goodnight has the courage to do that... the community would surely take note Kokomo's Mayor possesses the guts to correct past mistakes and make things better for all of Kokomo's citizens.

NIK