Posted on: Monday, September 22, 2003

EDITORIAL
Bar police commission from political activity

The City Council should take immediate steps to relieve the city's seven police commissioners of the temptation — and burden — of participation in political activity.

Specifically, the council should put before the voters a charter revision barring police commissioners from making or soliciting political contributions or from campaigning.

Police officers already have the same prohibition; it makes sense that police commissioners should be in the same boat.

Just from following the 19-month investigation of Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign finances, we know that several of the commissioners have contributed to his campaign, one was fined for a minor violation, and commissioner Leonard Leong has been charged with a misdemeanor violation of making illegal donations to Harris.

On Thursday, this newspaper called for Leong's resignation from the commission. His position, we said, is simply too sensitive to allow the slightest suspicion of wrongdoing.

It's our guess that the commissioners would welcome a political activity prohibition —that they'd be relieved to be able to say no when politicians pass the hat.