657,932 @ 11:56 am
657,912 @ 11:29 am
ABOUT MEDFORD POLICE OFFICER JASON MONTALBANO'S USE OF HIS PERSONAL FACEBOOK PAGE
The fact that a recent Medford Police Officer was publicly paraded before the local and Boston news media for his Facebook posting has once again spotlighted our City in a bad light.
As such, I have given this subject matter some serious thought whether to respond to it or not. But, my judgment to respond is predicated upon the fact that our City doesn't need any more bad press ( Boston, local or otherwise) when in fact this could have been handled internally with a policy having already been put in place that would better demonstrate that our City has taken a pro-active approach to this matter before it happens.
The issue revolves around Officer Jason Montalbano who not representing himself as a Medford Police Officer shared a post from another Facebook member (a retired U.S. Marine, Steve Reichert) characterizing “It’s time we made peace with Islam”.
Apparently, this has stirred the politically correct crowd. As a person with a reasonable sense of intelligence, those words can be interpreted as nothing more than ones’ freedom of speech position denouncing the reckless disregard toward life that ISIS murderers is causing around the world.
It has been well established by news media and ISIS murderers themselves that they are of Muslim background.
Further to the post at issue was the word Islam that was referenced below the mushroom cloud picture and the reference to the USA bombing Japan during WWII.
The stumbling block to properly understanding this matter was the Mayor’s hasty commentaries before the Boston local news media before Officer Montabano had an opportunity to explain himself.
Subsequent to the local news media hupla on the matter on March 15, 2016, Officer Montalbano made a next day apology statement on March 16, 2016 wherein he stated in part the following:
"When I first saw the post on another site, I took it as targeting (terrorist organization) ISIS, he said. My intention of posting it on my private Facebook page was to support aggressive military action against the ISIS terrorist threat."
In retrospect, Montalbano said he understands the reference to Islam was inappropriately overbroad and offensive to Muslims and non-Muslims alike”
If that discussion was afforded Officer Montalbano with both the mayor and Chief Sacco when first coming across the mayor’s desk, it should have been enough to ward off the public news media blitz that was called in to imply conclusions about
Officer Montabano, a dedicated, non-controversial police officer who has done his job without incident for the past 18 years.
As a result, Officer Montalbano was blindsided by being placed on administrative leave.
Further, upon his having a sit down with his chief of police, regarding the concern by inference to this type of posting and explaining that it can be mis-understood and lack the sensitivity, especially as a police officer as some may expect, is what should have taken place.
Mayor Mucinni-Burke should not make Officer Montalbano the poster boy of discrimination when in fact his background, years of service and no incidents of any hostility or
discrimination toward any ethnic background prove otherwise.
On this matter, the mayor’s administration lacked the communication skills necessary from the outset to get the message out that sensitivity to any postings should be paramount. That should also include any city and school department employee’s use on the City’s internet on work time.
I am aware that City employees may be held to a higher
standard in their job capacity. That being said, this should have been the basis for a city wide policy of recommendation to all employees to be sensitive to their social postings as a City employee. The tolerance factor by all city employees to accept all people who are respectful and honest, law-abiding citizens goes without question..
Even now, I’m quite sure that if every single municipal and school employee’s social media pages were reviewed there would be questionable matters to be addressed. But, since the mayor has readily admitted that there is no policy in place at this time, Officer Montalbano should be returned to work without any further incident, discipline or public admonition.
Hopefully, this does not mean that the Mayor’s office is or will be paying a city employee or private snooper to patrol every employees’ social media postings. If this be the case, then the serious challenge to one’s constitutional right to freedom of speech will be an everyday concern and the “ big brother watching over you argument” will further accelerate the first amendment right to one’s freedom of speech.
We can all learn from mistakes that we make or ones perceived to be, but one should not be made the scapegoat to a yet to be made city-wide policy.
As Mayor Mucinni-Burke has stated in one of her press appearances on this matter, we are a diverse community.
Within her own office, there are no diverse, minority employees and that is a message that doesn’t speak well for her.
Sometimes, one needs to practice what one preaches. In this case, Mayor Muccinni-Burke’s hasty judgement against Officer Montalbano before getting a better understanding of why he posted what he did on Facebook and having it been addressed and corrected administratively could have eliminated an embarrassing situation against our City, the Police Department, Officer Montalbano and race and religion relation advocates.
Respectfully written,
Robert M. Penta
Former City Councillor
