Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski

Study that picture carefully. Between the ears of this man, there appears to be little but air. That's something I don't say without first examining in the facts. When you do, you ask yourself why is this idiot a Chief of Police in Florida?

Bradenton is a city on Florida's west coast and is an over three hour drive from my house . TFM has never visited there in his life. I do however follow Florida news. Chief Radzilowski has been mentioned twice previously on my blog.

In October of 2006, there was this bit of news.

BRADENTON -- For years, the Bradenton Police Department has quietly, without judicial review, confiscated hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and
property from people they arrested for drug possession and other crimes.

The police bypass the courts and confiscate money and property on the
spot through a department-created form called the "Contraband Forfeiture
Agreement." By signing it, a person agrees to relinquish their property to the
police and waive any rights they have to try to get it back through the courts.

A police agency that thinks itself above the law. Anyone show me where carrying large amounts of cash is against the law? We have a thing called innocent till proven guilty. Apparently Chief Radzilowski missed that lesson at school.

More recently Chief Radzilowski won my coveted Knucklehead award.

BRADENTON -- The police officer who arrested a woman on a misdemeanor noise complaint at a birthday party last weekend spent two hours working the call, according to dispatch reports released Thursday.

*****

Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski said the Zuniga arrest was justified, and that anyone who is "playing games" with the police -- turning music down temporarily and then cranking it back up -- will also land in jail.

Throwing people in jail for misdemeanor noise violations. This shows a chief of police that is on a power trip and who doesn't understand what is an efficient use of police resources.

Someone feel free to defend Radzilowski's tactics and judgment. My comments section is open, and I love being abused. That's as long as you call me nothing more than a Knucklehead. Profanity will get you deleted.

Now for today's news from the Bradenton Herald-

BRADENTON --City of Bradenton officials are grappling with the revelation that a high-ranking police officer who recently resigned had hundreds of pictures of nude paintings and pictures on his laptop, as well as explicit pornographic movies.

Officials say pornography on Bradenton Police Lt. Richard Hill's city laptop computer does not appear to have had anything to do with his resignation in July. But finding sexual material on city computers has plagued Bradenton in recent months.

Hill's resignation surprised Bradenton Chief Michael Radzilowski, but did not send up red flags that the sexual material was on Hill's computer.

"He came in my office and told me he wanted to pursue other opportunities and spend more time with his family," said Police Chief Michael Radzilowski. "I took him for his word."

I don't know you, but when I hear someone say they need to spend more time with their family, I become suspicious. How often have we heard those words from some official just before a scandal breaks?

We can suppose Chief Razilowski is a gullible man. Then why is such a person Chief of Police? Back to the Bradenton Herald Story.

Radzilowski said he heard rumors of what was on Hill's computer after he resigned, but did not order a check of Hill's laptop.

"He was already gone, so there wasn't anything I could do about it," he said.

Either Radzilowski is an idiot or is a lazy SOB. Depending on the type of porn, Hill could be committing a felony. Even a rumor should have prompted an investigation. As I've said many times, police should be held to the same or higher standard as the rest of the public.

In November 2006, the police department fired Sgt. Tim Harvey after a city computer technician found commercials with topless women on his hard-drive.

"In that case, Harvey had said something was wrong with his computer and called for help," said Bradenton Maj. Bill Tokajer.

Radzilowski publicly admonished Harvey and signed off on the recommendation to fire him. Harvey is appealing his firing.

In Hill's case, the chief is defending the lieutenant's record of service.

"He served this city for 20 years with honor in an outstanding manner," Radzilowksi said. "I am not condoning what is on the computer, in fact I don't even know what was there, but I will say he served the citizens of this city well."

So why was Hill treated differently? Twenty years of service or twenty days, if he was suspected of breaking the law, the man needed to be investigated. That Hill left the police force is no excuse either, that doesn't warrant a Get out of jail free card.

Bottom line- The City of Bradenton Florida has an embarrassment for a Chief of Police. Three instances of bad judgment I think states the case pretty strongly. It is long past time that Chief Michael Radzilowski is shown the door.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Stuck on Stupid, The World According to Carl, Yankee Sailor,