A Sigh of Relief in Sea Isle City

Hear that unusual sound in Sea Isle City? It’s not the roar of a nor’easter. It’s a collective sigh of relief from the long-suffering citizens at the long-overdue recommendation to dismiss Police Chief William Kennedy.
Some hearts may go out to the Kennedys for some of their problems for which they are not responsible and for some of the personal incidents that have tested their patience.
But in many ways, the chief has been a disaster and many have wondered why it took so long to take action,
He has been a divisive force in Sea Isle City, which has enough dissension without him. It’s a tribute to the majority of the department — there are exceptions —that it has been able to function as well as it has despite the constant distractions connected to the chief.
The county Prosecutor’s decision to monitor the department temporarily makes sense, and does not reflect on the department.
I have no idea why it took so long for city officials to bring in an independent investigator, except that one usually proceeds cautiously where police chiefs are concerned. Many have a bag of a town’s dirty laundry in their closets.
The chief can be expected to fight every inch of the way. Let’s get it over with.


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Three weeks ago, I reported here on the Bush administration’s attempt to withhold its White House visitor logs from the public. A federal judge has ruled they are public information. The White House is expected to appeal.