The Ruins of Trenton

A Web site about Trenton’s infamous Capt. Paul “Sleepy” Messina recently detailed an incident within the Trenton Police Department that has resulted in an internal affairs investigation and the transfer of an officer, after sexist comments made by Capt. Messina about a female officer were made public.

After the female officer received a laptop computer to fulfill her own assignments, Capt. Messina allegedly told a male officer who requested a laptop computer for his own use to “buy a set of tits, flash them in front of Barry and Director Santiago and you can get anything you want.”

This is the latest in a long series of incidents involving Capt. Messina that have brought nothing but embarrassment to the Trenton Police Department, its leadership, and the City of Trenton as a whole. And if this incident is anything like the others, the leadership of the TPD and the City of Trenton will probably do nothing to reprimand Capt. Messina, and more likely will do anything they can to defend him.

The leadership of the city has proven again and again that they do not care about the actions of those in positions of power within the city government and the police department, and they have no interest in administering the government and enforcing the rules that govern its departments.

It is now time for Trenton residents to demand the removal of Capt. Messina from their police department before he brings any more embarrassment to this city and its inhabitants. His treatment is indicative of the creeping malaise that is afflicting all levels of the leadership of the city, from the mayor’s office on down.

If the leadership in the police department and the city continue their record of inaction on these matters, it only provides additional credence to the belief of many city residents that their government and its leadership are not only ineffective, but even worse, arrogant about their latitude in acting in ways unbecoming of those serving the public of Trenton.

Trenton desperately needs new leadership, and people need to begin to come together to ensure this happens, especially during the 2010 election.