Letter to the Editor: Investigation into police call is warranted

Toledo Blade
September 10, 2003

The fact that it took Toledo Police 20 minutes to arrive at the scene of the stabbing death of 4-year-old Skylar Burnard and the stabbing of two-month-old Gavin Harmon, allegedly by their mother’s live-in boyfriend, is reprehensible.

I challenge The Blade to hold Chief Mike Navarre’s feet to the fire on this horrific crime. An outside investigation of the events from the first call to 911 to the arrival of the first crew on the scene is necessary.

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It is no secret to the rank-and-file officers that the department does not have enough officers on the street for a city the size of Toledo. When the original call came in a crew should have been sent immediately.

The call went out as a general broadcast, meaning there was a hope that a crew would break off another call and respond. This should not have happened. Once Nicole Miller called 911 at 4:19 a.m. saying that Harmon was going crazy, that her children were with him, and that she was afraid he might hurt them, a crew should have been sent code one (lights and siren).

The independent investigation needs to look at manpower levels, operations at 911, and the correct response to domestic violence calls. The buck should stop at the chief’s desk.

RON SCANLON
Philmar Drive
Mr. Scanlon is a retired detective with the Toledo Police Department.

Click here to read the entire letter in the Toledo Blade.