To the editor,
In light of the recent events around Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna I have thought long and hard about highly contentious cases I have covered for over 25 years as a court artist for various news media organizations.
Many cases, including: John Delorean, Central Park Jogger, Raymond Donovan and others have been sensationalized and then subsequently the defendants have been exonerated.
This is especially troubling because so many times the defendant’s lives have been destroyed in the wake of their cases. I recall Raymond Donovan saying after he was found not guilty, “What office do I go to, to get my reputation back”.
The downtown community was familiar with Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna.
He was the Commanding Officer of the 1st Precinct for 5 years. When he moved on Community Boards 1 and 2, wrote resolutions that passed unanimously, commending and thanking him for his service to our community.
His accomplishments were numerous, including the 30 percent drop in major crimes in the precinct over his tenure. Before the court of public opinion indicts and finds him guilty let us step back and let the due process take over, realizing this is a commander with a solid track record downtown and dedicated service to our community.
It is something to bear in mind when balancing it against a single incident that we still do not completely understand.
Let’s just wait until all the facts are in.
Elizabeth Williams
