To the Employees ofthe Lafayette Police Department: With some sense of disappointment, I am writing this letter to address recent

allegations by a handful of employees who allege that under my tenure as Chief, the Lafayette Police Department has been little more than a corrupt organization manipulating crime statistics, threatening employees, and practicing retribution through the use of internal investigations. Some of these disgruntled employees have even secretly recorded conversations with fellow officers and are now using these clandestine recordings to further malign the reputation of the Lafayette Police Department. These acts are an insult to the dedicatedandhardworking officers who put their lives on the line each and every day. It is a slap in the face to our civilian support staff (especially in Records) who works to maintain accurate reports and documents mandated by local, state, and federal government. These officers selfishly chose to involve the media in their attempts further exposing our department to embarrassment, ridicule, and unnecessary scrutiny by the public. I am disheartened by the lack of professional and objective behavior by one media outlet in particular and their sensationalism of these false allegations. Our badges and patches all say the same thing. Like it or not, we all work for the Lafayette Police Department. These actions reflect negatively on all of us, including those who chose this course of action. I have often said that we are one of the best and most professional police agencies around. Numerous state and national requests for our policies and methods of crime-fighting attest to our outstanding reputation among both large and small agencies. I have also taken pride in the fact that we are men and women of honor and integrity. Lies, half-truths, and secret tape recordings do not become us. Thankfully, the judicial system has and will weigh all information fairly before acting in these allegations. There is no "culture of corruption" in this department, nor is there manipulation of any crime stats (which by the way are a matter of public record). There are and always will be internal investigations relating to alleged wrong-doing, which I am required by law to conduct. I think these tactics are shameful and selfish. They come at a time when many of our folks are engaged in a relentless effort to find missing person Mickey Shunick. The repeated futile attempts by a few disgruntled officers are designed to distort, distract, and to smear the reputations of some 320 dedicated professionals who come to work to "make a difference every day" in the lives of our citizens. I believe that the dedication and determination of our officers and employees, even in the face of such false and public insult, will not deter us from our mission. We cannot and should not allow the self-serving attempts of a few to soil our good name and reputation. Let me close by saying that I consider it both an honor and a privilege to lead such a professional, dedicated group of men and women. Thank you . Chief Jim Craft