Blackburn responds on Van Camp

Escambia County Sheriff Sgt. Rex Blackburn is a regular letter writer to the PNJ. His letters always defend his boss and protest how Sheriff McNesby has been mistreated by the media. We have all his letters on one page so that you gain gauge for yourself Blackburn’s role in the ESCO (View). Prior to McNesby’s election, Blackburn wrote no letters to the editor that we would could find in West Florida Library archives.
Here is Blackburn’s letter to us on the Van Camp demotion (The Buzz):

Editor of the Independent News:

I read with great interest you’re reporting Deputy Van Camp’s reassignment from the Crime Stoppers program. You reported Deputy Van Camp angered the Sheriff’s Office, when he filed a complaint that he was not promoted to a sergeants position which he felt he was entitled to after patiently trying to work within the promotion process. How noble of your paper to single out one specialty unit but maybe you didn’t realize the Sheriff’s Office has many similar assignments.

Are the two dozen school resources officers who come into contact with thousands of impressionable young minds less important? The three DUI specialists whose primary function is the successful apprehension of drunk drivers not worthy? What about our narcotics officers who spend countless hours of training in the specific detection of narcotics and elimination of hazardous ingredients in making designer drugs? What about our K-9 officers, Crime Scene, and Homicide Investigators? All of these are specialized persons but are by definitions not supervisors. To indicate Deputy Van Camp is the only one to try to work thru the system is a direct slap at the rest of these wonderful and equally talented Sheriff’s Office employees.

Deputy Van Camp served this office admirably in his position but he did not approve reports, suspend or discipline, reward, or grant leave requests. Deputy Van Camp has personally glamorized his normal duties and thru the use of legal counsel has attempted to bypass the current selection promotional process. This cheats the other numerous candidates of a fair chance at a limited number of supervisory positions.

What is blatantly obvious is this papers continued attempts to bring blame and discredit to this incumbent Sheriff and staff by hiding behind the first amendment. Continue to picket and whine but please report unbiased and fair. As I have witnessed so often when reading your tabloid that the truth is presented as you see it and seldom do you let facts stand in your way of biased reporting.

Rex Blackburn

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RO response: I’m sorry that there is a Constitution that keeps you from arresting me for this newspaper reporting the news, but, oh well, that’s the law, Sgt. Blackburn. I neither hide nor do I whine.

Readers, the reference “Continue to picket” is concerning that I did join the community in protesting the death of Robert Boggan. The Sheriff took pictures of me at the march and tried to use them to somehow discredit me. Unfortunately, picketing is a right under the Constitution, too. Isn’t it Sgt Blackburn?

A turning point in the Civil Rights Movement in the South was when the New York Times reporters and editors joined the marches in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. I guess that’s a fact you weren’t aware of, Sgt. Blackburn.
I wrote about the march in my Outtakes (Walk to be heard). I was proud to stand with the Boggan family.