To the Editor:

Re: “Lt. Nighelli deserved his promotion” (page 13, June 18 edition):

The lesson I draw from Police Chief John B. Garcia’s letter is that taxpayers should not question how their money is spent.

Chief Garcia talked mostly of the accreditation process, “…the agency has agreed to adopt program standards…considered best practices, administratively, and operationally.”  

“Best practices, administratively and operationally,” was the thrust of my May 18 letter, and “best practices” seemed painfully absent when Marion hired a new police chief within its ranks via an “internal posting.”

What is the promotional process within the Marion Police department? Is it fair? Is it equitable? Apparently not.  

If every police officer truly had an equal opportunity to apply for the position, and the Police Department was exercising “best practices, administratively and operationally,” why did only one officer out of twenty-five, apply for the position? What is morale?

How do taxpayers know they are getting the best person for the job when the only person who applied is hired? Perhaps Mr. Nighelli is the best-qualified person for the chief’s job, but Marion taxpayers have no way of knowing.

What taxpayers do know is that most police chiefs today have a master’s degree or a law degree, Lt. Nighelli does not.

When you say, “I believe, without question, that the Selectmen selected the best-qualified person as the next Chief of Police,” well that explains clearly why I never reached out to you Chief Garcia. 

Eileen J. Marum
Marion