Dear Editor,

To the Citizens of Great Bend:
My name is JoAnne Velasco and I moved back to my home state of Kansas and because of family decided to move to Great Bend. This move brought me back here in May of 2016.
I am writing this letter because I believe that as a newcomer to the city one tends to see the dynamics of that city in a very short time. During my 48 years in California I came back home to Kansas to visit my parents and my relatives in Great Bend. I enjoyed those trips here and that and family were the reasons I decided to move back here.
I know that every city has its problems and that politics renders a large part of those problems. But I am here now to speak out about the harsh allegations leveled by Chief Administrator Howard Partington against the Chief of the Great Bend Police Department, Chief Cliff Couch. I was told by some of the residents of Great Bend that these allegations were brought against Chief Couch because of alleged misconduct allegations he brought against Chief Administrator Partington. Having delved more into the background of these allegations, I learned that Chief Couch was bringing up issues that had plagued the Police Department for many years. Issues such as fair wages and lack of qualified officers to fill an understaffed department.
I do not claim to know everything about the alleged allegations but what I do claim to know is that what I see here is a Chief who is trying to resolve these issues and bring the Police Department up to the level that it should be as far as wages and staffing, etc. Having worked in the legal field for over 40 years, what I see happening now is that the Mayor, certain members of the City Council and Chief Administrator Partington have turned this whole matter into a “witch hunt” against Chief Couch. I sat in on one City Council meeting where the citizens demanded that Chief Couch be allowed to present facts to the Council. It soon became apparent that the Mayor, Chief Administrator Partington and certain members of the Council had no intention of listening to anything that Chief Couch had to say. In my opinion they had already made up their minds to fire him.
Citizens of this City, we are rising up to support Chief Couch. I know this by the signs and comments that are being circulated. Please call the KBI, the State Attorney General and the council member in your Ward. The citizens of Great Bend deserve answers. Let’s get rid of the corruption and underhanded dealings that have plagued this city for many years. Please attend the council meeting on Aug. 7, at 7:30 p.m., location to be determined.
Let’s put the great back in Great Bend.

JoAnne Velasco
Great Bend