Antonelli was warned before he began his comments by Board President Yvonne Hampton he would be carefully timed and only allowed three minutes.
His comments are as follows:
"My name is Lou Antonelli. I live at 1205 East 1st Street here in Mount Pleasant. I have lived here for eight years. I am currently Republican Precinct Chairman for Precinct 8.
"Last month I read in the Daily Tribune about the comments made by both Stephanie Honzell and Mark Lesher to the board at its last meeting. I was appalled. This is not the first case where the Mount Pleasant ISD private police department has gone after someone and thrown its weight around. We have personal experience with that in my family.
"I know “independent” is part of the school district’s name, but there’s a difference between independent and out-of-control.
"A few times in the past it’s been observed that having a private police department for the school district, apart from the City of Mount Pleasant’s, is redundant and wasteful. In a time, such as we have now, when the school district – as well as all other governmental entities – are facing financial stringencies because of a declining tax base, you would think such an simple step – to consolidate or eliminate the department - would be obvious.
"But I don’t think the idea has ever been given serious consideration by board members. Instead, the Mount Pleasant ISD police department blunders on. The fact the department would try to turn a goofy teenager into a felon for adolescent scribbles on the wall is appalling – but in character for a law enforcement department that seems answerable to no one.
"In the course of researching the Mount Pleasant ISD’s private police force, I tried to look up its Universal Crime Reporting, or UCR reports, on-line. This is a form police departments file with the DPS, on the seventh day after the close of each month, itemizing reports, investigations, arrests and such. These reports are readily available for any police department in Texas, including the City of Mount Pleasant police department. But I did not find any for the Mount Pleasant ISD. I spoke to the manager of the Texas UCR Office on Friday, Earl Adams, who said that while 99.8 percent of the police departments in Texas comply with filing these reports, the Mount Pleasant ISD police department does not.
"Why am I not surprised?
"These reports not only provide a basic level of accountability and transparency, but perhaps if they were filed, somebody would catch actions such as Mrs. Honzell and Attorney Lesher brought to your attention last month, before they become a public embarrassment. Perhaps filling out such reports would make people in this private police force stop and think about what they are doing.
"The Mount Pleasant ISD needs to think creatively to solve the financial problems it faces. A simple, obvious and helpful action to help save money, as well as increase efficiency and cooperate like a friend with the City, would be to consolidate and/or eliminate this private police force.
"I suggest you not brush off this idea. As a taxpayer, I resent my pocket being picked to pay for this useless purpose. As a voter, I can tell you people are tired of this kind of high-handed behavior. Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. I suggest you take some rein in this agency now while you can, instead of later when you must. Spring is coming."
Antonelli then asked Hampton, "How am I doing for time?"
"Two seconds," she responded.
"Yeah, I'm good," said Antonelli.
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