LETTER TO THE EDITOR: It’s not a lesson to be learned but a culture to be eliminated

The Albany’s Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division summarized its findings of the investigation of the death of two city employees with the following remarks: “The incident was preventable. It highlighted a culture of negligence, cost-cutting, and disregard for worker safety, an environment where such tragedies were inevitable. Management’s failure to address known hazards and provide essential resources directly contributed to the loss of life.”

Albany City Manager Terrell Jacobs followed with the statement that “There’s no one person that is at fault for those two lives. It’s just, you know, we failed that those two young men and not having certain things and not practicing certain protocols that we should have been practicing, you know, but, you know, hopefully, as we look to put these new things in place, we should not have those type of challenges.”

It is with undeniable clarity that both statements reflect a position that “management” is an abstract term representing an unidentifiable plurality in charge but having a nature of assignment accountability akin to “nailing jelly to a pine tree”

Four-star Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, regarded as the “father of the nuclear Navy,” a Polish immigrant who served 63 years of active duty in the Navy, was known for his relentless work ethic, uncompromising standards, and direct approach, all instrumental in establishing rigorous safety and training protocols for the Navy’s nuclear fleet, which remains a cornerstone of its submarine and aircraft carrier operations today. Rickover’s leadership style emphasized personal responsibility and accountability. Jimmy Carter worked directly under Rickover while training for and serving in the nuclear submarine program, including time spent on the USS Seawolf, one of the Navy’s early nuclear submarines. Carter often spoke pf Rickover as having a profound influence on the future president’s life.

Carter even made the following statement: “Responsibility is a unique concept. … You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. … If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.”

There are those times when further comment or commentary is not necessary. This is one.

Name withheld on request