J. Bracken Lee - Controversial Firing of Police Chief Cleon Skousen

Controversial Firing of Police Chief Cleon Skousen

Cleon Skousen had served as Salt Lake City, Utah, police chief for four years before being fired. Salt Lake City had a weak-mayor system The mayor was a member of the five member commission. In 1960 Lee offered a motion to fire Skousen and the majority of the commission voted yes. This happened shortly after Skousen raided an illegal poker club, where J. Bracken Lee was in attendance. Lee characterized Skousen's strict enforcement of anti-gambling laws as "like a Gestapo."

Read more about this topic:  J. Bracken Lee

Famous quotes containing the words firing, police and/or chief:

    Slowly, and in spite of anything we Americans do or do not do, it looks a little as if you and some other good people are going to have to answer the old question of whether you want to keep your country unshackled by taking even more definite steps to do so—even firing shots—or, on the other hand, submitting to be shackled for the sake of not losing one American life.
    Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)

    I’ve met a lot of murderers in my day, but Dr. Garth, whatever he is, is the first man I’ve ever met who was polite to me and still made the chills run up and down my back.
    Robert D. Andrews, and Nick Grindé. Police detective, Before I Hang, describing his meeting with Dr. Garth (1940)

    After all, the chief business of the American people is business. They are profoundly concerned with producing, buying, selling, investing and prospering in the world.
    Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)