Welcome back, kindergartners

We again have seen how unsettling a little political diversity can be in Belleville City Hall. Belleville City Clerk Dallas Cook was for the second time in a year in the middle of swirl of cops and intruders and controversy.

Belleville Police were handed the political steaming pile of determining whether resident Rose Wilson on May 27 went in the secret aldermanic closet and took a pile of papers, then whether Cook filed a false police report when it turned out the papers came from a counter containing public documents. We can only imagine how many hours of investigative and administrative time was spent on this bit of political theater, not to mention what a waste of resources it turned out to be.

The fact that St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly in less than half a day rejected any criminal intent — by either Wilson for trespassing or Cook for filing a false police report — told you most of what you need to know.

Remember, Cook’s office also was the center in August of five scrambling cops who responded to an “intruder alert” when a human resources assistant reported Michael Hagberg, Cook’s friend, was behind the clerk’s counter. Cook had tried to hire Hagberg as an assistant, but backed off when the union complained.

Wilson and Cook have jousted in public for some time. Cook says Mayor Mark Eckert and Police Chief Bill Clay don’t like him.

You’ve got to wonder whether he has to eat lunch by himself.

Folks, the city’s residents elected whom they elected to do a job and keep the big picture in mind. Let’s stop the childish antics and stop using city police as babysitters.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Welcome back, kindergartners."