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Reported
by Laura Mazzeo
DOVER- Department of Correction Commissioner Stan Taylor says he takes full
responsibility for the many shortcomings within the system.
He says now that the report is released, they've certainly got their work cut
out for them. But he also says the hostage negotiation team deserved more
praise than they recieved from the task force.
"While we deeply regret what happened with Cassie, Cassie is alive and
it's extraordinary, given what could have happened and what we think Miller's
intent probably was, and a lot of that has to go to the hostage negotiation
team as well.
He also told WBOC that he'd offered his resignation to Governor Minner after
the July incident. "That's a pretty personal question," he said
"but during the middle of all this I offered the governor my
resignation."
He also said his department has started the process of making some major
changes, first by cataloging the task force's reccommednations. As soon is
that process he says they'll make any changes that they can right away. But
others, will take some time and some funding. "I have to go to the
budget director and back to legislature to communicate our request after we
complete our analysis of what these recommendations really mean to us,"
Taylor said.
The Commissioner said he can't give a time frame for when they will make
changes. "I'd like to see that happen immediately but even if we had the
funding dropped on us tommorrw it takes time to do research," he said.
And even if they were able to implement all of the panels findings, right
away Taylor says he couldn't be sure a hostage situation wouldn't happen
again. "These institutions are dangerous places with dangerous people in
them I think what we do is always strive to operate them as safely and
securely as we can to keep odds in our favor."
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