In their latest attempt to slime the prior administration instead of accepting the responsibility that comes with power, it appears that Mayor Lunky and his handlers have shoved washed-up windbag Bob Turner back into the spotlight:

The push to put officers on the streets forced Indianapolis police to lower their standards, and may have contributed to the recent rash of officer arrests, said former public safety director Robert Turner Thursday.

Turner — who served for six and a half years under former Mayor Bart Peterson — spoke with 6News’ Jack Rinehart by phone Thursday.

In an effort to fulfill Peterson’s campaign pledge to hire an additional 200 police officers by the summer of 2003, he said standards were lowered at the police training academy.

So, all the officers who’ve allegedly broken laws graduated on Peterson’s watch, right?

Five of the 10 IMPD officers criminally charged within the last four months graduated from recruit classes hired during the Peterson administration, Rinehart reported.

D’oh!

By the by, wasn’t Turner Peterson’s public safety director? Why didn’t he bother speaking up back when this supposedly was happening? Or has he always been a powerless nincompoop?

We all know Ballard’s a bit of a dim bulb, but you’d think his handlers would know better than to unleash Turner on the media. He’s a loose cannon who just loves to recklessly flap his jaw. The poor guy’s been bitter since Peterson canned him for being incompetent. I guess this is how those who dwell in the Land Of Irrelevance pass their time.

P.S. Didn’t Turner try to get a job in Ballard’s administration? How’s it feel to be the poster child for political liability, Bobby?

More cops keep getting in trouble.  Two more IMPD officers are being investigated for alleged wrongdoing. 34-year old Christopher Poindexter is in trouble for reportedly filing a false police report to cover up an accident involving his fiancee sideswiping another vehicle while in his department issued car.

Another officer, James Ingalss is in hot water for allegedly having sex with a hooker while on duty.

And those incidents follow the suspension and subsequent criminal investigation of IMPD officer Anthony Smith who is believed to have forced a woman to perform a sex act on him in order to avoid an arrest.

Throw those three in with officers Jason Edwards, James Davis and Robert Long who are accused of stealing from drug dealers. IMPD Patrolman Jeremy was busted for helping a prostitute. George Leon Benjamin was charged with DUI for two crashes involving a police car.

Believe it or not there is some good news in all this. Bad officers are being weeded out and no one is trying to cover up their bad behavior. There about 2,000 members of IMPD, and if you throw in the rule of thumb that 10 percent of all people are bad actors, you can see how IMPD is no exception.

I’m more concerned when these incidents are covered up from the public. There’s no question that IMPD needs to get its own house in order and Chief Mike Spears tells me new orders and policies are being drafted to address these issues.

But I have to be honest, as much as I get annoyed when I read stories about bad cops, I’d be much more worried if I never heard about them.

If you’re Greg Ballard, and you’re about to announce a multi-million dollar increase in funding for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at tonight’s budget presentation, this is not the story you’re hoping will run near that one on the evening news:

IMPD Officer George Benjamin, 46, was arrested Sunday night after he drove his police-issued vehicle several times into a fence at Bryant Heating at 7310 W. Morris St.

According to the police report, security guards at the business alerted police to the crash. When officers arrived, they found Benjamin sitting near his car, visibly drunk, officers said.

Benjamin refused several field sobriety tests, according to the report, but agreed to take a Breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol content registered as .32, more than three times the legal limit.

What’s the current tally of police officers who’ve found themselves on the wrong side of the law this year? And we’re shorting other departments and services — including the courts that will process these naughty cops — in next year’s budget why?

Now that Mayor Greg Ballard’s plan to cut city arts funding has been made public, folks are starting to get a little riled up.

There’s even a new blog out there devoted to saving the paltry $1.5 million in funding.

You can check it out here.

Meanwhile, the city has received a $5 million public safety grant from the feds. From the story:

The Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Creek is one of the programs already readying its proposal for the federal funds.

“Nowadays you don’t see positive things going on about the youth. You see all negative. With the grant, you can get more money and more kids doing positive things,” said center counselor David Barlow.

Positive things going on about the youth? More kids doing positive things? You mean, like, providing them with opportunities in the community where they can spend their time productively instead of getting mixed up in drugs and crime? Huh. Seems like several arts and cultural activities might fit the bill, but we can’t talk about that because Ballard has proclaimed the arts unimportant.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard almost got to see crime up close and personal this morning as he was preparing to tour a new eco-friendly house on the near-Southside.

Fortunately for our brave Public Safety Mayor, it wasn’t the real deal, though he no doubt had to catch his breath after he was rushed away from the impending media event.

Word on the street is that officers were responding to a tip in an ongoing murder investigation, not, as Ballard seems to believe, someone playing a practical joke on him.

Earth to Greg: There’s a lot of crime going on right now. Perhaps you should come up with a plan to address it instead of staring blankly at technology you don’t understand.