Norfolk mayor cancels meeting on felon's appointment

I am 26, and a convicted felon. I'm sorry people have such a strong opinion about this matter, it's really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. It's not hard to be convicted of a felony in Norfolk or virginia as a whole, not at all. The police are terrible about charging people without evidence as in my case. I hate virginia, and I hate what it's become. You give someone a gun and a badge in Hampton Roads or Tideater, and they're automatically captain america and wanna start using handcuffs on innocent people. If this individual is leading a wholesome life and is reformed, I say give him the job, not a big deal, a lot of you people need to get over yourselves and lower your pinky when you drink your starbucks and beat your wives.

First, respect to family and friends that have been affected by these events. Saying that, I would encourage anyone with doubts of Mr. Albert's character, mission, vision, his faith, his great works, and his past deeds to somehow, get to know the man-even the families affected. It could help the healing! His spiritual strength is awesome and his belief and faith in people, his family, and community is solid as anyone's I've met or read about! Don't judge without knowing the facts. Mr. Albert is a bridge between people's past and their futures and he can't help but serve. Plus, know that an organization can choose to hire who it wants even knowing the past. Mr. Albert is well worth the money and opportunity the city offered to him to serve!

I am a retiree from the Military with 26 years of service. In the year 2000, I applied for a job with the city of Norfolk and they did not have the decency to acknowledge my application. The position advertise did not pay anything close to 98K, not even half of that.
Why do away with the position? Why not offer the job to another qualified person. There are a bunch of military retirees coming back from Iraq that could use a job making 98K.

We're not as ignorant as you think. At least we know about living a decent, honorable law abiding life, staying out of trouble and being someone you can look up to and being a good role model. Apparently you don't understand these things or feel that they are not important. They are! And when you live a good, decent life you don't have to worry about things you have done in your past comming back to haunt you.

Mr.Albert obviously and openly states that he made mistakes in the past. Do you think that after all he has been through he would make the same mistakes? He has for so long shown the wrong people the right way which is more than most of us do. He has earned this position. Let him stand and deliver. He has the ability to bridge the gap between the police and the criminals in a sense he will be able to change the minds of those doing wrong because he has been there. They will listen to him more than any court or judge. Let me ask you if any of got caught skipping school, would the principal or your role model reach out to you. He can change Norfolk's neighborhoods like no police nor their squad cars and guns can.

I think that you have enough of your own problems to worry about! Just look at where this country is now and those high-paided officials with multiple degrees haven't solved these problems yet! Yes, this includes your overgrown suburbs where everyone makes 6 figure incomes; however, nothing gets accomplished! People are all up in arms over the salary paid to an ex-felon rather than the duties that this job encompass! For the Criminal Justice grad, do you really want this job? It's one thing to accept a job for pay but it's entirely another ball-game being played by today's criminals! I can see the city hiring another do-nothing employee or have this position go unfilled! It is clear to me that many of you are simply intolerant of ex-felons!

Get over it people. The ones you need to put focus on are the ones that don't have a criminal records. At least we know what this gentleman has done in his past.

I'm glad we can provide this convicted felon with a $98K/year job in the Criminal Justice system but yet as someone with a Bachelor's degree in CJ and no criminal record, I can't find a decent job in my field.

Need I elaborate??? The policies and continuing events make us all get a good chuckle when it comes to Hampton Roads, it's policies, and it's people. Hampton Roads, AKA the brain drain of Virginia. Anyone with a brain leaves that area. Why don't ya let the guy run things? Like Norfolk has the creme de la creme police force on par with Fairfax COunty!

PS...how are Brent and Eddie doing????

John C. i agree and it happens in just about topic discussion.

So Mr. Fraim says this is his fault and his problem? Outstanding!! And this guy is one of the "smart guys" that our illustrious Govenor has appointed to head up the transportation authority. I sure hope he either gets removed from the authority or gets real smart, real fast. My wallet can't stand another hand in it, especially when that hand is attached to Mr. Fraim, who is going to use this same type of judgement to determine the "best way" for us in Hampton Roads to pay for the roads and tunnels the state should be paying for to start with. Wake up people!!! Idiots like this (Mr. Fraim) are the ones who make decisions for us all. Get out and vote people like this out of office.

prisoners are big money for the government??? yes you are correct..it cost the government alot of money to keep people locked away

To all council members !
maybe we need to wait for Alfredo Ramos to get out the joint,in the next 14 to 20 years and then offered him to head the Department of Homeland Security .
Does that sound reasonable??????

I,m glad I don't live in Norfolk. If Albert deserves this job because he is a felon, then fire the entire police force and hire all felons.

...who haven't killed an innocent person and been convicted of it? Paying one's debt to society is fine, but having them in a leadership position to "fight crime" if they've killed at least one person is not just a joke, it's a travesty. Can Alphonso even vote in Virginia? If not, then he shouldn't be in this office.

Mr. Alberts connection with Kenny Speed is something those in support of Mr. Albert should consider. Kenny Speed was a cold blooded killer that had his followers not only kill but torture his victims. I see some trying to make this a black white issue but the victims were black as well. Are their families okay with this appointment? Are we sending the wrong message it's okay to do bad things because all you have to do is change your life and it's okay? This is the same city Mr. Albert cost thousands of dollars to prosecute the crime ring he was involved with. Character and credibility is very important in the position he is now holding. Can he overcome his past with the community?

I am the cousin and god-daughter of the man that Alphonso Albert murdered in 1977. My cousin Michael was a strong black man. He served his country, was college educated, was married, and was the father of an infant son. Mr. Albert is giving back to a community that he robbed of an educated, family-oriented man. Is this his way of atoning for his crimes? I can not answer that question because it is between Mr. Albert and God.

I can tell you that this appointment has victimized my family again, thirty years after the fact. Thirty years does not return a father to his son, a husband to his wife, a brother to his siblings, or a son to his parents.

Norfolk please do the right thing in memory of my godfather.

that Pilot has provided a safe place for all the racists to hang out.

Racism is still alive and kicking on all levels.You say you want the crime to drop, no you don't If after people have paid their debt to society and they want a chance to be productive, give'em a chance. No, we put our foot on their neck and continue to remind them about what they've done in the past. The rest of the world thinks we are a Joke.We don't have to be concern about terrorist, we are the terrorist. We are destroying ourselves from within. We are the most selfish and unforgiving group of people. Felons don't have a chance once they're released, I applaud Mr. Albert in his efforts to help them get their lives on track. The more we help them turn the lives around the less crime.Oh, I forgot prisoners are big money for our government

Lets let the 200+club pay his salary,Then we could have enough money to give long over due pay increases to Law Enforcement!! Wonder how much support he would have then. By the way,,How did the City manage to come up with$98.500 extra anyway?

The federal government has seen to that. It ensures that people of a particular color receive an unfair advantage. It is the new KKK.

Disappointed in the Pilot for publishing such a biased series of articles. Albert has a violent PAST, but the Pilot did very little in the way of showing the wonderful things he's done. What do we want people to do when they get out of prison? If they have NO chance of ever holding an honorable position, what motivation do they have to stay straight? We take away so many rights of ex-offenders, making it almost impossible for them to be successful in our society. What is the purpose of punishment? When does it end? Albert has done a lot more for this city than most, if not all, of the people posting on this board who think they can do a better job. This is the sad part of politics--he will lose the position to satisfy the ignorant majority.

Fraim said "I have known and worked with Alphonso Albert for nearly 20 years. I consider him a trusted friend", 20 years ago was 1987. So Fraim was a trusted friend of Albert when he was dealing drugs? Well heck, no wonder he wants to look out for his buddy by handing him a $98K a year job. It's not about race, it's about waiting in the bushes and jumping out and murdering a college student and wounding three others. It's about pushing drugs to kids and it's about not paying your debts. Fraim has some strange trusted friends. How many of us have worked our buckets off and kept our records clean only to have a job that pays less than a third of what a convicted felon is being offered? Maybe if we were conficts we'd be offered the big money.

Seems most who oppose Mr. Albert's appt. are more concerned with the $$s than the appt. This suggests that if he were to earn, say, 50K, his background wouldn't be an issue. Fact of the matter is ALL gov't. (local, state, & federal) agencies routinely create new programs & head them w/someone who has demonstrated thru related successes his/her ability to be effective. For those who don't know, salary is determined by the scope of a position, not the person in it. Mr. Albert took 2nd Chances from an idea to a nationally recognized program-- recognition for Norfolk, not for him. Other than the convenient facts The VP has given. how many of you REALLY know about 2nd Chances? His success will be Norfolk's success & it'll be worth the $$.

Here we go again, my 3rd attempt to post. For all the investigators that are investigating Mr. Albert's past, has anyone investigated and "front paged" all the positivie efforts he has made in our community for the past 15 yrs? He has labored as Director of the Second Chances Program for 8 yrs, in Norfolk's City Hall Building for the City of Norfolk and no one slandered him in that position. He has assisted many in becoming productive, tax paying citizens, not citizens who we had to take care of with our salaries and taxes. Has anyone investigated the new endeavors he instituted; the KIP Care Program, assisting children whose parents are incarcerated; attempting to prevent the cycle of incarceration in families, Harbor House, and more!!!

This is a very simple issue, The city council is about to appoint a convicted felon, not just one felony but two decades of crime from Narcotics to Murder, to a position that would be the head of a crime prevention program. This is an absurd idea and should be reconcidered. This is also a slap in the face to the men and women who have protected this city for the past 200 plus years from people just like Alphonso Albert. The best thing he ever did in the area of crime prevention was when he stopped committing them. By the City Council and Mayor as a reminder you are in an elected position.

Here is my position; if he is hired then all convicted felons should be eligible for employment with the City of Norfolk regardless of crimes committed.

If Norfolk would've followed the examples of the rest of the country none of us would've even known about this: that being that in most cases the one officially appointed the position is a pawn for public showcasing, while an "aide" or "advisor" to that official is the convicted felon in the background pulling the strings. You people would be surprised by now many felons are actually working in positions involving the law -- then again, most of you know it already (thus the phrase "it takes a thief to catch a thief", etc., etc....). You're just upset because this appointment was blatent and public, and there's an image that american society has to keep for their politically correct purposes. Quit acting surprised and get over it!!!

You are going to be the death of me by sheer laughter. Talk about tabloid material. Are you doing this on purpose for marketing or publicity? You people apparently have no clue how much you are embarassing yourself. This race card issue has been the foundation of almost all of your decisions. I don't think you are going to beat the corrupt city council of Richmond but you are well on your way, even if you trying. Bad part is, most of those in Richmond got caught and are serving sentences. Oh, I see, sleep with a dog with fleas because you already have them. Please stop this hysterical mania because I can't take it anymore. No matter how you slice it, the man is a murderer. Now you will have to accept felons as police or face law suits.

Anyone including the Mayor should understand at least 85% of the voters think Mr Alberts job appointment is outragous and has ratial overtones as to the screening process. Just remember as you rally in support. next election the folks who work hard pay our bills and obey the laws will clean house! The whole idea a convicted murderer could obtain this job is insane. A slap in the face to our local law enforcement. This man only paid his fines now? decade later to save face. If I owed for personal property Id been hounded and arrested... So maybe you are mayor and elected council should understand. This man has lost his right to vote, cannot hold a secuity clearance and could not be hired a a government or city employee. Shame shame..