Mount Vernon Deputy Police Commissioner Jennifer Lackard was fired from her job on Tuesday. WABC-TVWhen there is institutional turmoil, it exposes not only the vulnerabilities of leadership, but also the importance of citizens discharging their civic responsibilities. An example is the unfolding crisis in Mount Vernon, USA that has seen the arrest of a former deputy police commissioner. In Mount Vernon, USA, multiple departments are under scrutiny, yet the leadership so far as reported has retreated from public view. The strength of any democracy – whether in Barbados or Mount Vernon, USA – rests not only on leaders who communicate, but on citizens who refuse to accept silence where accountability is required.