Yesterday's actions by City Manager Mitchell Johnson to lock Police Chief David Wray's office and the spin-off rumors generated by that move sent the press into a virtual feeding frenzy. I received six calls from five reporters (newspaper and TV) within a two-hour time span Friday evening seeking information and comment, and I'm sure my fellow council members were subjected to that same barrage.
That turned out to be a lot of wasted time and energy for those reporters. Personnel issues such as this are solely the responsibility of the city manager, and city council members are barred from involvement. While our manager and city attorney have kept us council members informed on the progress and findings of the ongoing investigation, we cannot legally share anything with the public. State personnel law severely limits what we (the manager and council members) can publicly reveal lest we incur a lawsuit against the city that could be very costly to taxpayers.
So, through my muzzled mouth, I will say only that I have the utmost confidence in Mitchell Johnson to conduct this investigation in a professional manner that respects and protects the rights of all involved, and that he will make the decision that is in the best interest of Greensboro, its police officers, and its citizens. I wish him wisdom, fairness, and fortitude as he struggles with that tough decision.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Media frenzy
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9 comments:
Even though we know that you're not supposed to talk about personnel, we swarm you all for a couple reasons. First, even though we know that, you are the representatives of the city and citizens expect you to represent them in matters just like this. They want to know what you think. Second, sometimes some of you do comment. And most important in this case, the announcement by Mitch that the chief had been locked out of his own office was so, well, mystifying, we needed to see if we could get someone to explain it a bit more.
Well, that and we just like talking to you guys. :)
John Robinson
Thanks, John, I know you have to try to get information from any and all possible sources. And believe it or not, I enjoy talking to you guys as well. :) I just wanted folks to understand why we have to be so tight-lipped sometimes.
We know that most of the time council members won't talk about these things. We do understand the reasons, too. We have the same constraints within our business, too. But we gotta give it a shot!
Sorry. That previous comment was from John Robinson.
If a man with Chief Wray's credentials isn't fit to be the top cop in Greensboro, then the city has a serious problem.
For the media and Mr. Johnson's sake, they had best turn up some serious malfeasance. You can't just destroy a man who is born and raised in a city and commits his professional career to the area on whimsical racial politics. Or can you in Greensboro?
jsykes,
Believe me, this investigation is NOT based on whimsical politics. Hopefully at the appropriate time and with the right process, the key findings can be made public at which time everyone can make their own judgments.
I do have difficulty with the response that you (by YOU, I mean the group, City Council, City Manager) saying that you can't comment. Partial information gets put out there, then you clam up. I am left making assumptions based on partial information. I can try not to, to wait until all the information is in, but I'm afraid there is much speculation, in the absence of information. I understand the legal issues surrounding this. But quit being coy. (Again, Sandy, I mean this in the collective sense.)
What, if you weren't privy to the insider information, would YOU be thinking?
No matter what's going on, no matter who is right or wrong or fired, the way it's been played out so far, is unconscionable.
And no matter WHAT Mitch says if I were David Wray, I'd be on Career Builders.com as we speak. Or hiring an attorney.
jw,
From my understanding of the circumstances, the city manager never intended to say anything publicly until he had read the full report and worked through the legal process and taken final action. The locking of the office was a step in the process to protect the integrity of potentially sensitive files that may contain evidence crucial to that investigation.
The information about the locked office was leaked to the press by an unknown person, and he had no choice then but to respond to the ensuing "media frenzy" and make a statement. Rumors were rampant -- nearly every reporter who contacted me stated that the chief had been fired or suspended -- which was totally incorrect. Mitch felt it necessary to correct that misinformation.
No one on staff or council was trying to be coy or play games with this sensitive issue. There would have been no comments or partial information given had that leak not occurred.
News
Monday, January 9, 2006
Wray resigns as police chief
From Staff Reports
GREENSBORO — Greensboro police Chief David Wray has resigned, according to a press release his office faxed to the media this morning.
"Certain events during the last several months have created controversy," Wray said in a written statement. "During this period I have at all times acted in what I believed to be the best interest of the department and the community, attempting to find balance between a number of conflicting interests. The result, however, is that the city manager and some others have lost confidence and trust in my ability to lead. This is my great regret."
Details are developing.
[img]http://cmsimg.news-record.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BJ&Date=20060109&Category=NEWSREC0101&ArtNo=60109007&Ref=AR&MaxW=178[/img]
David Wray
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