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"A lawless society while on foot", and you cite jaywalking??? Your example of vandalism is confused with burglary. Which is it, and was the proper information relayed to police communications? I can assure you that if dispatch is called about a burglary in progress, suspect still on the scene, that at least two officers will respond immediately.

Obviously the department has had issues lately, but take a look around the country and you'll see A LOT more problems with crime and internal controversy in other cities than what we have here in Greensboro. For now, we have a respectable and capable Chief that needs a little more time and resources than have been afforded the police department for the last ten years or more. The city has neglected police issues for far too long, so if you're looking for someone to blame for jaywalking or that vandalism/burglary that you are confused about, call the city council first. Since half of the council is new, there just might be some change on the way already.

Dear unbiased, how long have you been a police officer? If the City Manager, City Council, and even many police officers were as adept at dealing with the rapidly growing crime problem, as they were with demonizing the previous chief we might have to read about the influx of gangs to our community, and the carnage they do. I don't give a rat's rear end when they do it each other but I'm outraged at the number of innocents affected. It's a damned shame when going to a convenience store to get some milk can become as life threatening decision! This is a relatively new phenomenon here.

The Race Card, my friend. It drives this city like nobody's business.
Chief White...allowed to initiate race-based promotions and gather his black-only clique around him.
Chief Wray...run out of town by Mitch Johnson who was doing the bidding of the Simkins PAC and covering up the Project Homestead stink.
Chief Bellamy...promotes black officers who should have been fired. Sgt. Wallace was a disgrace, was promoted by Bellamy, and now faces sex assault allegations.
No one, my friend, will go head-to-head with the black race-baiters in this city. Chief Wray tried it an was crucified by the N&R's most liberal reporter.

Jackbar, I couldn't have said it better. The city is being held hostage by the RACE CARD.

I'm curious. Are the three officers currently charged with sexual assault black? Anyone know? Interesting that this one detail has been kept out of the information released. If they are, then I'd say that perhaps Chief Wray had a reason for his "little BLACK book!"

Bunny, the three officers are black. I've read elsewhere in the blogosphere that the "victim" is a married black female officer.

My question regarding this "sexual assault" is; Why did these three officers use a city vehicle while they were on duty to take the female officer "home" from the mall area? Does anyone else have similar questions?

Shalom

tonymo, jcackbar...

Certainly the race card is overplayed in city and police issues. That's obvious enough, but it has nothing to do with the original letter. As for former Chief Wray, he had enough reason to deal with certain officers in an appropriate and effective administrative fashion, but instead chose to press a potential criminal issue to the point that he used a particular division improperly and lied to his boss about it. A patrol officer can't do things the wrong way and lie to his Sgt. about it without losing the case in court and getting disciplined for it, so why should the Chief be able to do it??? If anything Wray buried himself under the pressure of racial issues, by not demoting people, instead of standing up and being a strong manager from the start.

As for the gang issue tonymo, do you really think that this just started while Chief Bellamy has been in charge? Gangs have been a growing problem for over a decade, but the police department has been denied the resources for a full time gang unit until just this year. Who's fault is that?? Officer Cuthbertson is a nationally recognized expert on gang trends, but has been openly scoffed at in public meetings with school board and city council members who choose to either keep their heads in the sand or play race politics. Again, who's fault is that??? The department knows full well the extent of the problem and how to deal with it, but there are still just around 15-18 officers working the entire city during late night hours on most nights. The department needs more officers, plain and simple, but the city refuses to fund the department. If you want to complain about the quality of the personnel, then blame the city for allowing the department to fall behind other agencies in starting pay, pay raises, take home cars, and educational incentive pay (which Wray himself eliminated). The better applicants go elsewhere.

The latest controversy involves black officers, but their conduct, right or wrong (which remains to be seen), has nothing to do with Chief Bellamy. He is not responsible for their actions on that night. If they have done something to deserve being fired under his watch than it's a different story, but that has not occurred, this case notwithstanding. The fact that one was promoted under Bellamy, deserved or not, doesn't mean that he was in a better or worse position to be involved in this incident.

My basic point is that the department, under any past Chief that you may wish to mention, has not been supported with anywhere near the appropriate funding from the city. Like most issues, it takes some high profile incidents and a spike in certain crimes to open the eyes of people who have the power to make change. Most people just turn their heads and flip over to American Idol until trouble boils over in their neighborhood. So unless you have been working against crime and the many factors that lead to it on a daily basis, or have been stamping your feet at city council meetings over crime and safety issues, your criticisms toward the police department have little merit at this point. The many officers who work every day toward a safer city are ignored in public forums, disregarded as politically unsavory voices. Their opinions don't matter, they are just expected to work their beat and shut up.

What have YOU been doing or saying to affect change?

"Chief Wray...used a particular division improperly and lied to his boss about it."
Purely allegation at this point, no proof or evidence presented by the City that this is the truth. Sounds like your opinion, to which you are welcome, but don't try to tell us it's a "fact."

"The fact that one was promoted under Bellamy, deserved or not, doesn't mean that he was in a better or worse position to be involved in this incident."

Wrong. Wallace is "golden" and untouchable; he can do as he pleases, right or wrong, because he has the protection of Chief Bellamy. It's precisely BECAUSE he was promoted that he was in the position to be involved in this, even though fellow officers and pne District Attorney have judged him unfit to serve.

Bad leadership leads to bad officers.

"Something is wrong, and the answer is not getting more officers. It is getting the right officers and leadership."

The GPD *had* the right leadership. Chief Wray was in the process of cleaning up the mess when he was tared and feathered by the City Manager. It seems that the majority of citizens in Greensboro favor the corruption in our city government. If you need another example, look no further than the failure to oust Bellamy-Small.

jcackbar, I'll tell you what is a "fact", and that is that SID was never used by any chief before in the fashion that Wray used it...never. All this talk about Wray "cleaning up the department" is a bunch of crap. If he really had the backbone that all the Wray supporters claim, he would have just demoted Hinson for administrative reasons after the criminal issues hit a dead end. Instead he pressed on in vain to the point of his own demise. Either way you want to look at it, he quit, end of story, no "proof or evidence" is necessary from the city.

Wallace isn't "golden", that is just pure hyperbole. Anything that he has gotten away with hasn't been under Chief Bellamy. I'm not going to argue his promotion, but that is another issue. He could have easily ended up in this scenario regardless of his rank, just like the corporal and officer also involved. That kills your argument right there. If he ends up being "protected" somehow after this incident then it will obviously say something about the leadership of the department. The facts remain to be seen, though, and I'm not about to make assumptions. That's not because I like or try to make excuses for anybody involved, that's just the proper way to approach the issue. The "unbiased" way, if you will. I can see that you have a slanted viewpoint though, and seem to think that the Chief can skew an investigation of this magnitude without anybody knowing and calling him out on it. Maybe Chief Bellamy was in the grassy knoll too...check into that for us.

"If he really had the backbone that all the Wray supporters claim, he would have just demoted Hinson for administrative reasons after the criminal issues hit a dead end."

You mean demote a black man? Wouldn't he risk unjustifiably being labeled some kind of racist? Oh wait. Too late for that! Sounds like you're all for the corruption in the GPD and City Management. Afterall, it was in "vain" to pursue a police officer who had dealings with a well-known drug-dealer.

Even after Wray was ousted, it was said that he "invaded" B. Hinson's privacy. She was finally charged with obtaining property under false pretenses. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that J. Hinson was up to no good as well. However, those closest to the corruption seemed to come out unscathed.

Wray was made to wear an albatross and a bullseye! In the end the public will probably never be told what really happened. Yet, those of us who know Wray personally, have no doubt as to his intentions, character, and integrity. Wray is a good man. That won't change just because there are folks who want to trash his good name.

So I'm for corruption because I think Hinson should have been demoted for administrative reasons, regardless of any criminal investigations (which Wray's own handpicked people found to lack sufficient evidence)??? You're not making any sense.

It's simple, it is not against the law to associate with known criminals, but it is definitely against department policy. Therefore, Hinson could/should have been severly disciplined or demoted under Wray's administrative powers for his actions even though there was not sufficient evidence for criminal charges, according to the investigators that Wray assigned.

I do not at all question Wray's intentions, character, or integrity. I just think he screwed up the whole situation because he was either obsessed with a criminal case against Hinson (which his own people kept telling him was insufficient), or afraid of racial fallout by demoting him. Either way he lied to Mitch Johnson about it and then quit when he got called on it. If Wray had just disciplined and demoted Hinson when he had the chance, and just waited for him to eventually screw up enough for an air tight criminal case, he would have dealt with temporary racial turmoil but still kept his job, and he and the department would be a lot better off because of it. Instead we are still in a mess and picking up the pieces. What kind of leadership was that??

"So I'm for corruption because I think Hinson should have been demoted for administrative reasons, regardless of any criminal investigations (which Wray's own handpicked people found to lack sufficient evidence)??? You're not making any sense."

After re-reading this dialogue with a clear head, yes, you're probably right concerning suspending Hinson. Hindsight is 20/20 however. Wray was going to be mauled no matter which move he made. My apologies if I offended you with my last post.