News-Record.com

I think it's astounding and disgusting that a city official actually had to lower himself and and answer questions posed to him by ordinary scumbag citizens. This sets a dangerous precedent for Guilford Co. politics.
Where's Dot Kearns when you need her?
Everybody knows you get much more accomplished with secret midnight meetings where secret agendas can be acted on by people who really have the power. Ordinary scumbag citizens don't know the answers. Heck, they don't even know the questions.

So $750K on top of all the lawsuits that are sure to follow.
Looks like another bond referendum to pay the citys liabilities.

My question is why the city has to have multiple meetings to find out what qualifications are needed in the chief of police. Don't they know the answer to the question? Any qualified HR person should be able to write the list of qualifications by reading the job description. It's a funny way of running a city if you have to ask the citizens what qualifications are needed in this position.

Either this is a PR campaign being run by the city to clean up its image, or we have a bunch of incompetents running the city. I just can't decide which it is.

I see it as good pr. Imagine the school board doing the same thing whenever it looks for a new superintendent (I know I'm opening up Pandora's box by mentioning such a scenario). Anyway, the meetings simply provide an opportunity for lots of public discussion about all kinds of issues that people are concerned about. If city officials are willing to listen and answer questions, then it's good government at work.

Doug you took the letters right out of my mouth. PR...

The city can't save face on this. They should just hire someone and move on. Once the figure of $750,000 becomes known by the general public, outrate might set in.

Should a city manager that blows $750k not be fired?

Doug,

Has the council considered how much damage this whole mess has cost the city in damage to its economic development efforts? Other than getting some serious bucks in their coffer, businesses will not have any interest in planting in a community with this type of problem. On the other hand, I suppose that is why a $10 million bond was needed.

PR to clean up the city's image? Why don't they just get Action Greensboro to run an advertising campaign to polish up the image of the city, like they are doing for the schools? It's cheaper and easier to just polish the image than to deal with the substance.

I was very surprised by the $750k figure, but you have to do what it takes to fix whatever problems exist in the PD. I think when it's all over the city should release a detailed breakdown on the expenses.

Greensboro lost a recent battle with High Point for Polo.com, but I have no idea what the impact of PD troubles was on that or any other economic development efforts. In general, it can't be good. Companies can't be any happier than any other taxpayers about tax money being spent on internal investigations.

Did anyone tell Mitch Johnson they'd like a chief who will stick to his guns and not be bullied by a City Manager controlled by black racists?
Oh, never mind...we already HAD one of those, and Johnson fired him.

Are there any defenders of David Wray out there who will actually go on the record using their full names? With the volume of comments to the blogs and calls to the Rhino Times "Beep" you would think that half the community is clamoring to have David Wray reinstated. And yet it's impossible to find out who these people are. What are they afraid of?

Stormy,

Regarding your earlier question. The answer is ...BOTH ! !

jaycee, some people said they want the police chief, not the city manager, to run the police department.

The problem with that idea is that the city manager is responsible for all city agencies, including the PD.

Until the controversy is over, I don't believe a new police chief should be hired. This damn political correctness has divided our city and orse yet, our council and manager don't seem to even have a clue what the real problems really are. If you even question motives you are branded with the racist iron. QUITE FRANKLY, i'm pretty fed up.

Doug,

Perhaps, the city should consider making a change in its organizational structure. It seems to me that a City Manager who has to get waist deep in politics to do their job is not the right person to be making decisions within the law enforcement agency of the city. That person is not trained in law enforcement and by the nature of the job, the person has to act political. When a politician countermans the police chief's decisions on discipline, you have a problem. Greesnboro has introduced politics into its law enforcement agency. Bad idea.

Doug, I'm well aware of the chain of command with the City Manager and the Chief of Police.
When the City Manager steps down past the Chief to dictate disciplinary actions against rank-and-file troops, then the CM has "jumped" chain of command and undermined the Chief's authority. In effect, the CM is marginalizing the Chief's position and saying that the Chief no longer has the CM's confidence.
If it appears these actions are spawned by pressure on the CM from activist racist leaders then the situation degenerates further.
Anyone with eyes on the Chief’s job should fully understand that the racial politics of Mitch Johnson may well govern and run the Greensboro Police Department, not a career law enforcement officer serving as Chief.

Stormy and jaycee, do you know that's what happened?

As to Wayne's point, it definitely is a tough time to ask a new police chief to come in with so many issues unresolved.

Doug, that's my opinion on what's happened, and my impression from reading articles in the N&R and The Rhino Times about the situation. I've also had conversations with GPD officers past and present.
Johnson countermanded Chief Wray's discipline of a black officer. This was a significant slap in the face to a police chief, who needs to be in control of his department. What is says to officers is that if you're black and you don't like the Chief's decisions, you can run crying and screaming to the City Manager (or have local black leaders do it for you) and expect him to give in to your demands. In other words, the Chief's authority is irrelevant.
The Pulpit Forum and others publicly and privately wail, scream, and gnash their teeth to city leaders over everything they deem "racial." The City gave it to demands by black officers and black activists. Kow-towing to black leaders seems to be Johnson's forte in running our city government.
Again, in my *opinion*, anyone seeking the Chief's position should be prepared to have Mitch Johnson step in and "take over" the department anytime Johnson wants.

Doug,

Do you know that is not what happened? Is there anyone that has documented anything that Bledsoe has written as false? If they have proof that what he is writing, then the lawsuits should be flying.

The city won't be filing any lawsuits but, yes, certain individuals probably would if false and damaging statements were printed about them.

Individuals on both sides of this divide, I would think.

Well, Doug, do you think that some individuals should sue the N&R for it's biased, one-sided coverage of this issue?
If you're calling the kettle black, you need to look at your own pot...

jaycee, I don't think I darkened the name of anyone's kettle, and I didn't suggest that anyone should or should not sue anyone.