Saturday, March 04, 2000
Mayor wants police chief fired
Allegations of profiling spur move
BY SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
WAYNESVILLE — Mayor Charles Sanders said Friday he will push at Village Council's meeting Monday night to oust the police chief, amid allegations that police make traffic stops based on race.
Mayor Sanders said he has fielded phone calls from at least four other people who contend police use racial profiling, in the aftermath of an incident last weekend involving three young men stopped in Waynesville.
“I'm going to use the information they give me to strengthen the position that the chief should be dismissed,” Mayor Sanders said of the latest allegations. “This guy had been given sensitivity training and he should be sending that down through the ranks.
“We stand to lose a lot of money because of people who have been wronged. We need to cut our losses. We need to fire him and show people we are taking some positive action.”
He said he will make the request at the regular council meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Council members who could be reached Friday wouldn't say whether they support firing Chief Allen Carter.
Tension had been mounting between the mayor and the police chief since 1995, when Chief Carter was given a verbal warning after an officer taped a police briefing in which Chief Carter used a racial slur in reference to the mayor.
Because of the incident, Village Manager Kevin Harper said he hired a company to conduct diversity training for all officers in the department. The force has four full-time officers, including the chief, and 14 part-timers.
On Thursday, Mr. Harper asked the Warren County Sheriff's Office to look into allegations that part-time officers Ryan Stanaford and Marc Walters pulled over a car at 12:26 a.m. Saturday for alleged traffic violations, drew their weapons and handcuffed a biracial Army soldier and two of his friends, who are black.
The men — driver Saul Plaza, 19, of Monroe, and passengers Dwenton Jackson, 19, and DeAngelo Harrington, 18, both of Middletown — were released without charges or citations after police searched the car for drugs. They said they were visiting a white friend in Waynesville at the time.
“The sheriff's department is supposed to be investigating it. Before I know what they had to say about it, it wouldn't be very prudent to say I was going to do this or that,” said Claire Dunkin, a councilwoman for about two years.
Chief Carter and Mr. Harper have denied that officers use racial profiling. Mr. Plaza's parents said they have hired a lawyer and plan to file a civil-rights suit against village police.
Citing the possibility of litigation, Councilwoman Sandy Stemple declined specific comment about Chief Carter or allegations of profiling.
But she said: “People will use their heads and think about what's being said and who is saying it.”
Mr. Harper defended Chief Carter, saying he is not under investigation. He placed a gag order on Chief Carter on Thursday, barring him from talking to reporters.
“No one has filed a complaint against the chief and he is not under investigation. It would be improper to proceed with termination against an employee not now under investigation. You can't just terminate employees in the absence of any wrongdoing. You just can't do it,” Mr. Harper said.
Councilman Phil Day reserved comment until after the investigation is complete, but he criticized the mayor, saying his “commentary is unnecessary.”
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