Crime in the city

If you are interested in learning more about crime statistics in Greensboro go to the City of Greensboro official website, click departments/police/statistics. The police departments maintains an-depth array of data ranging from traffic to larceny to homicide. Data is given on a month to month basis, as well as comparatively for a number of years.

Question for the City Council

In recent days each City Council member received a letter from attorney Kenneth Keller, who represents David Wray. In summary Mr. Keller presented a number of reasons for believing a "black book" containing photos of black police officers and shown to numerous drug users and prostitutes never existed. He did allude to the existence of a black binder with photo arrays prepared in response to a specific complaint.

This follows newspaper disclosure of the memo that the City Manager and City Attorney said did not exist.

In light of these revelations, and the continuing string of information that makes the manager's case against David Wray look more and more suspect, I would like to pose a question to the new City Council.

Does the recent series of events over the line-up book make you understand more fully how unfair it was to presume that Police Chief David Wray and his fellow officers were guilty, and to refuse to extend them the benefit of the doubt? Furthermore, does it make you want to do something concrete to make the situation more tolerable for them? As it stands, David Wray is unable to obtain law enforcement employment commensurate with his experience, education, and skills. Retirement benefits to Wray and his deputy chief were not fully granted, and various officers were forced to incur substantial legal expenses that rightfully should be covered by the city. Fair play suggests the new Council should take another look. At a minimum the city owes Wray and the public a detailed explanation of precisely why he was forced out in the manner that happened.

A chance to move ahead

It is abundantly clear that a terrible mistake was made in forcing former police Chief David Wray to resign. Recent events have only magnified that fact.

The forced resignation of former police Chief David Wray has left him in a state of limbo for the past two years. In spite of his spotless law enforcement record (undergraduate and graduate degrees in law enforcement, Harvard Executive Program graduate, Police Academy honors graduate, unblemished 28 year career), he is unable to seek employment in a law enforcement position commensurate with his experience and background as long as the cloud from the so called “black book” episode hangs over his head.

There is absolutely no credible reason to believe that Wray engaged in illegal racial targeting activities. Think about it: a twenty-eight year veteran police officer with sterling credentials, an unblemished record, at the pinnacle of his career, and coming up on retirement; what possible reason could he have to turn against a lifetime of accomplishment in favor of a sinister racial plot? What could he stand to gain? He comes from a highly regarded family with a history of work in law enforcement, is deeply religious, and is known for a solid work ethic. It simply does not compute.

Wray has suffered two years of humiliation and underemployment. The city has an opportunity to partially right this wrong by going on record and saying that a mistake was made in his termination, and offering a sincere apology to him. If the city can find the courage and grace to admit that a mistake was made in the Wray matter and agree to provide employment reference based on his actual service record, I sincerely believe a giant step will have been taken in restoring faith in the leadership of our great city. A lot of citizens will feel better toward the city as a consequence.

I cannot attend the Monday evening town meeting due to a prior commitment, but I intend to deliver a question along this same line to the program moderator prior to the meeting and hope that it will see light of day during the forum.

Enough is enough!

Today's "discovery" by city personnel of the black book memo sought by News & Record reporter Margaret Banks is the last straw. Earlier the legal department stated that such a memo did not exist. Suddenly, after a copy appeared on the front page of Rhinoceros Times, the memo was located by city staff. The City Manager expressed relief that it had been located.

The case against the city manager grows longer each day. How long must we endure his leadership and have him speak for the city when his credibility is in shreds? Under his guidance a highly qualified police chief was forced from office for no apparent reason, and the police department has descended from a first rate professional organization to an undisciplined one that lacks strong leadership and direction.

New leadership is needed; Mitchell Johnson needs to go!