David Wray's accomplishments

Recent release of the action plan by City Manager Mitchell Johnson gave me reason to pause and reflect on the accomplishments of Police Chief David Wray during his two and one-half year tenure as chief. A lot of effort has been made by certain sitting and former City Council members and the city manager to permanently tarnish the reputation of David Wray.

It is time to place Wray in a positive light and tell about his education, accomplishments, recognitions, and call to action within the Greensboro Police Department. Placed in proper perspective the reader should be able to reach his or her own conclusion about David Wray’s accomplishments, and perhaps a more insightful look at the character and integrity of the man.

Wray possesses a master’s degree in public affairs from UNCG; graduate of the Executive Program for Senior Executives in Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Fellow in Community Policing, Federal Enforcement Training Center; National Center for State and Local Programs.

Other experience included being a University Police Officer at UNCG; public school teacher, reserve police officer, and volunteer firefighter. He was a United Kingdom Exchange Officer, member of Governor’s Task Force on DWI, Board of Directors of National Conference for Community and Justice, Board of Directors, Salvation Army, plus an assortment of other positions and memberships. Wray held adjunct instructor status with three colleges and universities in justice and policy studies, community policing management, and criminal justice.

Wray was awarded the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Change Agent Award, the Jake Alexander Award for leadership and safety, Law Enforcement Achievement Award by Knights of Columbus, Honors Graduate from Greensboro Police Academy, and Meritorious Conduct Award for project leadership in police accreditation for Greensboro Police Department.

In July, 2003 Wray was appointed Chief of Police by City Manager Ed Kitchen, with the assistance of Assistant City Manager Mitchell Johnson. At the outset Wray was tasked by the manager with responsibility for looking into allegations made by various members of the police department to the manager’s office, including lack of integrity within the department, insufficient staffing, schedule changes, and minority department members who were beyond reproach.

Wray undertook a series of focus meetings with police personnel as a means of determining police department needs. Scheduling was acknowledged to be a “hot” topic, particularly on the subject of changing from the fixed four-on, four-off program. 4/4 was generally liked, but widespread dislike of “obligated time” existed. This required officers to report on off days to perform various tasks. Wray’s solution to obligated time was to abolish it and add one-half hour to each workday. Scheduling changes would come later.

Within three weeks of becoming chief, a Federal Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit was filed by seventy-six current and former members of the police department, alleging unpaid wages involving thousands of hours reaching back to September, 2000 when Ed Kitchen was city manager and Robert White chief of police. At the request of the law firm representing the city, Wray assigned two captains and an administrative assistant to several weeks of off-site work compiling time and attendance information for the law firm. Wray used information gained from this effort to implement new training in personnel payroll procedures, and an effort was initiated to obtain payroll management software from the fire department that would improve payroll within the police department. The software programs were finally received in the police department in 2007.

Soon after becoming chief Wray addressed uniforms and appearance of police officers. Concerns were noted in the appearance of officers in isolated settings such as funerals and court. Concerns were also highlighted about fit, fabric, maintenance and general appearance, and unkempt uniforms. Department members were permitted to express personal concerns about dress.

Wray set out on an ambitious reorganization program for the police department that would return the department to the level that had existed under former Chief Sylvester Daughtry. He held an early reorganization meeting that was attended by approximately 40 departmental personnel as well as acting city manager Mitchell Johnson.
Various members of the department were assigned responsibility for a wide ranging list of priorities that included, reorganization of traffic services division, minority recruitment, in-service and leadership training concepts, marketing, community policing, best practices, and recruitment, more effective application of police resources through withdrawal from the five year old problematic Compstat model.

The department mission statement read, “The Greensboro Police Department exists to serve as the City’s leader in protecting the lawful rights and privileges of individual citizens, improving the quality of life within local communities.” Each step in the reorganization seemed to point the department toward excellence in training, job execution, leadership, and community involvement.

During Wray’s administration he started the Police Leadership Academy, providing needed leadership education to develop top leaders and build leadership succession in participating departments, including High Point, Winston-Salem, and State Highway Patrol. (Since Wray’s resignation this program has folded, and some former officers lament its passing since it taught citizens about law enforcement).

Officers Randall Brady and Tim Bellamy were appointed assistant chiefs soon after Wray became chief, and Officer Annie Stevenson was made assistant chief a year later.

Late in 2003 Wray reported on departmental plans for 2004 that included increased efforts against the proliferation of drugs, gangs and prostitution, enhanced traffic enforcement efforts, improvements to the training department, better use of existing technologies, and a move toward putting officers on four rotating eleven hour shifts, with four days off. This scheduling move would put more officers on the streets during periods of peak calls, and balance experience, gender and race on each shift.

Operation Stem was conducted against convenience stores dealing in illegal drug paraphernalia sales, resulting in 60 arrests.

Wray noted that gun tracing resources available through Federal ATF were not being used by GPD, with little money or manpower allotted to the program. He sets out to bring the ATF program back into use.

Chief Wray pushed for more officers, noting the understaffed condition in the department. New recruiting classes were full, but it required pulling experienced officers away from street duties, creating additional stress on officers already complaining about rotating shift schedules. Wray worked to attract more minority officer candidates and promote community policing as a means of dispelling the notion in some communities that police were only seen when a problem existed.

During the spring of 2004 a new police substation was opened on Swing Road. Also happening in 2004 was the creation of a TSET group focused on street drug trafficking and related violence. By the end of 2004 homicides for the year declined 20 percent from the previous year. The success of TSET caused the Wray group to seek expansion of the program with 16 new positions.

These are but a few of the accomplishments made during the period David Wray served as Chief of Police for Greensboro. Many of his important appointments included minority officers, and he actively encouraged minority recruitment. If one looks at Wray’s professional experience, education, public achievements and awards, along with his accomplishments as chief, it becomes abundantly clear he was the consummate law officer Greensboro needed. Wray was an individual of high principle, tough minded for his job, and capable of producing effective law enforcement for the city. It is our loss that he no longer occupies the chief’s position. In spite of efforts in his behalf by some City Council members he remains sullied because the city manager and some past and current council members refuse to look objectively at his service to the city, opting instead to rely on a biased and faulty report on David Wray and GPD.

In this bicentennial year the city should have the decency to present Wray with his gun and badge, and give recognition of his years of exemplary service. His loss is bound to be felt for a long time to come: someone or someplace other than Greensboro will be the beneficiary of his skills and moral underpinnings.