A legal defense fund for David Wray - without his foreknowledge - has been established for contributions being held by a local law firm. All donations to the fund (non-tax deductible) will be considered gifts to David Wray, and will be held in trust by the law firm for him, to be disposed of at his direction.
This is a fitting way to honor former police chief David Wray with a tangible expression of support for his many years of dedicated service to the people of Greensboro, particularly at a time when the disingenious cases and stories written and directed against him have fallen apart.
Donations to former chief David Wray's trust account can be mailed in confidence to the law offices of:
Clifford, Clendenin & O'Hale, LLP
Attorneys at Law
415 W. Friendly Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27401
made payable to the David Wray Trust Account
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Police Consultant Study
I attended the special City Council meeting this week to hear the Executive Summary presentation by Carroll Buracker & Associates of the consultant review of the police department. I have been able to read Chapter 1 of the detailed report, and will read the remaining chapters 2-9 as time allows.
Chapter 1 (p.25) discussed a city internal audit department review of Federal Asset Forfeiture Funds from 2003 through May, 2007. Apparently a substantial amount of forfeiture funds was sent to the U. S. Department of Justice, to the dismay of the police chief. One of the City Council members has questioned the forfeiture fund in recent months and whether it could be put to use in the police department. Observation: the City Council was asked by me to to have all city internal audit reports posted to the city website. I suspect enough citizens visit the website on a regular basis for someone to call attention to reports of this nature if they are posted.
The consultant report (p.23) discussed overttime pay policies within the police department and found several lower ranking officers being compensated more than higher level positions, taking into account overtime and off duty pay. The consultant apparently saw a problem with the total number of hours worked and paid in some positions.
In 2003, the city (police department) was sued by a large number of current and retired police officers for alleged unpaid overtime during the years 2000-2003, the White/Kitchen era. Corrective steps to improve overtime management were undertaken during the Wray era, and by now overtime pay management should be a thing of the past. Apparently this is not the case.
The consultant report includes considerable statistical data in tabular and narrative form, much of which seems unnecessary. The Greensboro Police Department website includes a statistical section that reports the same kinds of data found in the Buracker report, as far back as 1980. In addition, the city website has an excellent 5 year Major Budgetary and Economic Trend Report that includes the same demographic and background data as the Buracker report. To give further credit to the city website, it contains a Management Study on patrol staffing, done in late 2003 and early 2004 by the David Wray administration. I will attempt to attach the report to this blog, but failing that it can be found on the City of Greensboro official website and is worth reading (City of Greensboro/Departments/Budget and Evaluation/Management Studies). The report was in direct response to part of the charge given Wray when he became chief by then city manager Kitchen and assistant manager Johnson regarding issues they felt needed prompt attention by the new chief.
The management study was conducted by the police department in collaboration with the Budget and Evaluation Department. It totals 28 pages, and concludes, in part, that "perceived deficiencies within the patrol function are based mostly on the expectations Greensboro Police Department has set for its officers in terms of patrol and proactive activity. " The study goes on to note that GPD officers answer approximately the same number of Calls for Service per employee as those in similar jurisdictions (NC), and spend approximately the same amount of time answering these calls as similar jurisdictions. The study noted that GPD had lower staffing levels than the average in similar jurisdictions, and slower than average response times. It concluded that additional officers were required to increase the amount of time spent on proactive functions and patrolling.
David Wray was attempting to justify the need for additional officers in order for the city manager to carry the request to City Council. The Council eventually responded with a limited number of new positions, but less than the number requested.
I bring this 2004 report up because it addressed head on many of the issues contained in the current outside study. It calls into question the attentiveness of the manager's office and City Council to important matters called into attention by the police chief.
I hope you will take time to read it because it is every bit as professional in quality of content and presentation as the new study, and was done without additional expenditure of city funds. It makes me wonder about the necessity of the Buracker study.
Chapter 1 (p.25) discussed a city internal audit department review of Federal Asset Forfeiture Funds from 2003 through May, 2007. Apparently a substantial amount of forfeiture funds was sent to the U. S. Department of Justice, to the dismay of the police chief. One of the City Council members has questioned the forfeiture fund in recent months and whether it could be put to use in the police department. Observation: the City Council was asked by me to to have all city internal audit reports posted to the city website. I suspect enough citizens visit the website on a regular basis for someone to call attention to reports of this nature if they are posted.
The consultant report (p.23) discussed overttime pay policies within the police department and found several lower ranking officers being compensated more than higher level positions, taking into account overtime and off duty pay. The consultant apparently saw a problem with the total number of hours worked and paid in some positions.
In 2003, the city (police department) was sued by a large number of current and retired police officers for alleged unpaid overtime during the years 2000-2003, the White/Kitchen era. Corrective steps to improve overtime management were undertaken during the Wray era, and by now overtime pay management should be a thing of the past. Apparently this is not the case.
The consultant report includes considerable statistical data in tabular and narrative form, much of which seems unnecessary. The Greensboro Police Department website includes a statistical section that reports the same kinds of data found in the Buracker report, as far back as 1980. In addition, the city website has an excellent 5 year Major Budgetary and Economic Trend Report that includes the same demographic and background data as the Buracker report. To give further credit to the city website, it contains a Management Study on patrol staffing, done in late 2003 and early 2004 by the David Wray administration. I will attempt to attach the report to this blog, but failing that it can be found on the City of Greensboro official website and is worth reading (City of Greensboro/Departments/Budget and Evaluation/Management Studies). The report was in direct response to part of the charge given Wray when he became chief by then city manager Kitchen and assistant manager Johnson regarding issues they felt needed prompt attention by the new chief.
The management study was conducted by the police department in collaboration with the Budget and Evaluation Department. It totals 28 pages, and concludes, in part, that "perceived deficiencies within the patrol function are based mostly on the expectations Greensboro Police Department has set for its officers in terms of patrol and proactive activity. " The study goes on to note that GPD officers answer approximately the same number of Calls for Service per employee as those in similar jurisdictions (NC), and spend approximately the same amount of time answering these calls as similar jurisdictions. The study noted that GPD had lower staffing levels than the average in similar jurisdictions, and slower than average response times. It concluded that additional officers were required to increase the amount of time spent on proactive functions and patrolling.
David Wray was attempting to justify the need for additional officers in order for the city manager to carry the request to City Council. The Council eventually responded with a limited number of new positions, but less than the number requested.
I bring this 2004 report up because it addressed head on many of the issues contained in the current outside study. It calls into question the attentiveness of the manager's office and City Council to important matters called into attention by the police chief.
I hope you will take time to read it because it is every bit as professional in quality of content and presentation as the new study, and was done without additional expenditure of city funds. It makes me wonder about the necessity of the Buracker study.
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