Speaker from the Floor - City Council Meeting March 3, 2009

On March 3, 2009 I was a Speaker from the Floor at the City Council meeting and read the following statement:

Honorable Mayor Yvonne Johnson
and members of City Council

I call on our city government to take a giant step forward toward healing the rift that has existed for almost 4 years related to the administration of former Police Chief David Wray and many of the subordinates who served under him.

We have listened to members of this and former City Councils say the public’s opinion would be different if only we – the public – knew what the Council and city manager knew. Members of City Council and the manager stated on numerous occasions that investigations of the Wray administration would show that the removal of David Wray and his experienced staff were called for.

Formal investigations and a recent court trial have failed to show one shred of evidence that David Wray, or anyone who served under him, did anything whatsoever in violation of law, city ordinance, police ethical standards, or any other standard of performance. If there is something we should know, now is the time to step forward and tell us the facts.
It appears the charges and allegations that have been harmful to Wray and his fellow officers – professionally, financially, and personally – lack any element of truth.

For this reason I call on the City Council, at its next meeting, to issue a proclamation offering an apology to David Wray and his subordinate officers for the wrong abetted against them by the city’s inaction and failure to stand behind them; and to undertake prompt reimbursement for legal expenses incurred as a consequence of such failures by the city government to stand by its long-serving loyal employees when it was called for.