Police chief, city manager respond to critics
By John Joyce
Published in News on January 17, 2015 10:32 PM
Goldsboro City Manager Scott Stevens said Thursday his support of police Chief Jeff Stewart is absolute.
Stewart, in turn, said he feels that the Goldsboro Police Department operations are running smoothly and that, in spite of the recent surge in violent crime around the city, that the department is addressing the concern.
Both men said they were surprised then to hear that portions of the community they serve, as well as many of the men and women that serve them, do not share their view.
Some officers, who asked not to be identified, said the inner workings of the police department are less than rosy. But more importantly, they said they are concerned about safety, the rise in shooting and what they see as a lack of support from the leadership.
The chief said he talks with his officers often and encourages them to talk about their concerns. He says the complaints he hears are about money.
"I have not heard that. What I have heard is, of course, money, the salaries. That's the one I hear the most," Stewart said.
And, he said, staffing issues, which are not uncommon in police departments, are definitely a continuing concern in Goldsboro.
Manpower issues have been plaguing the police force since mid 2014 when the department had a shortfall of 14 officers. That number has now shrunk to nine.
Stewart said he is working to close that gap even further.
"We had seven (officers) in the process that we're hiring. Unfortunately, one went to another agency and one was pulled, so we're looking at five right now. Two of them started (recently), so we've got five in the hiring process, and if we get those five, we'll still be four short," he said.
Stewart said he did not understand the complaint that the leadership is not listening and is not involved with the rest of the department. He speaks with officers all the time, he said.
"I go and survey the officer's morale all the time and I've heard some of the comments you have and we sit and talk about it. Equipment, that is no longer an issue, as far as what they have. They've been very satisfied with what we have been able to get them in the last four or five years. The thing about it is they used to get longevity pay, they don't get that now."
And, he added, he wants to hear concerns.
"They want to vent, and we sit there and listen to them," he said.
The equipment to which Stewart referred includes 26 new cars, 16 to 20 military-style assault rifles and tasers.
The officers said the cars don't get good enough gas mileage, the rifles sit in racks inside the police department because officers aren't being qualified on them and the tasers remain in the armory and have to be signed out and back in at the end of shift.
The city manager said there are complaints in every city department.
And, he added, money is one of the top concerns.
Stevens said a pay scale study conducted a year ago compared Goldsboro city employees' salaries with salaries of neighboring cities within an hour radius. The study found that larger cities paid a little more, smaller cities paid a little less, he said.
"What it showed is that we are competitive," he said. "Could someone go to a larger city and make more money, probably."
But the officers said money was not at the top of their list.
They are concerned about the increasing crime and violence in the city and the possible impact on officer safety. And fixing that problem, they said, requires more communication.
Stewart said he has heard no such complaints. In fact, he added, he regularly addresses issues with his command staff and also instructs them to share information.
"We have staff meetings, I meet with the command staff, that's the captains and sergeants than run units, monthly, and I put down issues that need to get addressed," he said.
As for the issues between command staff and their subordinates, Stewart said those relationships seemed intact.
"I think it's good. You see them in the break room and everybody comes in, they drink coffee and they talk to them. I think it's good."
The department also recently lost a key player, leaving a vacancy that, when filled, could resolve some of the officers' concerns, they said.
Maj. Alton King, a 28-year veteran with 30 years in law enforcement and who prior to retirement last served as commander of the department's Criminal Investigation Division, left the police department Dec. 31.
King was not available for comment and declined to be interviewed prior to his leaving office.
One officer, however, described King as the "backbone" of GPD.
"He was the voice of the Goldsboro Police Department." that officer said.
Stewart said Capt. Dwayne Dean of the Support Services Division has been made interim major of the Criminal Investigations Department while the promotion or hiring process takes place.
Stevens and Stewart said the search for a new major will be ongoing, but that the process has not yet begun officially. In the meantime, they said, Dean will give the department the leadership it needs in the interim.
"It does not allude to he is the final candidate, but I think he is a good candidate to have there," Stevens said.
Stewart also addressed rumors that he is planning to retire himself sometime this year.
He said he is not ready to discuss any such plans.
"When that day comes, I'll let the city manager and the council know, then I'll share that with you," he said. "They need to know first. It's going to be a lot shorter than it has been."