Now is not the time to give Warren's police chief a pass

We know where Michael O'Brien, the city of Warren's mayor elect, stands when it comes to police Chief John Mandopoulos. O'Brien thinks Mandopoulos is simply a misunderstood public servant who needs someone to work with him to smooth out the rough edges.
That certainly isn't our opinion of the chief, but the voters of the city obviously were taken by the Trumbull County commissioner's kinder, gentler approach to governance -- as reflected in O'Brien's election victory.
It, therefore, falls to the new safety service director, William "Doug" Franklin, currently city council president, to take a more cynical view of what has been going on in the Warren Police Department and to champion current Mayor Hank Angelo's no-nonsense approach to the chief.
Indeed, Mayor-elect O'Brien might find it instructive to review the record of Mandopoulos' tenure. What he will find is that at the beginning, Angelo was more than willing to give the chief the benefit of the doubt -- even when complaints against police officers, especially from the black community, continued to mount. But then last month, the mayor recommended a 10-day suspension without pay after concluding that the city's top cop was guilty of gross neglect of duty, gross dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and dishonesty in the performance of his duties. Mandopoulos has denied the allegations and has appealed to the civil service commission, which is now hearing the case.
Franklin, who is serving his third term as council president and had previously served three terms as councilman-at-large and three terms as 4th Ward councilman, has his finger on the community's pulse. He has established himself as a thoughtful, hard-working legislator and has won the respect of all segments of the city.
His appointment to the position of safety service director -- he will take office in January after O'Brien is sworn in -- is fortuitous. He will oversee all city departments, including police and fire, but it is the police department that will require special attention.
Lack of discipline
We would hope that Franklin isn't influenced by O'Brien's olive-branch approach to what has been taking place in the department. The lack of discipline in the department is exemplified by the actions of some officers. An internal affairs investigation found that some residents who were accused of breaking the law were strip-searched before being jailed -- without proper procedure being followed. There also have been allegations of police brutality and there's the egregious behavior of the chief.
These things cannot be ignored. Franklin would be undermining his authority if he is deemed to be too willing to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. That isn't an option. The goings-on in the police department must be investigated fully by the new safety service director.
Warren's residents must feel confident that their complaints will be taken seriously by the O'Brien administration and that the highest standard of behavior will be demanded of the men and women in blue.
As for Mandopoulos, his departure from the chief's office would be the best thing that could happen to the city and to the new administration. But we aren't holding our breath. Thus, it is important for O'Brien and Franklin to lay down the law from day one.
Kindergarten teachers should be kind and gentle. Mayors, especially in cities like Warren, need to be tough.