WARREN Police department torn by internal strife

The service director says the police department lacks discipline.
By PEGGY SINKOVICHand STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Under assault from the Warren/Trumbull Urban League and citizens groups from the outside, and under heightened scrutiny from city higher-ups, the Warren police department is also being torn by internal divisions.
USome rank-and-file officers in the 78-person department are barely on speaking terms with their peers.
UAccording to copies of internal investigations, what could be considered a prank by some officers resulted in a sergeant's filing a complaint against a patrol officer. Within the last two months, the department's internal affairs investigator has looked into the sergeant's complaint.
UInternal affairs also has looked into another matter, in which an officer signed as a witness to a complaint filed by his wife against the department.
UA handful of officers, who for the most part declined to be quoted, say morale is so low that officers are now bickering among themselves.
"It's like being in an abusive relationship," said Sgt. Joe O'Grady.
"We are constantly being put down no matter what good we may do. It's horrible," he said. "We have started to bicker among ourselves."
Months of negative publicity dealing with alleged illegal strip searches, racial tensions and allegations of excessive force have taken their toll on the department. About 100 city residents came to a city council meeting this week to complain about the department.
Response
Fred Harris, safety service director, said he doesn't care about police officer morale -- just that they do their jobs well and treat citizens with respect.
"You can't tell me low morale causes people to do things like illegally strip-search people," he said. "That has nothing to do with morale. In every department in the city, morale goes up and down like a balloon. When they get their paychecks, morale goes up."
The problem with the department is lack of discipline, he said, and a lack of training in the proper way to deal with people. This lack in training in people skills extends from patrol officers up to Chief John Mandopoulos, he said.
"Where the head goes, the body follows, just like a snake," he said. "When the fellow up top doesn't have discipline, you are going to have a mess down below."
Harris said the administration should "relieve" Mandopoulos.
"The administration should request the civil service commission hire an individual from outside," Harris said. All the current captains came up through the same department that produced Mandopoulos, he said.
"We have to bring in people because the police department is in disarray," Harris said.
Officers regularly sneak into his office to air complaints they are afraid to put on paper, he said.
The chief, however, says Harris is one of the reasons for the police officers' problems.
"We are always being second-guessed," said Mandopoulos. "City hall wants to dictate to us what we have to do. It's a constant duel and triple supervision."
When Harris first became city safety-service director two years ago, he would approach officers and say he was their boss, Mandopoulos said.
He noted that when one officer's picture was in the newspaper for saving a man who had attempted to light himself on fire, the director complained the cop wasn't wearing his hat.
"He is the administrative head of the department, but he would say he was their boss and a lot of these guys didn't know who he was," the chief said. "Does Harris have the right? Technically, no."
Harris said he had little patience for police officers who complained about his involvement.
"I am their boss," he said.
What's happening
In this atmosphere of conflict, the blue wall of silence has cracked.
Former Sgt. Bill Boldin, currently on an extended leave from the department, filed an official complaint against patrolman Rich Kovach for requesting records of Bolden's arrest in Wadsworth for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and for posting copies of the reports on station house walls.
After investigating the complaint, officials determined that the matter took place but that it didn't constitute harassment.
On other occasions, multiple copies of newspaper stories perceived as critical of the department have been seen strewn around employee areas of the police station.
The police department's internal affairs division is also investigating the procedure used by Detective Dewey Gray, who, according to internal reports, had a patrol officer give him two guns that should have been kept in the department's evidence room.
Lt. Joseph Marhulik is trying to determine if Gray paid the owner about $20 for the guns that may be worth much more. The investigation was prompted by another officer. The matter is still pending.
Earlier this month, Paulette J. Edington of Warren, wife of officer Terrance Edington, filed a complaint that officers were rude to her when she stopped to watch the police question juveniles about throwing eggs.
The matter is being investigated by the internal affairs department.
siff@vindy.comsinkovich@vindy.com