TRUMBULL COUNTY Police chief misses diversity training

A city official said he's seen improvement in the chief's job performance.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The police chief missed the deadline to take a diversity training class required by the city's civil service commission, but he will be given additional time to take the course.
Atty. James A. Fredericka, a commission member, said the board will give John Mandopoulos additional time because he did attend other training courses.
"The city's safety-service director, Doug Franklin, is overseeing the courses the chief is taking and said the reason the chief didn't take the diversity training is because he had to attend homeland security training," Fredericka said. "I was assured that the chief will take the diversity training."
In December 2003, the civil service commission decided that for each full day the chief attends Ohio Association of Police Chiefs training sessions, one day of his suspension will be scratched.
Recommendation
Former Mayor Hank Angelo had recommended that the chief be suspended for 10 days without pay after administratively charging him with gross neglect of duty, gross dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming an officer.
The chief had until Wednesday to complete the training, which included sessions on diversity.
Neither Mandopoulos nor Mayor Michael O'Brien returned telephone calls seeking comment.
"The chief has gone to numerous training sessions, and I really have seen an improvement in his work performance," Franklin said.
He noted the chief has gone to training sessions dealing with domestic violence, homeland security, weapons of mass destruction, public records and many others.
"The diversity training class is very important, and I will make sure he attends one as soon as possible," Franklin said. "It will get done."
The administrative charges come from a May 2003 encounter outside of the former 77 Soul nightclub on U.S. Route 422, and allegations that the chief intimidated a television reporter.
The chief and another officer were seen on videotape taken May 24 mugging for a camera operated by Charles Adams and sticking their eyes into the camera lens.
The chief has maintained that he and Officer Manny Nites were just joking with Adams, but Adams has contended he didn't consider the matter a joke.
Letter from attorney
In the other part of the charges, a letter sent to city officials from Atty. Stephen T. Bolton, who represents WFMJ Channel 21, says that Mandopoulos confronted reporter Michelle Nicks about several issues, telling her he was going to give the home addresses of local journalists to drug dealers.
He also said he planned to get area labor unions to organize a boycott of businesses that advertise with WFMJ and The Vindicator, the letter says.
The chief has denied the allegations.
The civil service commission also found the police chief did not utter any derogatory, profane or other racially inappropriate remarks during the conduct alleged to be wrongful.
Although the commission agrees that remarks made by Nites at the club "were not made in a derogatory manner and repeated after use by an African-American citizen," the officer shouldn't have repeated them and "corrective action should have been taken immediately by the police chief," commission members said.
Nites, who is heard on the tape repeating a racial slur, was disciplined last month. The chief gave Nites a three-day suspension. Nites notified the city this week that he is appealing the punishment. Franklin said a date to hear the appeal has not been set.