Saturday, November 13, 2004
The chief couldn't find certificates from courses he said he took this year.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Police Chief John Mandopoulos says he has no plans to attend diversity training even though the city's civil service commission and the safety-service director think such a course is important.
Displaying numerous certificates from training sessions in the 1990s, the chief said he has already attended numerous diversity seminars. He stressed that he completed 32 hours of such training in 2002 and 2003.
"I don't think I need it," the chief said. "If they would like me to take a test on it, I would."
Last December, the civil service commission said that for each full day the chief attends Ohio Association of Police Chiefs training sessions, one day of his suspension will be scratched.
Former Mayor Hank Angelo had recommended Mandopoulos 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.
Commission members wanted diversity training to be part of the sessions. The chief was supposed to complete the training by Wednesday, but commission members said they would give him additional time to take diversity training.
List of classes
The chief produced a list of 22 courses he attended in 2004. None of the courses listed appeared to deal with diversity issues, said Doug Franklin, safety-service director.
The chief, however, said he did attend a seminar that all police department employees took that dealt with customer service. He said part of that seminar talked about diversity matters.
"I'm going to have to look into that course and determine if it dealt with diversity," Franklin said. He added that he thinks diversity training is important.
The training sessions the chief says he attended this year dealt with domestic violence, homeland security, weapons of mass destruction, how to handle people with tact and skill, public records and many others.
Even though the chief had certificates from training he took years ago, he could not find any from this year. He did have books that were provided at some of the 2004 seminars.
The chief stressed that some certificates are in his office but that he can't locate them. He noted that he has been busy and his office is cluttered.
"Some of the courses gave certificates and some didn't, but I did go to all that I listed," the chief said.
Some of the courses he attended were provided online, he added.
Commission members could not be reached to comment.
The administrative charges come from a May 2003 encounter outside 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.
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.