Chief to answer charges at hearing

By Ed Runyan

The rescheduled date of the hearing was not available Tuesday.

WARREN — Police Chief John Mandopoulos will be asked to answer for his actions toward city Councilman Dan Crouse at a pre-disciplinary hearing sometime this week.

William “Doug” Franklin, Warren service-safety director, sent Mandopoulos a letter last week asking him to appear for the hearing Tuesday. The hearing, however, was rescheduled for an undetermined time later this week, said Gary Cicero, Warren personnel director.

The letter accuses Mandopoulos of gross neglect of duty, failure to obey orders by Franklin and conduct unbecoming an officer.

The letter stems from a complaint written by Crouse after a run-in Crouse had with Mandopoulos on Aug. 19 regarding the elimination of most police overtime and how it had resulted in only two police officers being on duty during the day shift Aug. 17.

When asked about the officer shortage, Crouse said he wanted to know why Mandopoulos wasn’t taking a turn as patrolman himself to fill the gap.

The next day before a council committee meeting, Mandopoulos “burst into” a council committee room and started yelling at Crouse about “taking me to parts of town where I had never sold a home” and “many silly accusations about talking behind his back,” the councilman’s complaint said.

Crouse is a real estate salesman. He said a television interview on the same topic showed Mandopoulos calling him names and threatening him, the complaint said.

“His actions were unprofessional, defamatory, threatening, inaccurate and out of control,” Crouse said.

In Franklin’s letter, Crouse accuses the chief of making comments to Crouse that were “disrespectful, indecent, profane and/or harsh all the while attempting to ridicule, mock, deride, taunt and/or belittle him.”

Franklin said Mandopoulos’ actions violate city policies that govern a city employee’s conduct toward the public and professional conduct and personal bearing.

The policies require an employee to be respectful to officers, supervisors and others and use acceptable language.

Further, Franklin says he warned Mandopoulos on Feb. 24, 2006, to remain courteous to council members after a run-in between Mandopoulos and Councilman Al Novak on Feb. 21, 2006.

In that incident Mandopoulos was accused of being out of order and disruptive at a finance committee meeting.

Novak said he repeatedly asked the chief to be quiet but the chief would not.

Mandopoulos said he was not loud or disruptive but had been denied the opportunity to talk about issues relating to his rental properties, so he talked with Novak in the hallway after the meeting.

Cicero said this week’s hearing will be for Mandopoulos to give his side of the story and will be followed by a decision on whether to punish Mandopoulos after that.

Mandopoulos would have the right to appeal that decision to the Warren Civil Service Commission and to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court after that.

Mandopoulos did not return a call seeking comment.

runyan@vindy.com