Charges leveled against Warren police chief

By Ed Runyan

The chief wrote an apology to another city official last year.

WARREN — The city’s safety-service director has written administrative charges against police Chief John Mandopoulos, accusing him of violating police department regulations for his treatment of Gary Cicero, the city’s human resources director.

In a letter to Mandopoulos dated March 17, William “Doug” Franklin, safety-service director, asked Mandopoulos to appear for a pre-disciplinary hearing at 10 a.m. Friday in Franklin’s office to respond to the charges.

The letter says Mandopoulos ordered one of his officers, Patrolman Patrick Hoolihan, to conduct an “unreasonable, inappropriate and unlawful search” of Cicero on Nov. 14, 2008.

Cicero had come to the police department to attend a meeting with Capt. Tim Bowers and another police department employee.

After the search, Mandopoulos prevented Cicero from attending the meeting with Bowers, the letter states.

It is apparent that Mandopoulos treated Cicero this way “with malice and forethought” because of a voice mail officials obtained.

The voice mail, from Mandopoulos to Capt. Timothy Roberts, occurred at 10:22 p.m. Nov. 13, the letter says.

In it, Mandopoulos referred to Cicero in a way that was “unprofessional and both scathing and profane,” the letter says.

The letter adds, “This voice mail provides evidence that your actions Nov. 14, 2008, upon the arrival of Mr. Cicero to the Municipal Building were willful and intentional.”

The letter says Mandopoulos used his position as police chief “for [his] personal agenda against Mr. Cicero,” the letter says.

The letter says Mandopoulos is charged with gross neglect of duty, discourteous treatment of a public official, intimidation, harassment, obstructing official business, dishonesty, conduct unbecoming an officer and others.

Mandopoulos said Wednesday his treatment of Cicero had to do with “whether [Cicero] can circumvent security or not.”

When Cicero attempted to come through the building metal detectors, he had keys in his pocket that set off the metal detector, Mandopoulos said. Cicero was asked to remove his keys.

Afterward, Cicero proceeded to the office area, where Mandopoulos told Cicero he would have to be escorted to Bowers’ office.

Before an escort was available, Cicero was gone, Mandopoulos said.

Cicero wrote a complaint to Franklin in December regarding the incident.

Cicero said he had just entered the building and had not even started to walk up the stairs or reach the metal detectors when Mandopoulos “started screaming” at Hoolihan to search Cicero.

Cicero said he had been in the building thousands of times without ever having been searched and has security clearance through the municipal court judges.

“I was taken aback by the chief’s attitude and the belligerent way he was ranting and raving about the need to have me searched,” Cicero said.

Hoolihan conducted the search despite telling Mandopoulos he didn’t think it was necessary, Cicero’s complaint said.

Mandopoulos then refused to allow Cicero to enter the area containing Bowers’ office, citing Cicero’s lack of proper identification, Cicero said.

“Not wanting the incident to escalate, I turned around and left,” Cicero said.

Mandopoulos said both judges of Warren Municipal Court, Judge Thomas Gysegem and Judge Terry Ivanchak, have told him they never gave Cicero “clearance” to avoid security measures.

Last year, Mandopoulos chose to write an apology to Councilman Dan Crouse for remarks the police chief made to Crouse regarding overtime policies that were instituted to erase a budget shortfall. Franklin gave Mandopoulos the choice of writing an apology or taking a 30-day suspension without pay.

runyan@vindy.com