Chief should lead by example

Chief should lead by example

Once again questions are being raised about how tight a ship Warren Police Chief John Mandopoulos runs.

In typical fashion, Mandopoulos attempts to divert the public’s attention by suggesting that there are bigger problems to worry about.

The chief never seems to consider the possibility that he is the problem.

In the most recent case, two police supervisors are accused of falsifying time sheets for a police sergeant who took a about four hours away from the job to coach or watch basketball games in which two of his children played.

Mandopoulos says he doesn’t understand why Gary Cicero, the city’s human resources director, is focusing on timecard issues when the department has “real serious problems” brought on by the layoff of 20 officers in January, with the possibility of more layoffs looming.

We agree. Cicero shouldn’t be concerning himself with such issues; Mandopoulos should.

But Mandopoulos has never shown enthusiasm for disciplining officers who go astray within his department, whether it concerns how they conduct themselves in uniform or how they use or misuse their time. When a complaint was received last fall that an on-duty patrolman parked his cruiser in a fire lane while he did some personal shopping at Lowe’s home improvement store, Mandopoulos excused the behavior. He said he encourages officers to spend time in Warren businesses while they are on patrol as a form of community policing. Eventually he issued a verbal reprimand to the officer.

When the chief shrugs his shoulders about misuse of time, it’s small wonder if some of his turn supervisors are inclined to do likewise.

Two years ago, questions were raised about police officers working other jobs when they were supposed to be on duty. No violations of law were found, but Warren Law Director Gregory V. Hicks said department policies would be tightened as to the use of flex time. Mandopoulos chose to credit the allegations to “personal internal vendettas.” In the latest instance, he has suggested there is an ulterior motive for the investigation.

But if he had instituted the tighter flex time procedures that Hicks said were needed, no investigation — regardless of motivation — would have been necessary.

Before Mandopoulos accuses anyone else of wasting time while there are bigger problems to be tackled, he ought to consider how his own laxity has contributed to the problem.