Sheffield Police Department Update

Chief Greg Ray

We recently blogged on Sheffield police officers leaving the department like fleas evacuating a dead coyote. At that time we mentioned how incomprehensible it was that anyone in city government would appoint/promote an individual in the force without first consulting Chief Greg Ray. We've been sent a very interesting communication from someone we trust; however, we are offering this strictly in the FWIW department. Do we believe every word? Yes, we do.

From an informed source:

Per a confidential source inside the Sheffield PD: 8 more Sheffield police officers are leaving the department in the near future. This is allegedly in response to a 'secret deal' made between the Mayor, city council and former interim police chief and current Public Safety Director, Dewey King, and current Police Chief Greg Ray.

Several months ago Chief Ray was unceremoniously terminated, apparently without the benefit of due process. During Chief Ray's short-lived termination, Sheffield Fire Chief, Dewey King, was appointed Interim Police Chief. This appointment was made in spite of King's lack of law enforcement training and experience. In the following months, Chief Ray appealed his termination and won his position back....but at a 'cost'.

This 'cost' was Chief Ray being reappointed as 'Chief' in name only. Chief Ray retains his badge, car, and title, but that is all. According to sources inside Sheffield's police department, Chief Ray has ZERO 'say' in any decisions affecting the department, such as budget, training, purchases and promotions. All such decisions formerly made by Chief Ray are now made by Dewey King.

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According to a TimesDaily report, there are seven officers involved in an action against the Sheffield Civil Service Board. If eight are leaving, we assume most are part of this current action. The citizens of Sheffield are the ones to suffer.

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For quite some time, we have published comments from a friend in an area adjoining the Shoals. We asked him to pick a blogging moniker so we could give him proper credit, but he has not yet chosen one. He has sent us a very interesting take on this situation in Sheffield (or similar ones); since he hasn't selected a name, we're going to dub him "L. Stone." His first official post:

One sign of trouble in a police department is when new officers leave as soon as their period of service related to going to the police academy end. Police departments generally pay officers to go to the police academy, but in exchange they agree to serve a certain period before leaving. If they leave early they have to pay back some or all of what they received to go to the academy.

Someone once joked about a department over here that all of the officers were either there for less than three or more than fifteen years, meaning that it had got so bad that nobody that didn't already have a well established position stayed any longer than necessary.

This is often the way police departments with restricted budgets keep officers. They recruit new people and send them to the academy, knowing they will have them for a few years. For someone wanting to be a policeman it's analogous to joining the Army to get a college education. A sign of a good department is when they send people to the academy and they stay on years after their obligation is over.



Shoalanda