Police chief steps down under pressure

Thursday, May 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

COLLINSVILLE, Okla. (AP) -- Police Chief Roger Horner said he was only trying to track down a leak in his office when he planted a listening device. Now, the move has brought his resignation.

Horner will leave office June 1. His resignation comes under pressure from the City Commission, which he said was upset about the device.

Suspecting someone was tipping off suspects to impending search warrants, Horner said he hid the listening device in a room with police dispatchers.

"We had served a number of warrants over the past six months when it was obvious that the suspects had been expecting us," he said. "I knew I had a leak, and I wanted to find it. It was a matter of protecting my officers."

The listening device didn't help in the investigation, but other evidence led to the firing of a department employee, he said.

Horner took office in the Rogers County town after the City Commission fired former Chief Don Abel in fall 1996.

Horner submitted his resignation Tuesday as requested by a representative of the commission, he said.