Bartlesville Police Problems

Monday, January 29th 2007, 5:16 pm

By: News On 6

Bartlesville's Fraternal Order of Police passed a vote of â€œNo confidenceâ€ in Police Chief Leo Willey last Friday. The group met with Bartlesville's city manager on Monday to discuss their concerns. News on 6 reporter Chris Wright has more on the vote, as well as the other controversies surrounding the department.

Bartlesville Chief of Police Leo Willey says Friday's vote of â€œno confidenceâ€ in his abilities came as a surprise. He says members of the Fraternal Order of Police did not approach him about any problems before calling the special meeting.

"I can't address what I don't know about,â€ Chief Leo Willey said. â€œSince they haven't saw fit to talk about the problems, I don't know what they are."

Gary McManus, the head of the FOP, says a number of officers have come to him with complaints about Willey. He says those complaints prompted him to call for the â€œno confidenceâ€ vote, as well as meet with city manager Ed Gordon on Monday.

The Fraternal Order of Police would not say what was on the list of grievances presented to the city manager, except that there is low morale at Bartlesville Police department.

"Basically a lot of those have to do with manpower issues, safety issues that kind of thing, just a general lack of morale," said the FOPâ€™s Gary McManus.

The vote is the latest in a string of problems for Bartlesville PD. The OSBI is investigating the disappearance of methamphetamine and hydrocodone that disappeared after a June 2006 drug raid. The department is also conducting its own investigation into the accidental shooting of a reserve police officer at a firing range in November.

The FOP would not comment on those investigations, but says its members had no choice but to vote â€œno confidence.â€
Chief Willey though just wishes the group would have come to him first.

"Evil exists because good men refuse to do nothing,â€ McManus said. â€œWe felt it was time for some good men to step up and do something."

"I really wish they would have continued on doing that, if they had a problem bringing it to me so that we could work it out together," said Willey.

City officials say the vote of â€œno confidenceâ€ will not have any consequences for Chief Willey, it was strictly a symbolic gesture by the Fraternal Order of Police.