NEWS > 25 August 2006

Article sourced from

The Times-Herald - Newnan,GA,U
25 August 2006

This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.

Grantville fires police office

On Wednesday afternoon, the Grantville Police officer fired in June for insubordination, failure to follow a direct order and allegedly falsifying his timecard had a hearing before the Grantville City Council on the status of his employment.

After Sgt. Chad Conley was fired on June 21, the council voted July 25 to reinstate Conley and put him on suspension. Immediately after Conley stated his case Wednesday, the council went into executive session for less than five minutes. Upon returning, the council voted unanimously to re-fire Conley.

Conley was represented during the hearing by Newnan attorney S. Mark Mitchell, who worked to tell what he called "the rest of the story."

Grantville City Attorney Nathan Lee did not call on anyone to speak, nor did he question Conley.

Following the hearing, Mitchell said that he would meet with Conley to discuss his options.

"We were hopeful the council would see the other side of the story. Obviously, they didn't," said Mitchell. "This case was clearly botched (by the city) from the beginning. Nothing changed here tonight."

Mitchell spent nearly an hour interviewing Conley on the circumstances that led to his firing.

Conley believed he was fired by the chief after the chief said that he would be well-served to seek employment elsewhere. Then the chief, according to Conley, told him that it was his last day and to park his patrol car.

When Conley did not do what the chief asked following that incident, said Mitchell, he assumed he'd been fired. "How can someone be insubordinate if they don't work there anymore?" asked Mitchell.

A letter dated July 25 was sent to Conley, said Mitchell, listing 10 particular incidents leading to Conley's dismissal. The attorney listed all 10 points in an effort to show why his client should be reinstated.

Mitchell explained to the mayor and council the extenuating circumstances surrounding the incidents for which Conley was fired, and he pointed out the inconsistencies in the city's process of firing Conley.

Conley has been in law enforcement since 1998, and he has been a certified police officer since 2000. He worked in Waverly Hall and Pine Mountain before working in Grantville. He was promoted to sergeant just before Chief Franklin Allen arrived in Grantville in April.

Mitchell asked Conley if he'd had meetings with the chief to find what was expected of him, and Conley stated that there were two meetings � one with the department, and another with just supervisors.

The meetings didn't deal specifically with what was expected of Conley, Mitchell pointed out.

Conley was accused in the July 25 letter of calling other officers to work for him on days he was scheduled to work. Mitchell had Conley explain that he was purchasing a house, and as the deal changed, his plans had to change.

Conley said that when he met with the chief about the issue, he offered to show Allen paperwork to support his claims.

There was also an issue of calling in an officer to serve warrants. Conley said he cleared the decision with Maj. David Prescott, who was not present for the hearing Wednesday.

Prescott was mentioned frequently in Conley's explanations. At the conclusion of Conley's remarks, Councilman Nick Sasso asked if Conley had obtained any written statements from Prescott. Mitchell stated that he had spoken with Prescott, who'd said he was going to attend the hearing.

In July, Prescott resigned from the police department.

The third issue involved Conley's alleged repeated violations and what transpired during a June 5 meeting between Conley and the chief. Allen wrote that he covered all past issues, and the expectations of supervisors. Prescott was present for that meeting, said Mitchell.

The letter to Conley explaining the point of the meeting was generated some time after the meeting, said Mitchell, and was never given to the officer.

In another incident, Conley had been ordered to deliver envelopes to council members, but told the chief he was busy. Conley instead had night shift personnel deliver the envelopes, he said, explaining that he believed he was "delegating responsibility," though the chief called it "lazy."

As for the falsification of timecards, Conley gave an involved explanation as to why both he and Prescott had incorrect timecards for one day in June. Prescott, according to Conley, had said he would take care of the issue. The bottom line, though, according to Mitchell, is that Conley changed the card before it went to payroll, and he did not benefit from it.

"The only thing I can add is I understand the chief wanted things a certain way. He's the chief of police. When there are people writing on timecards, you've got to nip it in the bud. But I was asked by a superior officer to run him home. It would be like a city council member telling the mayor 'heck no' if he asked one of them to run him to the store."

One Grantville supervisor wrote a statement alleging that Conley was often late to work and conducted traffic stops to cover his tardiness.

That statement "upsets me," said Conley. He explained that when he's in a patrol car he's going to do his job, even when he's on his way to work. He called the department to have the officer clock him in so both he and the city would be covered if something were to happen.

The city's personnel manual has no wording against having someone else clock a person in to work, pointed out Mitchell, though he noted the city might want to look into that. Also, said Mitchell, the officer who stated Conley was making the traffic stops to cover his tardiness had no evidence to prove it.

As for hand-writing times on the department timecards, Mitchell pointed out that the city's personnel manual does not give that as a valid reason for dismissal. It only says that the payroll clerk won't process the timecard unless it's submitted with the chief's initials. Also, in the June 5 memo to Conley from Allen, it doesn't say "you will be terminated if you keep doing this," said Mitchell.

(For full story click on link to web site above)

EiP Comments:

* We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper or periodical. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and we will remove the article. The articles republished on this site are provided for the purposes of research , private study, criticism , review, and the reporting of current events' We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper , periodical or other works. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and where necessary we will remove the work concerned.

Other related articles:

Article sourced from

The Times-Herald - Newnan,GA,U25 August 2006

Grantville fires police office

EiP Comments:

The Times-Herald - Newnan,GA,U
25 August 2006