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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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September 30, 2013 at 4:26 pm
Source: Ex-Deputy Detroit Police Chief to become Flint's top cop
George Hunter
The Detroit News
Detroit—
Former Detroit Police Deputy Chief James Tolbert will become Flint’s new top cop, a source told The Detroit News Monday.
Tolbert, who spent 27 years on Detroit’s force, was a finalist for the vacant Detroit police chief position before the job was given to James Craig.
Alvern Lock, Flint’s former police chief and public safety director, resigned last week after serving as chief for the last four years.
Tolbert’s departure isn’t unexpected as Craig is in the middle of radically changing his command staff. Craig is expected to announce new deputy chiefs soon.
Tolbert will go from policing the city with the nation’s second-highest homicide rate to the highest. Flint’s homicide rate per 100,000 residents was 63 in 2012, while Detroit’s was 54.6, according to FBI statistics released earlier this month.
Aside from crime, Flint also shares a lot of Detroit’s social problems, including a high poverty rate and a decimated tax base brought on by the decline of the automotive industry.
ghunter@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2134
Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130930/METRO06/309300100#ixzz2gPi80d84
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Tue Oct 29, 2013 6:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:28 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Detroituncovered
www.detroituncovered.com
Since his arrival he's fired three civilian Deputy Chiefs and the Director of ... The name most often mentioned as one who should depart is Deputy chief James Tolbert
When is the shock and awe coming?
The time is growing near for the new chief of police to put his plan, whatever it is into full motion. Though he has only been here two months, he came in the middle of summer when crime and of course homicides seem to rise with the temperatures outside. Chief Craig has promised great change and officers and citizens alike are waiting to see what the new Detroit Police Department will look like. Since his arrival he's fired three civilian Deputy Chiefs and the Director of Human Resources but no sworn executives have been removed yet. Because of budget problems the once awfully top heavy police department is not so top heavy any more at the highest level. Under former chief Ella Bully Cummings there were 3 assistant chiefs and 18 deputy chiefs along with about 40 commanders and inspectors. Today the department has 1 assistant chief and 2 deputy chiefs. However for the size of the department that once boasted 6000 the commanders rank is still overly inflated. Some say in September Chief Craig will eliminate the ranks of Commander and Inspector and replace it with Captain. Some executives will, according to rumors be demoted and others will be asked to depart.
The name most often mentioned as one who should depart is Deputy chief James Tolbert. Tolbert is not a popular figure in the department. But removing Tolbert by itself wont boost the morale of officers and neither will brand new fancy cars.
To do that Chief Craig, who earns $225k will need to find away to pay his officers what they're worth. As for the changes, if Chief Craig is not swift and sure in these changes the knives he feels in his back will have the fingerprints of those who are already aware that their days are numbered. Chief among those wielding the knife in his back will be one person who's always wanted the chiefs jobs and has yet, we emphasize yet to get it and that's the one and only Gary Brown. Make no mistake he won't rest until he holds the title of chief of police. Chief Craig you're on the clock, not ours, Gary Brown's. |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:40 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The Local 4 news reported in April that Tolbert was looked at for the position of Detroit police Chief.
I have been advised another person locally turned down the position. In order to find a replacement so soon and looking at multiple individuals, this decision to remove Lock has been on the agenda for some time. |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:02 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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New Flint Police Chief announced at community meeting
Posted: Sep 30, 2013 4:25 PM EDT Updated: Sep 30, 2013 5:46 PM EDT
By Lori Dougovito - bio | email
FLINT (WJRT) -
(09/30/13) - We now know who Flint's next police chief will be.
Flint's incoming Emergency Manager, Darnell Earley, confirms Detroit's current Deputy Police Chief James Tolbert will now lead the Flint Police Department.
The announcement was going to be made at a community meeting in Flint at 5 p.m., but the media got word of it.
Earley was scheduled to start work Tuesday, but has pushed back his first day on the job one week.
As for the new chief, as we've reported, Alvern Lock turned in his resignation letter Friday.
We're not sure how long Tolbert being named has been in the works. He doesn't have a start date determined yet.
Stay with ABC12 News and abc12.com for more on this developing story. |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:05 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Detroit Deputy Police Chief James Tolbert tagged as next Flint police chief
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
Follow on Twitter
on September 30, 2013 at 4:30 PM, updated September 30, 2013 at 4:33 PM
FLINT, MI – Detroit Deputy Police Chief James Tolbert will be Flint’s next police chief.
Incoming Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley said he appointed Tolbert because of his experience helping to lead the Detroit Police Department.
“As we looked at what was in the best interest of the city of Flint, it became apparent that Deputy Chief Tolbert does have the necessary skills to move the city of Flint forward,” Earley said. “He has a proven track record for doing just that.”
Earley said he planned to announce Tolbert's appointment during a news conference on Monday, Sept. 30
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The announcement comes three days after Chief Alvern Lock said on Friday, Sept. 27, that he’d resign after four-plus years on the job.
Flint again was the most violent city in America per capita for cities of 100,000 people in 2012, according to FBI statistics. It was the third consecutive year that Flint drew that designation.
Mayor Dayne Walling could not be reached for comment.
Lock said he didn’t know when his last day would be.
“That’s up to Mr. Earley. When I talk to him and he lets me know – that’s when I’ll know,” Lock said.
Earley said he expects to begin working as emergency manager in Flint Oct. 8.
City Council President Scott Kincaid said he wanted the chief to be someone who was promoted from within the Flint Police Department.
“I just don’t want the governor and the treasurer’s office to give us another Barnett Jones,” Kincaid said, referring to the former public safety administrator who resigned when he was questioned about working another six-figure job for the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for MLive-Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:24 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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..
Jun 21 - Detroit police routinely underreport homicides
slumz.boxden.com › BX Daily Bugle - news and headlines
Criminal justice experts say that perception often is a motivator for police departments to keep murk stats low. ... murk," said Detroit Police Dep. Chief James Tolbert. |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:37 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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June 21, 2009
Detroit police routinely underreport homicides
Actual '08 total gives city worst rate in nation
Charlie LeDuff and Santiago Esparza
The Detroit News
A Detroit police crime scene technician working in October near Henry Ford High School, after a shooting in Detroit. Purchase Image Zoom
A Detroit police crime scene technician working in October near Henry Ford High School, after a shooting in Detroit. (Steve Perez / The Detroit News)Detroit -- The Detroit Police Department is systematically undercounting homicides, leading to a falsely low murder rate in a city that regularly ranks among the nation's deadliest, a Detroit News review of police and medical examiner records shows.
The police department incorrectly reclassified 22 of its 368 slayings last year as "justifiable" and did not report them as homicides to the FBI as required by federal guidelines. There were at least 59 such omissions over the past five years, according to incomplete records obtained from the police department through the Freedom of Information Act.
A thorough look at the 2008 homicide statistics reveals other omissions:
•In one case, the police reclassified a homicide as a suicide.
•Two men were stabbed to death, but were not included due to "insufficient evidence."
•A man who was beaten to death, according to the medical examiner, died by accident, according to the police.
•A baby beaten to death never made the homicide tally, nor did a man who was found shot in the head.
What is more, records show Detroit police officers killed 10 civilians last year, a five-fold increase from 2007. That makes the Detroit department one of the most deadly in America even as it operates under federal supervision, for among other things, the use of lethal force and the illegal detention of witnesses.
Adjusting Detroit's number to 368 homicides pushes the city's rate to 40.7 per 100,000 residents, past the previously reported rate of 33.8 and well ahead of Baltimore's 36.9. It makes Detroit once again the Murder Capital of cities with more than 500,000 residents.
"What's happening here is they're excluding justifiable homicides when they shouldn't be. Period." said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
Tally sparks questionsThe chronic undercounting not only revises Detroit's homicide rate upward, but also raises questions about whether all killings are fully investigated and whether officials have accurate information on which to devote crime-fighting resources or gauge their effectiveness.
Detroit police officials acknowledge that they don't include homicides that are ruled self-defense, but say that prosecutor's decisions influence their reporting.
"There is a lot of outrage out there," said Ron Scott, a civil rights activist and leader of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality. "People call me wanting to know why the killing of their loved ones are not being investigated."
Criminal justice experts say that perception often is a motivator for police departments to keep murder stats low. "There is a lot of pressure out there to bring crime down," said Jon Shane, a professor of criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York and a former supervising officer of homicide with the Newark Police Department. "No mayor wants to be mayor of the murder capital. Precinct commanders are pushed to bring down crime. Those who do, get promoted. Those who don't, languish."
The Detroit Homicide bureau shows that detectives responded to 423 cases of suspicious death in 2008. The number of homicides was reduced to 377 after the medical examiner ruled 45 people had died either of suicide or natural causes. Ten of those were killed by police officers, a number that's excluded from homicide counts by federal regulators. These were removed from homicide roll and given the classification of "backed out." The News found one other death in Detroit that was not recorded by either the police or reported to the medical examiner.
But the Detroit police reported only 306 homicides to the Michigan State Police, who forward statistics to the FBI as part of the bureau's preliminary report released this month on crime in America. That number, the lowest in decades, immediately prompted skepticism.
Dr. Carl Schmidt, the chief Wayne County Examiner, says his office investigated 377 cases of homicide in Detroit last year, including the killings by police.
"All I can tell you is that we look at an injury and 99 percent of the time -- because of the kind of injury it is -- there is no question that it is homicide," said Dr. Schmidt. "Those 377 are unequivocally homicides -- death from another person's hand. We're careful about that. If we have any doubt, if it is not clear that the death is homicide, we will label that as indeterminate."
How FBI defines murderThe FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program defines murder as the willful killing of one human being by another. The classification is based on police investigation and not that of a court, prosecutor's office, medical examiner or jury. The category does not include deaths by suicide, accident or justifiable homicides. But a justifiable homicide, according to the bureau, is limited to the killing of a felon by a peace officer in the line of duty and the killing of a felon, during the commission of a felony, by a citizen.
"There's homicide and there's murder," said Detroit Police Dep. Chief James Tolbert. "Now when the medical examiner still says it's a homicide and we go on about our investigation and (in the course of) our investigation we present documents to the prosecutor's office, they can say it's self-defense. It's ruled medically a homicide. But in the eyes of the prosecutor's office they will not charge anybody with this."
Tolbert said that the prosecutor makes the decision about intent to kill and is ultimately the one who backs-out homicides.
"We have 26 warrants sitting at her office waiting for her to sign. We cannot count those homicides until she signs those warrants," Tolbert said.
But FBI guidelines state: "Reporting agencies should take care to ensure that they do not classify a killing as justifiable solely on the claims of self-defense or on the action of ... prosecutors" and that "agencies must report the willful killing of one individual by another, not the criminal liability of the person or persons involved. ""It is very, very clear in the language," Worthy said. "Lawful self-defense is still a homicide and it still has to be counted as a homicide and it still has to be reported to the FBI."
As a matter of policy, the other top cities for murder Houston (294), Chicago (510), Philadelphia (331), Los Angeles (384), New York (523) and Baltimore (234) claim that they use the medical examiner's numbers.
"The presumption of police reporting that someone did not die of a murder because he was killed in self-defense is not correct," said Lee Baca, the Los Angeles County Sheriff.
The system of crime reporting works on the honor system. "The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program is a cooperative statistical effort that relies on the good-faith reporting of thousands of law enforcement agencies across the nation," according to a statement from the FBI.
The Detroit police backed-out more than just self-defense cases, records show:
•Feb. 19: Eugene Richards, 54, died of stab wounds. The police ruled insufficient evidence; the medical examiner said homicide.
•April 14: Willie Lee Thomas, 61, died of multiple stab wounds. Police ruled insufficient evidence.
•June 8: Antonio Bailey, 33, suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Police called it suicide; the medical examiner ruled homicide.
•April 7: One-year-old Promise Wilson-Jones died of abusive head-trauma according to the medical examiner. Her case was not recorded in the police tally.
•Nov. 28: Roland Jordan, 52, was found at the McNichols/Interstate-75 interchange with blunt force trauma to the head. Police called it an accident; the medical examiner ruled it a homicide.
Then there was the murder of Rico White, which appears in no official Detroit death record. White was abducted last January along with his fiancee and two children from their home in Warren. The family was released unharmed. White was found dead at McNichols and Van Dyke in Detroit with bullets in his skull. His case is being handled by Warren police but his murder was never recorded in Detroit.
charlie@detnews.com">charlie@detnews.com (313) 222-2071
The FBI guidelinesThe FBI gives law enforcement agencies latitude in reporting homicides, but provides definitions, general guidance and examples of what should be counted:
Definition: The willful killing of one human being by another.
Guidance: As a general rule, any death caused by injuries received in a fight, argument, quarrel, assault, or commission of a crime.
Not included: Killings of felons by peace officers in the line or duty or by private citizens when the felon is committing a felony.
Relevant examples of cases that must be counted:
•A husband and wife had an argument. The wife shot the husband and severely wounded him. He grabbed the gun and shot and killed her. The husband survived his wounds. The police subsequently arrested him.
•While playing cards, two men got into an argument. The first man attacked the second with a broken bottle. The second man pulled a gun and killed the first. The police arrested the shooter; he claimed self-defense. The police found no other witnesses.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice Uniform Crime
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090618/METRO/906180406#ixzz2gQFo5wbW |
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:47 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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www.normanyatooma.com/detail_inTheNews.php?id=661
...
Behind The Blue Wall: [MI] Investigator of Sgt.'s wife - Rose Cobb ...
behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2008/08/mi-investigator-of-sgts...
Aug 20, 2008 · ... Investigator Ira Todd said he doesn't know whether reports of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's ... Cmdr. James Tolbert and Deputy Chief Marshall ...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
[MI] Investigator of Sgt.'s wife - Rose Cobb's - murder warned: "This thing is bigger than you. Trust me."
...During a 90-minute interview Thursday in Stefani's Royal Oak office, Todd, 50, claimed his supervisors pressured him to turn over a written report documenting his investigation into hit man Vincent Smothers, who told police he was responsible for 10 murders, including the 2007 fatal shooting of Rose Cobb, the wife of Detroit Police Sgt. David Cobb... Smothers was arrested the morning of April 19 at his Shelby Township home.
Todd said he was interrogating him at police headquarters when [Cmdr. James] Tolbert interrupted the interview. "I've never had that happen; you never want to stop someone when they're in the middle of a confession because they might change their mind," Todd said...
Cop: Bosses skittish over mayor probe: Investigator suing city says he had to hand over report about alleged link to Ky. drug dealer.
The Detroit News
George Hunter ghunter@detnews.com
Friday, August 15, 2008
DETROIT -- Investigator Ira Todd said he doesn't know whether reports of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's connection to a reputed Kentucky drug dealer are true, but he said the way his supervisors at the Detroit Police Department stymied his investigation into the claim is suspicious.
"
From a cop's perspective, if someone tries to keep you from looking at something, that means there may be something they're trying to hide," said Todd, a veteran detective who claims he was demoted to desk duty for investigating alleged ties between Kilpatrick and a reputed cocaine dealer and associate of a hit man. "Otherwise, why not just allow the investigation to let the truth come out?"
Todd's attorney, Mike Stefani, filed a whistle-blower lawsuit on Todd's behalf last month, claiming Todd was transferred to a desk job in May because he was looking into the matter.
During a 90-minute interview Thursday in Stefani's Royal Oak office, Todd, 50, claimed his supervisors pressured him to turn over a written report documenting his investigation into hit man Vincent Smothers, who told police he was responsible for 10 murders, including the 2007 fatal shooting of Rose Cobb, the wife of Detroit Police Sgt. David Cobb.
Todd's report also included a reputed Lexington, Ky., police officer's claim that a suspected drug dealer bragged about a personal and business relationship with Kilpatrick.
Todd said he found out while investigating Smothers that a man named Ernest Davis, 26, who goes by the street name "Nemo," helped Smothers commit some of the murders.
"We found out Smothers and Nemo would go down to Lexington, Ky., to lay low after they did a hit job," Todd said.
The two would hide out at the home of Davis' brother, James Davis, Todd said.
"I called down to Kentucky and they knew of James Davis right away," Todd said. "They told me, 'Be careful; he brags about being close friends with your mayor, and that Kilpatrick basically gave him the keys to the city.'
"What concerned me was this was a veteran law enforcement officer telling me this. They seemed really concerned about me; they kept saying, 'Be careful.'"
Kilpatrick spokesman James Canning did not return phone calls, nor did Detroit Police officials.
The Lexington police supervisor put Todd in touch with an internal affairs officer, Todd said.
"He told me the same thing: He said, 'Be careful; Davis surrounds himself with police officers and is well-insulated.'"
Todd said he reported to his supervisors what investigators in Kentucky told him about the mayor. "Then things got really weird," he said.
Cmdr. James Tolbert and Deputy Chief Marshall Lyons demanded Todd turn over any reports he'd written about James Davis' claim of ties to Kilpatrick, Todd said
.
"The pressure they were putting on me is hard to describe," said Todd, who is on sick leave because he said the pressure he was put under caused him to become physically ill.
Smothers was arrested the morning of April 19 at his Shelby Township home. Todd said he was interrogating him at police headquarters when Tolbert interrupted the interview.
"I've never had that happen; you never want to stop someone when they're in the middle of a confession because they might change their mind," Todd said. "(Tolbert) wanted to know what Smothers was telling me. He seemed like he was afraid of what Smothers was going to say to me."
Todd said Tolbert then told him which questions he could ask Smothers.
"I got upset," Todd said. "It didn't make any sense. All the guys on the task force had worked so hard on this case, and the supervisors were interfering."
Then, after Smothers confessed that Cobb had promised him $10,000 to kill his wife, Todd said investigators were pressured by top police officials to arrest Cobb.
"The Prosecutor's Office told Tolbert, 'You don't have enough evidence to arrest Cobb.' We all wanted to wait, but Tolbert told us to arrest Cobb. We were all wondering why. We were bummed out."
Later, during a conference call with Todd, his supervisors, and Lexington police, Todd said he was "totally embarrassed. They kept dancing around the Kwame stuff, like they didn't want to talk about it."
Todd said he was ordered by his immediate supervisor, Lt. Harold Rochon, to take his vacation a week early.
"He kept saying, 'This thing is bigger than you. Trust me, take your vacation.'"
When Todd returned, he was transferred to the Northwest District. Supervisors told Todd that he hadn't properly documented his work in the case.
Last fall, a Wayne County jury agreed with Stefani that Kilpatrick had punished two officers investigating mayoral wrongdoing. That lawsuit, along with a whistle-blower settlement, led to an $8.4 million settlement.
Stefani said there may not be any merit to James Davis' claim of a relationship with Kilpatrick -- "but (Todd) never got the chance to prove whether it was true or not," he said. "It's like the line from Shakespeare: Methinks they doth protest too much."
Todd said the atmosphere in the Police Department changed when Kilpatrick took over as mayor.
"When (Dennis) Archer or Coleman Young were mayor, this would have never happened," he said. "But this administration is different. I don't know what the mayor has on the supervisors, but they're scared to death of him. I've never seen anything like it. You find yourself whispering about Kwame Kilpatrick; you're afraid to say anything out loud."
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal fatality fatalities murder for hire michigan state politics mafia]
on 8/17/2008
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Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:05 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint's new police chief, James Tolbert, pledges community engagement and service
Members of the Michigan State Police sit, waiting for the announcement of Flint's new police chief during a public safety forum on Monday afternoon, Sept. 30, 2013 at Word of Life Christian Church. Jake May | MLive.com
Gary Ridley | gridley@mlive.com By Gary Ridley | gridley@mlive.com
on September 30, 2013 at 7:20 PM, updated October 01, 2013 at 12:06 AM
FLINT, MI -- Flint's new police chief pledged investment, engagement and service when he was officially introduced to members of the community Monday evening.
Incoming Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley said Monday, Sept. 30, that he appointed Detroit Deputy Chief James Tolbert to the position three days after Flint Police Chief Alvern Lock announced his resignation.
Earley announced Tolbert's appointment during a Monday evening public safety forum hosted by the Michigan State Police with local community leaders and residents at the World Life Christian Church, 460 W. Atherton Road in Flint.
"I think we're going to do a lot of good," said Tolbert.
The invitation-only forum, which included Michigan State Police Director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, gave community members the opportunity to share their concerns about the state of public safety in Flint and the role of the state police in the nation's most-violent city.
Tolbert said such meetings are positive, as it will take teamwork to turn the city around. However, he added it will take more than words to stem Flint's violent crime rate.
"I guarantee you this: There will be action," said Tolbert.
Tolbert said he does not know when he will start his new position in Flint.
Earley said candidates were vetted to succeed Lock, and Tolbert emerged as the best option to take the reins of the police department in a city regularly recognized as one of the nation's most violent cities.
Tolbert is working toward a master's degree in criminal justice at Wayne State University. He has also attended St. Mary's College, Eastern Michigan University and Wayne Community College. He underwent leadership training through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"His leadership style is very important," Earley said, adding that Tolbert is confident, has a wealth of knowledge and experience in policing an urban environment.
Like Flint, Detroit often ranks toward the top of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's statistics of violent crimes.
Earley said he will request that Tolbert develop a plan to address public safety issues in the city, including violent crime -- Flint set a new record for homicides with 67 in 2012 -- as well as property crime and quality of life issues.
Flint City Council President Scott Kincaid said he was disappointed that the new chief was not promoted from within the city's police ranks but said that he would be willing to work with Tolbert to address the city's public safety problems.
Kincaid said he would like Tolbert to focus on improving police response times, getting more police on the street and working to reduce the homicide rate in the city.
"You got to recognize that the chief can only do what the emergency manager allows him to do," Kincaid said.
Flint resident Jesse Bey said he hoped the city would have tagged an internal candidate for the job but said that he hopes Tolbert will be outgoing and willing to interact with members of the community.
"The only thing that can stop crime is the people is in the community getting together and talking. The other chief never came out and talked to anybody," said Bey, 56. "He needs to listen to what the community has to say."
Chris Essenmacher, 22, Fenton, attends college at University of Michigan-Flint and said that he wants the new chief to address the issue of crime near the downtown campus.
"Being a commuter, I hope he does a better job of keeping crime off campus and providing a safe learning environment," said.
Lock could not be reached for comment on Tolbert's appointment. Tolbert said he has not yet spoken with Lock.
Earley, who expects to begin working as the city's emergency manager Oct. 8, said he plans to use funding approved by voters to maintain staffing within the department as well as explore the possibility of technology upgrades to improve police efficiency.
Tolbert echoed Earley, saying the department needed to look at technology investments to help officers.
Flint Police Officers Association President Kevin Smith spoke briefly with Tolbert Monday evening.
"He seemed very confident, very energetic," Smith said, adding that he hopes Tolbert has the leadership the city needs to move forward and deter crime.
Etue said state police leadership plans to sit down with the new chief to discuss the continued cooperation between her department and the city. Troopers already conduct directed patrols within the city and have a large presence in the city's detective bureau.
"Our plan is to be here for the long haul," Etue said.
Staff writer Chris Aldridge contributed to this report. |
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Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:06 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| The Flint Journal has a brief interview with Tolbert on their site. Tolbert does a slick sidestep when the Journal reporter asks him when he was asked to be Chief. No date . |
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Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:08 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| I was called this morning and told WXYZ TV 7 in Detroit reported at 11 am that Tolbert will leave Detroit on October 11th and start in Flint on Octoberr 14th. |
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Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:40 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Explosive Testimony Released In Greene Case - Manoogian …
www.zimbio.com/Manoogian+Mansion/articles/kTFmJ-HscPg/Explosive...
Documents just released in the Tamara Greene homicide investigation could further fuel a multimillion-dollar lawsuit that claims former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick ...
Explosive Testimony Released In Greene Case
By Jan on April 12, 2010 | From michiganasiseeit.com
New Witnesses Come Forward
Documents just released in the Tamara Greene homicide investigation could further fuel a multimillion-dollar lawsuit that claims former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other city officials tried to cover up the exotic dancer's death.
A 911 dispatcher who worked the fall 2002 night when Greene was allegedly assaulted by Kilpatrick's wife, Carlita, while dancing at a rumored but never proven party at the Manoogian Mansion, and a former high-ranking retired Detroit police officer who said he was threatened for investigating the cold case have come forward.
Sandy Cardenas said she received several "high-priority" calls to dispatch police officers to a disturbance at the Manoogian Mansion the night of the alleged party. The responding officers told Cardenas that they were prevented from going into the mansion and that they went to Kilpatrick's other home at the time to pick up Carlita to help them gain entry.
"Once Carlita got inside the mansion, the disturbance heated up immediately and an assault took place," said Cardenas in a sworn affidavit.
Cardenas said a number of police dispatchers were at the mansion for several hours, and it caused backups in other parts of the city because many of the cruisers were tied up.
Cardenas said the next night she came to work and all the 911 tapes of the run had been removed.
The midnight dispatcher told Cardenas that an Internal Affairs Officer took the tapes.
Sgt. Odell Godbold Sr., who worked with the Detroit Police Department for almost 30 years, was in charge of the DPD's Cold Case Squad when he was assigned the Tamara Greene cold case in 2004.
He said that he was removed from the case a short time later, demoted and forced into early retirement in 2006 after he discovered that an active-duty female Detroit police officer named Peytra Williams danced alongside Greene at the party and that she too was assaulted by Carlita Kilpatrick.
Williams told Godbold, "She was scared and didn't know what to do," he said in the affidavit.
Godbold said that current Deputy Chief James Tolbert, and then-Assistant Police Chief Walter Martin and Inspector Tony Saunders told him to not "let anyone see the Greene file and (not to) talk about it."
Godbold said after Tolbert and the others talked to him, he was ordered by William Rice, inspector of the Major Crimes Bureau, to hand over the Greene files, which he did.
A few days later, Martin said to Godbold, "You dumb mother-(expletive), I told you no one sees that file," he said in the affidavit.
A few days later, Rice was removed and replaced by Saunders. Tolbert was put in charge of the homicide section.
Kilpatrick eventually promoted Saunders to deputy chief and Tolbert to commander.
Godbold said in 2005, the cold case was abruptly shut down and his computer was confiscated.
Shortly thereafter, Godbold said he was forced to either take early retirement or "be a part of a perceived conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the Tamara Greene's homicide investigation."
After his retirement, Godbold took a position with CrimeStoppers, a nonprofit organization that forwards anonymous tips to police departments.
He said during that time he saw many tips regarding the Greene murder investigation come in and they were forwarded to the Detroit Police Department.
"I never saw a vast majority of that information during the time I investigated her murder," said Godbold.
Greene, 27, was shot to death a few months after the party in a drive-by shooting.
Birmingham Attorney representing Greene's family, Norman Yatooma, has asked a judge to unseal documents in the civil lawsuit.
Yatooma said publicity about the case helps produce tips about Greene's still-unsolved slaying
.
He says confidence in the court system would be enhanced if U.S. Chief District Judge Gerald Rosen lifts a gag order on attorneys in the case and opens future court hearings to the public.
The judge says publicity could harm a new investigation. |
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Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:52 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Detroit police veteran: Morale is 'lowest I've ever seen'
Posted: Feb 11, 2013 7:57 PM EST Updated: Feb 12, 2013 7:49 AM EST
By Maurielle Lue, Fox 2 News - email
DETROIT (WJBK) -
In the City of Detroit violent crime is up, but arrests are significantly down. It's a bad time for low morale to affect how police do their jobs, but one officer says that's exactly what's happening.
"I don't know why I'm coming to work every day and working hard," he said.
How would he describe the morale in the Detroit Police Department right now?
"For years you always hear morale is low, but honestly it's the lowest I've ever seen it. I have 26 years on the job. Every day when I go in the locker room or when I walk into the station, I hear people saying, 'Why am I here? I hate it here.' People are trying to leave
."
On the job and fed up, this Detroit police officer says low morale and long days are putting the people of Detroit in danger.
So what is making morale so bad?
"The twelve hour shifts, the pay, the treatment, the lies," he said.
Last year, police pay was cut by ten percent, benefits were reduced, and since then the ripple effect is undeniable. At the end of 2012, most precincts recorded lower arrest rates even though violent crime in the city is out of control.
"I don't have time to lock up these people for traffic offenses. If it's a felony or something serious, yeah, I have to do that. But I'm not going to arrest somebody for driving without a license and leave my comrades by themselves out here for two or three hours while the prisoner is being processed," the officer said.
In this officer's district Monday there were only two squad cars, that's four officers for 10,000 people, and the bad guys know they outnumber the cops.
"I think they're getting the word. That's why there [are] so many robberies out here right now," he said. "This city is not going to come back until the people feel safe. I work here. I don't feel safe."
We contacted Detroit police for reaction to this story. They never returned our calls.
Read more: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/21129765/26-year-dpd-veteran-morale-is-lowest-ive-ever-seen#ixzz2gZLksnEj |
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Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:10 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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New Flint police chief denies detective's claims of Detroit cover-up
David Harris | dharris5@mlive.com By David Harris | dharris5@mlive.com
on October 14, 2013 at 5:00 PM, updated October 14, 2013 at 5:08 PM
FLINT, MI – Flint's new emergency manager said he was unaware the city's new police chief was the target of a lawsuit alleging he blocked a detective's efforts to solve the killing of an exotic dancer tied to a long-rumored party at the home of disgraced ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley hired Detroit Deputy Police Chief James Tolbert last month to replace Alvern Lock, who resigned as Flint police chief. Tolbert started on Monday, Oct. 14.
Earley cited Tolbert's leadership style, confidence and experience in policing in an urban environment in hiring the 27-year veteran with Detroit police.
According to Gov. Rick Snyder's office, Tolbert was recruited for the Flint job by Rich Baird, Snyder's "transformational manager" whose job it is to fill important posts.
Earley said the Kilpatrick allegations did not come up during his discussions about Tolbert and that he is satisfied that the governor's office settled any outstanding concerns with Tolbert.
"Some of the specifics of (Tolbert's) work we're not discussed," he said.
Odell Godbold is suing Tolbert, the Detroit Police Department and two other Detroit police officials, accusing them of interfering with his investigation for political purposes. The lawsuit is currently on hold because of Detroit's bankruptcy.
Tolbert denied Goldbold's claims.
"That's not the case at all," he said. "I was in charge of homicide at the time and I totally during the time of the investigation was making sure that we absolutely made that investigation to the fullest."
Tolbert also said he investigates all crimes to the fullest.
Flint Police Officers Union President Kevin Smith said several of his members have raised concerns about Tolbert and claims that he blocked Godbold's investigation into the April 2003 killing of Tamara Greene.
Greene's family claims she was killed because she knew too much about the alleged party and that Kilpatrick and other Detroit officials worked to cover up her slaying.
A federal appeals court this year upheld a lower court's decision that there no evidence to support those claims. No officials have been charged with a cover up, including Kilpatrick, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison last week on corruption charges.
Smith said he is willing to look at Tolbert with a clean slate if Tolbert can provide strong leadership.
"We need a strong leader now," said Smith. "We need someone to come in to make this the great city it once was."
Flint officers have clashed with chiefs in recent past, voting "no confidence" against Flint police Chief Alvern Lock this year and former chief Gary Hagler in 2006.
Flint City Council President Scott Kincaid said he didn't have enough information to comment on the Greene investigation but said his issue with the hiring of Tolbert is the lack of community's input.
"The community should have some indication who is going to be the new chief so he can be vetted by the community," said Kincaid. |
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Mon Oct 14, 2013 4:21 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thanks to Josh Freeman who posted this on Facebook!
October 16, 2013 Last Updated 8:47 am
Motor City Muckraker
State hires former Kwame ‘henchman’ for police chief job
by Steve Neavling / Published yesterday /
A lawsuit alleges former Detroit Police James Tolbert impeded a probe into the murder of exotic dancer "Strawberry."
James TolbertJames Tolbert was deputy police chief in Detroit when he was promoted after allegedly hindering an investigation into the 2003 killing of exotic dancer Tamara “Strawberry” Greene.
He’s also at the center of a lawsuit that claims he and other top brass interfered with the probe in an attempt to stop police from looking deeper into the case immediately following allegations that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who is now serving 28 years in prison for a racketeering scheme, was involved in the killing.
But that didn’t prevent Lansing, which has been outspokenly critical of Kilpatrick, from hiring Tolbert to become police chief of Flint, a city that is under state-controlled emergency management, like Detroit.
Tolbert started as police chief Monday and told MLive that he never impeded the investigation.
“That’s not the case at all,” he said. “I was in charge of homicide at the time and I totally during the time of the investigation was making sure that we absolutely made that investigation to the fullest.”
Tolbert was selected by the controversial Richard Baird, Snyder’s transformation manager who is paid by private funds and has been the point man for emergency manager appointments. Baird orchestrated the surreptitious hiring of Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr while the governor repeatedly misled the public about the prospect of bankruptcy.
Jamie Fields, a candidate for the Detroit Police Commission, said the state’s failure to properly vet Tolbert is a problem.
“Most progressive cities that hire a new police chief are not only more transparent, they involve the community, whether it be public forums, media, or panel discussions, not only to properly vet the candidate’s backgrounds but to compare various candidate’s policing philosophy,” Fields said. “However, the issue continues to be the governor’s paternalistic usurpation of largely minority cities by substituting his decisions of what is best for the community.”
Steve Neavling is an investigative journalist whose stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations. |
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Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:09 am |
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