The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday, Feb. 9, agreed to a third-party review of turnover and morale in the Oak Ridge Police Department but rejected requests for two other probes. On Monday, March 9, the Council did not consider a proposal from the Municipal Technical Advisory Service to conduct the 30-day review, but members did call for a special meeting on Friday, March 27, to consider a review or investigation. (File photo)
Note: This story was last updated at 8:20 p.m.
Despite concerns about the timing, the Oak Ridge City Council later this month will consider steps that could be used to help review or investigate—there has been a dispute over which word to use—the turnover, morale, and administrative policies in the Oak Ridge Police Department.
City Council members Trina Baughn and Rick Chinn requested the special meeting, and they asked that it be held at 6 p.m. Friday, March 27. They said the meeting could be used to discuss and vote on the parameters of an investigation and possibly select an investigator. The two members also want the Council to consider the merits, and possibly vote on, placing Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.
Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch expressed concern about having the special meeting that week because officials from the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of Energy are expected to be in town. Gooch, who would prefer to discuss the issues in a regular meeting, said he thought it would be a mistake to have a special meeting like this that could interfere with the visit by NPS and DOE officials.
Oak Ridge is part of a new three-site Manhattan Project National Historical Park that was created by Congress last year and signed into law by President Barack Obama. It’s something that Oak Ridge officials and volunteers, among others, have worked on and supported for more than a decade. National Park Service spokesman Bill Reynolds said NPS officials are scheduled to arrive Tuesday, March 24, and could remain through Thursday or Friday that week. The delegation could include officials from the Southeast Office and others from headquarters in Washington, D.C., Reynolds said Tuesday.
But Baughn stuck by her request on Monday, which was to have the special meeting sometime that week. It only takes two Council members to call a special meeting, meaning the full City Council does not have to vote on it. So, after Chinn seconded Baughn’s motion and the two wrote their request, the special meeting was called.
In response, City Council members Charlie Hensley and Ellen Smith added their own request to that special meeting agenda. They want to consider selecting a reviewer to conduct a police review, as opposed to an investigation, during the March 27 meeting.
Monday’s discussion was a follow-up to a resolution that was passed by Council in a 7-0 vote in February. That resolution called for an independent third-party review of the turnover, morale, and administrative policies in the ORPD. At the time, the outcome appeared to generally please all sides. But the unanimity was short-lived.
The review approved last month followed an earlier call by Baughn to open an investigation into the police chief in three areas. But two of Baughn’s proposals were rejected in 2-5 votes last month, and the Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved the third-party review, which had been proposed by Council member Kelly Callison.
On Friday, a resolution proposed by Callison was added to Monday night’s City Council agenda to consider using Rex Barton of the Municipal Technical Advisory Service at the University of Tennessee to conduct the 30-day review. Baughn and others objected on several fronts, including by raising questions about a possible conflict of interest. With Callison out of town, the resolution was pulled from the Monday night agenda.
Meanwhile, the Knox County chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association has agreed to conduct its own independent investigation of the ORPD leadership.
Chapter President William N. Kain said that investigation will be done through off-site contact with PBA members in the Oak Ridge Police Department, and it could be complete by late March or mid-April.
A few people, in turn, raised a question about whether the PBA might itself have a conflict of interest. Supporters of both the MTAS and PBA inquiries dispute that there would be a conflict of interest.
The calls for an investigation or review started after a late January email by Baughn. She expressed concern about what she suggested is a high turnover rate in the Oak Ridge Police Department and allegations contained in a grievance filed by former ORPD Officer Christopher Bayless as well as those contained in three anonymous emails and what she’s heard from former officers.
That led to letters to the editor by several former Oak Ridge officers, including former Police Chief David Beams.
In early February, Baughn requested a investigation based on the Bayless grievance, letters by Beams and former Lieutenant Jack Mansfield, and the anonymous emails, which were sent by someone writing as “Bobby Hill.â€
On Monday, Hensley continued to object to Baughn’s methods. He said much of the information that has been released is “half-true,†including from legal proceedings in Blount County several years ago, and he said the press has been misinformed.
“I do not want to turn this into another ‘Phase II witch hunt,’†Hensley said. “I think the falsehoods that have been put out there are very unfortunate. They border on sickness in fact.â€
A few residents also objected, including after Baughn pointed out several steps that she didn’t think were fair, such as suppressing “the voice of the people†and “adding substitute resolutions to ours before a meeting.â€
“It’s kind of ironic, Ms. Baughn, that you are calling for fairness,†said resident Tracy Stout-Powers. The Council member is asking to put the chief on administrative leave before a review is even done, Stout-Powers said.
A few of those who support Baughn continued to raise questions about whether there were any violations under a temporary order of protection issued in Blount County at the request of Akagi’s ex-wife about three years ago and dismissed two years ago.
Baughn said the inquiry was not about her, but instead about the Police Department.
“I have not called for anyone’s head on a platter,†she told Stout-Powers.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Matt Bailey says
Good evening, John:
The PBA review won’t mean much. I don’t think that anyone can imagine the Chief sitting down with them and discussing anything with them, since apparently the PBA has NEVER done this kind of review before for anyone. They only came to the attention of anyone when Trina and her camp demanded that the PBA do the review. No one has asked them to do this, so them “agreeing to do this” is entirely their decision.
What many people found interesting last night was Trina Baughn’s never ending attempt to hide the truth. She conveniently failed to inform the community that the PBA has a board member who is employed by the OR Police Dept., and that the board member is married to Stephanie Gluck, who seems to be Ms. baughn’s MOST vocal supporter these days. I believe it was Ms. Gluck who accused the council of lying and stealing, a claim she later apologized for.
As was pointed out, this is at least Trina’s third attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the Oak Ridge public and hide the truth. She’s now embarrasing the council as a whole.
And speaking of embarrassment, I would imagine that the city will enjoy the video of ms. baughn’s “come-apart”. For those of you who missed it, you just gotta watch. But make sure you send the children out of the room first.
Mark Caldwell says
I must admit, seeing and hearing Ms. Baughn spending an inordinate amount of time to discuss notice of meetings and Mr. Chinn passionately pleading against improving safety along a busy highway in Oak Ridge so that students can be better protected, was an eye-opener.
(http://www.oakridgetn.gov/videojs/JSCouncilMeeting03092015.htm).
The City of Oak Ridge is doing a fine job.
johnhuotari says
Matt,
It was my understanding that the PBA review or investigation would be done independently of the city. That is confirmed by William Kain of the Knox County chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. Here’s what he said:
“We independently decided to look into this matter on our own, and we are not doing this for the city—we are doing it for our members. No city council person has approached us to conduct an investigation.”
Here is the response we received from Council member Trina Baughn: “I did not approach the PBA nor did I request them to do a review or an investigation.”
It’s my understanding that 40 of the 62 officers at ORPD are PBA members. Kain told me he wants the PBA investigation to be fair and conducted with an “open mind.” I didn’t think to ask if they’ve conducted an inquiry of this type before.
The only official City of Oak Ridge proposal I’ve seen is the resolution to consider using MTAS, which was pulled from the Monday night agenda. I presume it could come up again later.
The connection you draw from Council member Baughn through two intermediaries to the PBA seems speculative to me, and that’s something we try to avoid here. Also, bringing up something that Stephanie apparently posted elsewhere and has since apologized for seems a bit like a personal dig to me, which we also ask commenters to avoid.
Thank you,
John
Anne Garcia Garland says
I am puzzled by the accusations being thrown at a council member who has responded, apparently bravely considering the blowback, to pleas from citizens and city employees to speak up in their behalf. Despite the claims of Mr. Bailey, Ms. Powers, and Mr. Hensley, I have not been able to discover any untruth whatsoever in any statements by Councilwoman Baughn. During the previous council I also tried to get the council to investigate policies and procedures in the department. Ms. Baughn did not seek out the PBA nor “demand” anything. She is also not responsible for any statements made by Ms. Gluck. I have seen the nastiness thrown around Facebook pages and the false-flag website containing smear allegations. I have been impressed by the degree to which Ms. Baughn has herself maintained composure and dignity in the face of the attempts by others to distract from our officers’ issues by blaming her. Any department, any city, any individual who cannot bear examination fails in its obligation to the citizens.
Ms. Powers is mistaken in her assertions with respect to court documents.
Matt Bailey’s accusation of deception by Ms. Baughn does not hold water.
Joseph Lee says
“Anne Garcia Garland truly understands the people of Oak Ridge and she recognizes that our problems are not simple and will not be resolved overnight. More importantly, she has the courage to continue to stand up to those who perpetuate them. My vote for city council will be for accountability, transparency and a voice of the people, by the people and for the people. My vote is for Anne Garcia Garland.”
Sam Hopwood says
You really should stop smoking that weird stuff Joe. It will affect your keen intellect and before you know it you will be writing e-mails to council members, city department heads, calling people clowns and all such foolish things. You know you really don’t want to do that don’t you?
Side Bar to Ms. Garland….. Thanks Ms. Garland for putting a little common sense into this discussion. Of course that is difficult for Matt, Mark and Joe to accept but one can only try.
Joseph Lee says
Mr.Hopwood,
We can do better than what we got from Ms.Garcia Garland and are getting from Ms.Baughn, and you know it. Thank you
Mark Caldwell says
Ms. Baughn and Mr. Chinn: Two peas in a pod.
Mark Caldwell says
What was the personal attack? Did your wife “… accused the council of lying and stealing, a claim she later apologized for.” as Mr. Bailey wrote in his post above? Or do you think his personal attack was when he wrote “… Stephanie Gluck, who seems to be Ms. Baughn’s MOST vocal supporter these days?”
By the way John, are you at work right now?
John Criswell says
Actually I am not at work….nice try. The personal attack came when he threw my wife’s name into the public arena in a very public place. I would not do that to him, or anyone else because she is not a public figure and neither are Mr. Bailey or you. Yes, she did make that accusation based on an emotional response, and apologized personally and publicly and went a step further and redacted every post she made because she genuinely felt bad that she let her emotions get the best of her. I would challenge anyone to come forward who hasn’t done the same, we are all human. But we are are letting ourselves get sidetracked with personal issues instead of focusing on the task at hand. I have nothing personal against you or Mr. Bailey, we are all entitled to our opinions. We need to stop fighting each other and keep working for a better community.
johnhuotari says
Hello all.
I think we’ve had significant discussion of most of the issues discussed in this story on a few other posts on Oak Ridge Today. So, in the interest of keeping the conversation civil, I’m going to close this comment thread early.
As always, you are welcome to call me at (865) 951-9692 or email me at [email protected] if there is something you absolutely want to post.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.
John