North Myrtle Beach officials terminated the department of public safety’s interim director and highest-ranking officer in the city's public safety department, along with a lieutenant who is the head of its detective division following an investigation into allegations the two were heard making offensive sexual remarks about female co-workers and a female crime victim who is a minor.
Police Major Walt Floyd and Lieutenant Don Repec, were terminated Thursday, Feb. 4, according to a news release from the city’s public information officer Nicole Aiello.
Thursday's firings came just days after the men were placed on paid administrative leave following publication of recordings made by former public safety officer Lieutenant Randy Fisher in a local newspaper.
Smithson said during a press conference on Feb. 1 that Floyd and Repec had been asked to leave the workplace until he can talk with them and actions regarding them would be “taken as soon as the investigation is complete.”
The firings are just another chapter in the latest shakeup in the department that has been in turmoil in recent weeks in the midst of allegations of improper behavior, the possible cover-up of a criminal domestic violence case and the suspension and demotion of the department’s director.
William Bailey, the former director of the department of public safety, was placed on paid administrative leave in December following his admission he lied to the city manager about the theft of his city-issued handgun. In January he was demoted to lieutenant and placed on two weeks of unpaid suspension.
Whether he will return to work this week was left open by the city pending an investigation by SLED. The state’s investigative unit was asked by Smithson in January to investigate allegations made against Bailey regarding allegations he covered up a criminal domestic violence case. There is currently no word as to when SLED will investigate the alleged cover-up.
“Once William Bailey’s two-week unpaid suspension is completed, he will remain on leave until the city manager receives a response from SLED as to whether or not they will review the allegations that Mr. Bailey interfered with a charge against a local citizen. If SLED decides to conduct an investigation, Mr. Bailey will remain on leave until the city manager reviews the results of the investigation. Any leave taken at the conclusion of the unpaid suspension will be charged to Mr. Bailey’s accrued vacation leave balance or taken as leave without pay,” Aiello said on Tuesday afternoon.
Capt. Rick Buddelmeyer is now serving as interim director. He is a 23-year veteran of the department.
During a press conference called by City Council on Feb 1, Mayor Marilyn Hatley said City Council was “dismayed, disgusted and sickened at the content and graphic descriptions made by some of the city’s public safety employees.”
The Sun News, the local, daily newspaper, has recently written a series of news stories based on tape recordings made by Fisher who was forced to resign by city officials in November 2009.
The North Myrtle Beach Times does not have a copy of the tapes.
Hatley laid the blame for the public safety departments problem on Fisher, saying she was “disappointed and disturbed” Fisher would allow “these things to happen while he idly sat by.” She said Fisher recorded the conversations then “failed to go through the proper channels to bring these comments to light.”
During Smithson’s statement he also chastised Fisher saying he should have reported the problems in public safety but didn’t.
“I followed my chain of command in reporting what I knew. I went to Major Floyd and talked to him. I did not go to Bailey because some of the problems concerned him and his actions in the department. When Floyd took no action I went to see the assistant city manager Steve Thomas,” Fisher said.
Fisher said in his conversations with Thomas he reported his concerns about unethical behavior and unfair treatment of some employees.
In a letter to Thomas dated Aug. 26, 2009, Fisher outlined his meetings with Thomas which began on June 2. In the Aug. 26 letter he wrote, “I have many recorded conversations through the years saved on my computer.”
On Jan. 21, after his resignation, Fisher, in a letter to Smithson, offered to let him hear the tapes but requested to have a third party present. Smithson declined the invitation.
Fisher said he went through his chain of command and believed Thomas would follow-up on his complaints.
The city attorney has begun meeting with female officers and administrative staff in public safety to ensure no unfavorable treatment has occurred or is occurring now. In addition, sexual harassment and supervisory training, which had been scheduled last year, will be held in the next few weeks.
Thomas, who is in charge of training programs for city employees, said last fall he began talking with a company who provides training for the city about sexual and anti-harassment training and effective supervisory training.
“We have both of those sessions scheduled for several days in February,” said Thomas.
The city has also engaged the services of a consulting group who is currently interviewing public safety officers and others about the problems in the department.
Aiello says The Institute for Public Service and Policy Research will be assisting the city with an assessment of the public safety department.
“They will be here this week to interview employees in order to address any concerns they may wish to express. Further meetings will be scheduled as soon as possible to ensure that all employees have the opportunity to participate in this process,” she said.
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