Sunday, March 16, 2014

In Case You Missed It: Former CMPD DC Medlock Under Fire In Fayetteville

Seems the tricks leaned from his time with Rodney Monroe may not have worked as well for Harold Medlock in Fayetteville.

From the Fayetteville Observer:

A state agency that oversees police conduct and training plans to do its own investigation into allegations involving Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock.

Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Justice, announced the state investigation Friday, a day after City Manager Ted Voorhees said an internal investigation by the Police Department cleared Medlock of any wrongdoing.

The allegations center on whether Medlock's executive officer - Lt. Tracey Bass-Caine - took a mandatory certification exam on his behalf, according to a former police sergeant and a source in the Police Department. Talley said the N.C. Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission is reviewing Fayetteville's investigation and "plans to open its own investigation shortly."

She said the city notified the commission of its internal investigation Jan. 2. The Observer first learned of the internal investigation in January but did not report on it then because of a lack of specific allegations.

Medlock on Friday referred questions to City Manager Ted Voorhees. "I was aware at the outset that the Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission staff would review our investigation and make an independent decision about conducting its own investigation," Voorhees said in a statement Friday. "They are simply following the established protocol as I understand it."

In January, the chief said officers questioned him because they thought he might have information about the case. He said he was a part of the investigation, "but not a subject of it." The city and Medlock have declined to provide details of the investigation, saying privacy laws restrict what they can release.

Thursday, former police Sgt. Jerry Schrecker sent an email to the Observer and City Council members publicly raising the question about the test allegations. Schrecker insinuated in his email that a single paragraph answer in Medlock's test was identical - including misspellings - to an answer in the executive officer's test.

All certified police officers are required to take the annual exam. Tests can be taken online. Failure to complete all facets of the training can result in suspension of an officer's certification. Voorhees said in a statement Thursday that Medlock's "certifications are current."

Schrecker has declined to say how he got his information, but a source in the Police Department confirmed that the city's internal investigation centered on the allegations contained in Schrecker's email.

The source asked to remain anonymous because he said he feared losing his job. Following the internal investigation, the city demoted Bass-Caine from lieutenant to sergeant, Voorhees said in an email late Thursday.

Bass-Caine has appealed the demotion, so her rank will remain lieutenant pending the outcome of the appeal, Voorhees said.

Lawyer Mike McGuinness said his law firm in Elizabethtown is representing Bass-Caine, a 24-year veteran of the Police Department. McGuinness, a lawyer for the N.C. Police Benevolent Association, represented Fayetteville officers in a lawsuit filed in 2012 against the city that involved consent searches of vehicles.

McGuinness said the nature of Bass-Caine's case limits what he can say. He said his office is now conducting an investigation into the matter. "Among other things, we will examine issues of selective enforcement of personnel policies and disparate treatment in discipline," McGuinness said in an email.

Schrecker left the department in 2011 and has been an outspoken critic of police and city administrators since then.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Monkey see....... Monkey do..... Hopefully Medlock will get a little taste of what he so commonly handed out. This Ego-maniac could use a lesson in humility. Good riddance for us but God help Fayetteville.

Anonymous said...

I'm doing my best gentlemen to see that happens. FYI...I am a retired law enforcement officer from the Fayetteville Police Department where I served 24 years. With that and the U.S.Army Military Police Corp time served (8 years) I was able to buy back retirement time and retire with a full 30 year retirement. The Fayetteville Observer makes it appear that I just "left" the department like a disgruntled employee. Got to love reporters.

Anonymous said...

And what about investigating Monroe, since he is known to and has admitted to lying on his resume to get this job, not having his certification until very late but acted as police chief, has been accused but never cleared of having the captain prepare his exam answers for him, and who has continuously applied uneven (charitable) personnel decisions and other investigations for his own purposes.
?

Anonymous said...

No one at CMPD should be surprised. He couldn't Police himself out if an appliance box. No shock here!

Anonymous said...

Sorry FayetteNam you earned the likes of Medlock. You can always dispatch his asre to Range 77 during a live fire exercise and hope for a positive outcome.

Anonymous said...

Medlock, he used to be an ok guy back when Monroe showed up at CMPD he went off the deep end. He is a corrupt as Monroe maybe even more so. He just saw how a no good thug cop like Rodney got ahead by lying is way to the top. Worked for Rodney works for Medlock.

Anonymous said...

Well, well...seems his arrogance and
hubris is finally catching up with the lying sack of shit.

Not the first time he has cut corners.

He is a vindictive, dishonest, corrupt egomaniac with a totally distorted sense of his own importance.

He has ruined more Officers careers than anyone I have known in my 25 years at CMPD.

He will throw you under the bus in a heartbeat to save his ass.

He should never have been promoted.

Let's hope and pray he gets what is coming to him.

Anonymous said...

Not surprising this has escaped media attention in Charlotte. But it is indicative of how Rodney Monroe runs "his police department".

Anonymous said...

Rodney controls the MSM in Charlotte...they are scared silly of him.
Medlock has always been a bully.He tries to run with the big dogs, but he should just stay on the porch.
He has been out of his depth since he was an Officer.
He is no leader...because he does not and never has had the respect of the troops.They fear him because of his vindictive personality...but that is not leadership.
He and his notorious out of control temper was always a joke at CMPD...His red faced vein popping temper is legandary.
He loves the implied power of his job...but he can't handle it.
He truly thinks he is better than everyone.And like Rodney...He thinks he has made it "in society".
Hopefully this is his comeuppance.

Anonymous said...

5:40 Damn straight. If the feds turn the heat up high enough I'd bet a month's pay he'd out Monroe and Foster.

Anonymous said...

I'm just glad that we don't have to deal with him anymore. Be thankful that he is gone now and keep pushing forward. Hopefully it will be over soon. Hopefully............ Keep your head up!

Anonymous said...

Medlock ahhhh I can see his tormented face, eyes bulging, spit spraying from his gaping mouth as he screams a never ending tidal wave of profanities.

FPD Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

I can also remember when Medlock was really a good person who truly cared about the people under his command. This was before Rodney rode into town on his white steed and declared that he was the new Sheriff. Medlock (along with countless others who I once respected) immediately became Mr. Hyde. Amazing how easy it is to convince people to sell their souls to the devil.

Anonymous said...

Now his "story" is "HE DIDN'T KNOW".

How stupid does he believe people are?

The Lt. Is just one more casualty..just more collateral damage from his hubris.

Is he the "Chief"?? Does the buck stop with him?
What kind of leader does "not know" about something like this??
How about his access code and password??
What utter bullshit.
This kind of behavior is a pattern with him.

Anonymous said...

Some of the same junk that Tim Jayne pulled in Leland

Anonymous said...

Thom Till is reminds me of Rodney Monroe...not knowing where his degree came from...or if he HAD a degree!

Anonymous said...

City manager Voorhees?? Doesn't CMPD have a Capt. Voorhees? Any Relation?