MAYOR PUTS OFF DECISION ON POLICE EMPLOYEES

By Chris Cook - Forks Forum editor

Forks Mayor Nedra Reed is pushing back a decision on whether to fire three Forks Police Department personnel.

Reed said the delay is due to City of Forks Attorney/Planner Rod Fleck being out sick last week, and because she has injured her foot in a fall.

Sgt. Tom Scott, Sgt. JoElle Munger and Communications Officer Deanna Dematteis are all on administrative leave. All three were given hearings earlier this month to give their side of charges being made against them.
The nature of the charges hasn’t been announced by Reed, citing confidentiality requirements.

All parties involved – including Forks Police Chief Mike Powell, Teamsters Union representatives and the mayor – have refused to comment on the situation.

Internal investigations into alleged misconduct by Forks Police Chief Powell were undertaken earlier this year, and resulted in training sessions being held for police department employees – including Powell – in April and in June of 2007.
The allegations were reported to have come from complaints made by the staff to the Teamsters Union, which represents Forks Police Department employees, and from anonymous sources.

A later investigation was undertaken by the Association of Washington Cities. Documents from that investigation are expected to be released by mid-March.

The Forks Forum has made a Freedom of Information Act request to the City of Forks for a copy of a report issued by the Association of Washington Cities in November. A reply from the City of Forks said a copy of the report will be made available in mid-March.

The Forks Police Department is made up of seven officers and five dispatchers, in addition to Powell.