Cincinnati's Chief of Police says he'll cooperate with an outside investigation the city manager ordered.
Chief Tom Streicher says he'll stand corrected if this outside investigation finds he acted improperly in an incident that started with “horseplay” at the lowest ranks, but grew to reach the highest office in the department.
Chief Streicher says "I do respect the city manager's decision to conduct an independent investigation."
Streicher says he's just as frustrated as the city manager at the brouhaha that grew after an act of silly horseplay when a mounted patrol officer decorated his police horse in Pittsburgh Steeler garb.
The officer got a reprimand and when he appealed it, another officer says Sergeant Elena Moton asked him to lie in a hearing about the matter. He says he taped the conversation, fearing her friendship with the police chief.
A top police commander recommended the chief refer the matter to an internal investigation. But the chief refused, saying he couldn't vouch for the tapes that accused Moton.
The chief says he stands by his decision regarding the tapes and the investigation. "I haven't change my mind about anything at all,” said Streicher. “I think all the information needs to be considered, which is what I tried to do."
But the city manager thought the tapes were relevant and as the I-Team reported yesterday, he ordered an outside investigation with the cooperation of the very unit inside Cincinnati Police that the Chief Streicher had told not to investigate the matter.
When asked if the citizens trust a probe partially handled by Internal Investigations when the chief has said before that he is Internal Investigations, Chief Streicher said it wouldn’t be a conflict.
"The manager has extracted me from it because of the interview I did with you,” Streicher told the I-Team. “It says it very in there, clearly [in the city manager’s memo to Chief Streicher] that because of the interview I did with Channel 9, which was with you, he's decided to remove me from the process and have the investigation delivered directly to him."
Streicher vows the department will cooperate with the outside investigators. "Absolutely. Absolutely. I guarantee you that,” Streicher said.
Lieutenant Randy Rider is president of the National Internal Affairs Investigators Association, with 30 years police experience, much of it in internal affairs.
He says the tapes must be part of the investigation. "I think the air needs to be cleared for the chief and the police department,” said Rider.
He also believes the tapes are usable in an internal investigation.
Streicher says, "Can I argue with the president of a national organization? I could sit here all day, but I guarantee you that that person doesn't have the same information that I have."
Streicher says the investigation could have been handled better at its beginning, and he's rescinded that reprimand.
He wouldn’t say if he believes Sgt. Moton asked Officer Cox to lie in her behalf.
"I have no opinion on it. I can tell you that to me she said she did not,” Streicher said. “There's an investigation being conducted about it, so I'm not going to offer an opinion about it."
But, now that questions of favoritism on his part have come up, he's ready for whatever investigators conclude.
"If what comes out of this, the city manager says, 'Tom, I think you should have taken another direction,' then I'll stand corrected. I'll stand corrected,” said Streicher. “Certainly won't be the first mistake I've made in my life."
The police department will pay for the outside investigators from the International City/County Management Association.
