DUMFRIES, Va. — The next Dumfries police chief and police officers will soon have seven bosses.
The Dumfries Town Council voted to consolidate oversight powers of the Police Chief and town police officers, taking it from the Town Manager and giving it to the Council. The elected, seven-member board of politicians will now have the final say over how the department is run.
The 4-2 vote, with Councilman William Murphy voting no, Derrick Wood abstaining from the vote, and Councilwoman Gwen Washington absent, charges the next Town Manager also to work with the next police chief to ensure the will of the politicians is carried out when it comes to police operations. The changes will take effect Jan. 3, 2017.
The Dumfries Town Council will hold two special meetings this month. Council members will use the meeting on December 13 to interview candidates for a new police chief.
Acting Police Chief Micheal Fink has been overseeing the town’s four police officers after Chief Rebecca Edwards quit earlier this year after the Town Council voted to reduce her salary and then use saved cash to hire more police officers, to provide town residents with 24-hour police coverage. It was part of campaign promises made in the May 2016 Town Council elections to rely less on services from the Prince William County Police Department, which fills gaps in Dumfries Town Police coverage.
The 24-hour coverage plan backfired when seven police officers followed Edwards out the door, said Councilman Derrick Wood. That left a department that had been fully-staffed with 11 sworn officers now with four — not enough manpower to provide around-the-clock policing.
Mayor Jerry Foreman and Vice Mayor Cliff Brewer pushed for the policy change. Foreman has served as the Acting Town Manager in addition to Mayor since former Town Manager and former Dumfries Chief of Police Dan Taber resigned in July.
The town has lost its directors of public works, planning and zoning, and information technology, in addition to a police chief and town manager since the sitting Town Council took office July 1.
Every resident who spoke at the public hearing about the police change before the vote spoke against the plan.
“Is police chief to have seven bosses? Who does the chief call when there is a problem? Is the entire council called to take action when there is a problem? asked Nancy West, a former Dumfries Mayor. “No police chief can serve seven members.”
Others who spoke, including Councilman Murphy, suggested the Town’s Charter be amended to reflect the new organizational structure instead of simply passing an ordinance to enact the policy change, as well as explore how other Virginia localities operate their police departments. Murphy also asked about HR policies for officers’ requested time off.
“If someone has been working for seven days a week for six weeks and needs time off, who do they come to ask for time off? Do they come to the Town Council, and we take a vote?” asked Murphy.
Foreman said the matter would go before the town’s HR manager, who right now is also town treasurer, who would decide if the officer would get the time off he or she requested. Foreman chalked up Murphy’s questions to nothing more than “showboating” to the audience, noting town leaders had two prior opportunities to ask questions prior to the public hearing and subsequent vote.
The changes follow the arrest of Foreman on April 30, before the May 3 Town Council election. Foreman, who’s current term expires in June 2018 and was not running for reelection, pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of trespassing after he was accused of stealing campaign sign belonging to Willie Toney, who lost his reelection bid.
Sources told Potomac Local then Town Manager Dan Taber ordered then Police Chief Rebecca Edwards to charge Foreman in connection to the stolen sign, instead of having one of the town’s officers press charges against the Mayor.
Afterward, the professional relationship between Foreman and Taber deteriorated and Foreman Taber resigned his position to protect his reputation, sources said. Before coming to Dumfries and becoming the longest-serving town manager with five years under his belt, Taber spent a career as an officer with the Prince William County Police Department.
Brewer said the move to consolidate police power is meant to root out corruption in the town.
“The whole point of this is to stop corruption whether it be one person, or by the council. This will stop wrongdoing by one person, whoever the person may be,” said Brewer during Town Council meeting, stopping short of naming names.
