Some officers at the Columbus Police Department have called for Chief Joseph Daughtry’s removal, citing a pattern of retaliation, favoritism and declining morale in the department – allegations Daughtry said he has not heard before.
On Thursday, a CPD officer, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation at work, provided The Dispatch with a letter of no confidence in Daughtry’s ability to lead the department, specifically requesting the Columbus City Council consider removing him from the position. Another officer, who also wished to remain anonymous, confirmed taking part in crafting the letter.
“This request is not made lightly,” the letter reads. “It is based on a pattern of leadership decisions and conduct that have negatively impacted morale, retention, professionalism, and the overall effectiveness of the department.”
The unsigned letter goes on to outline a number of allegations against the chief that have led “many employees” to have concerns about “low morale, a hostile work environment, favoritism and a lack of professional respect.” Ranging from a significant loss in staff numbers to claims of favoritism in hiring and promotions, the letter claims morale at the department is deeply eroded.
In response, Daughtry denied the allegations, chalking the letter up to a disgruntled group of officers who are not accustomed to the level of accountability he’s required of them.
“At the end of the day, I can’t stop people from doing this. I can’t stop people from writing letters, but there’s a process,” he told The Dispatch on Thursday. “If something is wrong, everybody in this department knows that they can talk to me. I’ve never shunned anybody away, but I do know we have a culture that if you don’t get your way, (you’re unhappy).”
The letter, however, characterizes the department’s culture differently, claiming Daughtry’s leadership style has fostered division rather than teamwork. It specifically alleges officers who disagree with the chief or question his decisions are made to feel “marginalized, overlooked for opportunities or subjected to retaliation.”
“This has created a culture where employees are discouraged from providing honest feedback or contributing ideas that differ from the chief’s views,” it reads.
Daughtry disagreed, pointing to times when he sought officers’ input on changes, like the design of new patrol vehicles or uniform patches. He said officers are aware he has an open-door policy.
As for why some staff chose to contact The Dispatch rather than take advantage of his open-door policy, Daughtry pointed to a possible larger conspiracy to have him removed from the position.
“I believe … it’s somebody that wants me out the way because I told them before, ‘Going to the media is not going to fix it. If you’ve got a problem with me or your captain, you need to come to us,’” he said.
Assistant Chief Garland Ward said he’s heard “mumblings” of discontent within the department, but without officers coming forward, addressing the concerns is a difficult task.
“You get the mumblings, but you don’t get the concern from the person who’s supposed to have the concern,” Ward told The Dispatch. “You heard them, but you go to the … officer that is making the complaint or concern, and they say ‘I didn’t say that. Oh, I said this, but I didn’t say this.’ So how do you get to the bottom of it?”
If officers have complaints but are unwilling to come forward to have them addressed, Daughtry said it’s ultimately their choice in whether they want to stay at the department.
“My response is this: if somebody is that unhappy here, and they’re miserable, and they hate this place, they don’t like it, at some point, you’ve got to ask them, ‘Why are you still here?’” Daughtry said.
‘Serious conversations’ coming with the council
Speaking to The Dispatch on Thursday, Ward 5 Councilman Gary Jefferson said it was the first he’d heard of the no confidence letter, though it reminded him of similar complaints raised by CPD officers last year.
Officers who spoke to The Dispatch in November raised concerns about a lack of proper compensation for on-call hours and a slew of complaints similar to those outlined in the no-confidence letter, claims that sparked rumors of a blue flu – a coordinated sick leave – in protest at the time.
The anonymous officer told The Dispatch on Thursday that no changes have been made at CPD since November to address those concerns. Daughtry corroborated.
“It never got addressed,” Daughtry said. “We never heard from them. When we tried to figure out … what was wrong, everybody we talked to (raised no concerns).”
Jefferson told The Dispatch he expects the council will have “serious conversations” with the chief “sooner rather than later” to address some of the officers’ concerns.
“I think that we as a council should have some serious conversations with the chief (about) his … concerns that officers continually bring these accusations up and what we can do to (improve) the morale,” he said.
Jefferson also encouraged the officers to come forward with their complaints.
“I understand that sometimes people don’t want to put their names on, but in order to get something accomplished, you have to stand up for what you believe in,” he said. “If you believe in it say, ‘Hey, I am one of the ones that’s got problems, and these are the reasons I got problems.’ And no one would be fired or terminated or have a backlash about standing up (for) what they believe is right.”
Mayor Stephen Jones declined to comment on the letter until an official complaint is filed with the human resources department. No such complaints have been filed, he said.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
