Bring on another alternate applicant.
Sam Lathrop, one of the five finalists for the permanent position, withdrew from consideration last week.
Lathrop sent a letter Thursday to Human Resources Director Pat Mitchell announcing his withdrawal.
The letter reads, “I have read with dismay articles and blogs in your local newspaper. As much as you are looking for a good fit for police chief, I too am looking for a fit. If the articles and attitudes are any indication, I suspect that Columbus is not the community for me.
“Councilman Charlie Box and Councilman Bill Gavin have already made up their minds. I fear that under this cloud, I am no longer in an arena where I will receive fair consideration. If elected officials can take such a stance without the benefit of having a discussion and learning the facts, this is yet another indicator to me. The article that they base their ill-advised opinion was neither accurate, not was it complete. In my case, it was intensely personal and I chose not to defend myself in the public forum. It surely is no indication of my qualifications. I am proud of my career and accomplishments in Beloit, and stand behind them.
“I have other opportunities that are much more attractive both from an environmental as well as a financial aspect. As such, I feel that it prudent that I no longer waste your time nor I mine. We both find that commodity valuable I suspect.
“I wish Columbus the best in finding their next chief.”
Lathrop was one of the five applicants recommended by the 21-person police chief search committee to go before the city council for interviews.
Lathrop has 31 years of law enforcement experience and worked as Beloit (Wis.) police chief for six years before retiring in 2009 after disclosing information to the Beloit city manager regarding an intradepartmental relationship.
The article Lathrop refers to in the letter is a Janesville Gazette article dated July 14, 2009 that reads, “concerns about a personal relationship between former Beloit Police Chief Sam Lathrop and a subordinate led to his decision to retire.”
In a phone interview with The Commercial Dispatch, Lathrop responded to the reports and said he was not asked to leave and it was a “mutual decision” between he and the Beloit city manager.
“I recognized some issues involved with having a relationship with a co-worker, especially when I was chief,” he said in a prior phone interview. “I approached the city manager … It was a mutual decision that we came to.”
Lathrop also refers in the letter to comments made by Box and Gavin at the Oct. 25 special-called council meeting. Box said during the meeting that he is “not happy” with the quality of candidates the council has to select from. Box later asked the council if the city was “doing this by a process of default” and said a number of the recommendations already should be disqualified. Mayor Robert Smith asked Box who should be eliminated, and Box responded, “A man is accused of having an affair with a subordinate. Would you consider that qualified?”
Box later referred to some of the finalists as “losers.” He clarified those comments Tuesday morning after word had spread of Lathrop’s withdrawal. Box said he still stands behind the feelings that he did not want Lathrop for the police chief job.
“I don’t mean that the men themselves are losers. I don’t mean that at all,” he said. “I just felt those men aren’t winners for the position. I don’t want anyone to think I meant they are losers at life.”
Lathrop was unavailable to be reached by telephone but did respond via email Monday evening.
“After a 31-year distinguished policing career and 17 months with the US Army 10th Mountain Division, the last 12 deployed in Afghanistan where I fought side by side with our soldiers, I don’t fit the moniker of ‘loser.’ The only losers are the citizens of Columbus who are lead by close minded councilmen,” he stated in the email.
The process currently is in the hands of a five-person subcommittee conducting background checks on the finalists. The members of the sub-committee are: Birney Imes, Dispatch publisher; Steve Rogers, WCBI assignment editor; Rep. Esther Harrison, D-Columbus, of Ward 1; Bobby Jordan of Ward 2; and Columbus-Lowndes Development Link Vice President Melissa Cook.
Mitchell said one of the alternate recommendations will take Lathrop’s place in the top-five group. There are two recommendations that tied for votes in the committee meeting, Mitchell said, and the subcommittee decided which of the applicants will move up but would not release the name until that person is contacted.
WCBI reported Monday that the name is Don Daniel of Arizona, but city officials have not confirmed this report.
This will be the second alternate applicant to move into the top-five group since the 21-person committee dwindled down 25 candidates to five. One of the original five finalists withdrew from consideration before the names were released to the public, and the first alternate moved into the top five.
Mitchell said Tuesday morning the other four finalists — Curtis Brame, of North Chicago, Ill.; Nathaniel Clark, of Albany, Ga.; Selvain McQueen, of Columbus; and Robert Spinks, of Sequim, Wash. — all signed the release forms and are still in consideration.
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You can help your community
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 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
