McFall: Audit still ongoing
According to the Polk County attorney, interviews will continue past Tuesday into the allegations made against county police.
The departmental audit seeking more information about allegations that were made about the administration at the Polk County Police Department continues, and will likely continue for some time according to County Attorney Brad McFall.
He said in follow-up questions about the still on-going audit that so far, he’s only interviewed 11 out of the 37 officers on the force.
“Only one officer in the department has declined to meet with me,” he said by email last week.
However, he said that with less than a dozen of more than 30 interviews left to complete, it won’t be done in time for the upcoming June 6 meeting as he had hoped.
“I do have a majority of the week of June 5 dedicated to officer interviews,” McFall added.
Thus far, he said the interviews have taken between 30 minutes to an hour.
McFall, who according to County Manager Matt Denton is paid $175 an hour for his services as the County Attorney, still has more than 20 officers left to discuss allegations made in a letter sent to the County Commissioners earlier in the month by Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats.
In the letter, Moats said that anonymous allegations came from several different officers.
The 18 officers cited issues with “favoritism in assignment and promotion, criminal activity and cover-ups involving administrative personnel, failure to supervise, failure to direct, retaliation, lying, gossiping and officer safety due to lack of coverage and support in the patrol division.”
Moats put the concerns in writing in a letter sent to the Polk County Board of Commissioners on May 5 seeking for the board to decide on whether the allegations merit the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Previously, Polk County Commission Chair Marshelle Thaxton said that the board decided to keep the investigation within the county government, and not seek Georgia Bureau of Investigation assistance as requested by Moats in his letter, since no evidence of criminal allegations were brought up in the letter.
He had added that no officers had come to him personally with issues, or Denton in past reporting.
Moats said in the letter the officers feared retaliation in the workplace if they came forward publicly with their complaints, and called the situation a “pressure cooker.”
He added the board needs to take action or the officers “will all quit and the county police will be unable to fulfill its obligation. I have been told by some of them it will happen by the end of May.”
Moats could have called upon the Georgia Bureau of Investigation himself to look into the allegations, but has previously cited a lack of investigative resources as one of his chief reasons. He also added that he felt that the County Commission should make such a decision.
Before sending the letter, Moats previously said he did consult with the Georgia Sheriff’s Association for guidance about how to proceed. It was their suggestion he put his concerns in writing to the County Commission.
Polk County Police Chief Kenny Dodd had previously been asked to comment on the allegations, but has of yet responded to that request made in previous weeks.