Yes, chief’s bar tie presents a conflict

For the Interim Police Chief Lloyd Franklin Sr. to hold the liquor license for a bar/restaurant is a clear conflict of interest, from our viewpoint. But let’s not be too hard on Franklin. He has been in law enforcement for a long time and was retired when Mayor Shirley Washington asked him to help the city out in a pinch.

She almost got someone hired to fill the chief’s position, but that fizzled, leaving the city without a chief and a lot of time before one would be hired. Enter Franklin, who has now set to work on trying to reduce violent crime in Pine Bluff. And good luck with that!

But then the 410 Lounge came along, or more specifically, complaints about the 410 Lounge regarding loitering, cars jamming up the streets, etc. That is the restaurant and bar where Franklin has the liquor license. For his part, he says his daughter runs the place, but he also says he’s part owner.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control folks came down to Pine Bluff to have a chat with Franklin and Washington, with the end result being that, as far as the ABC was concerned, Franklin would be given some time to work on the problems.

But the whole affair didn’t sit well with Washington, who said she had asked Franklin to transfer the liquor license out of his name. And Franklin has said he would do that.

That settles some of the potential problems but not all. As the acting police chief, Franklin has the last word in investigating problems and disturbances at such establishments as the 410 Lounge. And if someone else comes along and wants to get a liquor license for a new establishment, Franklin is asked by the ABC for his input. Meaning he would have to give a thumbs up or down on an establishment that would be in direct competition to the 410 Lounge.

So liquor license or not, he is still in an awkward position because of his part ownership of the place.

If he had been named THE police chief, we would quickly recommend that he divest himself of such an establishment. But that seems over the top under the circumstances, considering he will go back to being a retired person at some point and will not be encumbered by police chief duties or responsibilities.

In the meantime, however, to remove himself from his current awkward spot, we believe he should turn over to someone else in his department any and all investigations, enforcements and communications with the ABC regarding all such liquor-serving establishments until he leaves the position of interim chief.

That’s not a perfect solution since that “someone” likely answers to Franklin, but the idea is that Franklin would have nothing to do with such investigations, and along those lines, this would seem to be an answer in the short run.

By recommending this, we do not suggest that Franklin cannot be trusted to do what’s right. But that’s not how conflicts of interest work. The problem is the appearance of one.

And while he both owns part of a restaurant and bar and also heads the policing agency that investigates such establishments, there will be a conflict of interest.