School police officials to stay on

Both the interim chiefandsecond-in-command of the Broward County School District’s police department announced Wednesday they were stepping down from their roles– thenapparentlyagreedto stayon.

Fred Davenport, who took over as chief two months ago, wrote in a letter that he is being used “as a pawn” and blamed for problems in the department despite just having taken the reins. In a separate letter, Edward Costello, who has been serving as major, also wrote that he believed Davenport was being “used as a pawn in a greater game.” Each said hewould return to his regular assigment as a detective.

Wednesday night, school district spokeswoman Cathleen Brennan said Davenport later agreed to continue his work and “oversee immediate response issues.” School board memberswere also notified that Costello had agreed to help manage the department.

“We are in a transition period in the police department as we are on the verge of establishing new leadership and the reorganization of the department,” Chief Human Resources Officer Craig Nichols wrote in an email to the board. “Given that, we are launching the recruiting effort for the new chief with the intent to have that leadership position filled as promptly as possible.”

It wasn’t immediately clear why DavenportandCostello changed course. Inanemail to board members, Nichols wrote that he spoke with the two and they are dedicated to the district and the police department.

The department is in the midst of an overhaul aimed at improving investigations. Nichols, who’s overseeing the effort, said it has so far revealed that the department overran its budget and has not been following policy on personnel investigations. An audit is being sought.

Superintendent Robert Runcie assigned JillianHaring, special assistant to the chief of police, to manage and lead the overhaul. Before being named special assistant in January 2015, Haring was a teacher at Weston’s Cypress Bay High. In February, as her new role was announced and the review process began, then-Chief AnthonyWilliams resigned. He did not give a reason.

Davenport, a detective who has previously filled in as chief, stepped into the role in the interim.“When asked for the second time to act as chief for this department ... I accepted the challenge with the intent to help the district, the department and the men and women of this department,” he wrote in his letter. “I cannot understand why I am being used as apawninthis ordeal, whenitwas not me in charge while all of this unfolded over the years.”

Reached by phone Wednesday, he declined to comment. In his letter, he cited a Tuesday school board meeting, during which some board members challenged his responses to their questions. The issue centered around a request for about $601,000 to pay debt owed to the city of Coral Springs for placing police officers in schools for a school resource officer program.

Board members noticed a discrepancy in thewording of the agenda item – while similar items typically said the funding would come from the police department budget, Tuesday’s was labeled a funding request. They asked who prepared the form, and the vote was delayed for about two hours while Davenport left to find an answer.

Later, he said the form was completed by WilliamsandformerMaj. AngiePollock, who decided last month to retire early. Board memberNoraRupert confronted him, saying she had stepped out and called Pollock, who told her she had nothing to do with it.

“Since this meeting I have been texted and calledaliar, butitwasnotmeinchargeof this, and it has been forgotten that I have only beenin this position for thepast twomonths,” hewrote in his letter, adding that his integrity was questioned at the meeting.

In an interview Wednesday, Pollock told the Sun Sentinel she couldn’t believe shewas being blamed for the agenda item and worried her reputationwas at stake. She said she texted Davenport, “You lied. God is watching.”

“I want people to be treated fairly,” said Pollock. “And I want our police department to be a righteous police department.”

Rupert said shewas stunned by the turn of events and confused by Davenport’s comment about being used as a pawn. She said she didn’t think any board members were blaming him for the issues in the police department. “I feel badly that he felt compelled to do this,” Rupert said.