Chief avoids punishment, but not admonishment
Denver Police Department Chief Robert White insulted his officers, used poor communication when responding to an open records request and runs a department described as having “dysfunctional relationships,” but he will not face discipline after two internal investigations concluded he did not violate any department policies.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Monday he will not discipline White for his handling of a 2016 open records request or a 2017 car chase after he was involved in a hit-and-run.
Although the chief’s actions did not warrant discipline, the mayor said he should have exercised more professionalism and clarity in his communication during those situations, according to a news release.
“I have spoken with Chief White to make it abundantly clear that, as a trusted leader of this community, he must hold himself to the highest standard,” Hancock said in a statement. “The Chief should have exercised more professionalism in these instances, but his conduct did not rise to the level of discipline. I truly believe that Denver has an honorable and dedicated Police Chief in Robert White. He values accountability, he prioritizes doing the right thing and he cares deeply about the police depart- ment and people of Denver.”
The mayor’s release did not address the conduct of Deputy Chief Matt Murray, who also has been under investigation for his response to the open records request and his handling of an internal investigation. Decisions in that case will be made by Troy Riggs, director of the city’s public safety department, and no timeline is set for that investigation to conclude.
In a statement, White said integrity and community trust mean everything to him as a police chief and that both have been called into question during the investigation. He also said he looked forward to moving forward.
“Although I was confident the facts would ultimately support no wrongdoing on my part, stories void of these important facts have impugned my reputation for more than a year,” the statement said. “It has been a difficult time for the members of the Denver Police Department, my family, and quite frankly, for me personally.”
The saga over the internal investigation began in April 2016 when a Denver police officer and an accomplice were arrested on sexual assault charges that
later were dismissed. After the charges were dropped, thenDistrict Attorney Mitch Morrissey wrote a scathing letter to White about Murray’s handling of the case. White did not take action.
That letter became the focus of open records requests from the Denver Police Protective Association and Denver7 television. The safety department’s records coordinator, Mary Dulacki, repeatedly asked White and Murray about the letter but was told by Murray that he had “nothing responsive to this request.”
The police union, which historically has been critical of White and Murray, asked for a criminal investigation. District Attorney Beth McCann did not find grounds to prosecute the chiefs, but she said they had been careless in their responses.
On Monday, the police union issued a statement saying it was disappointed in Hancock’s conclusion. The union continued to ac cuse the chiefs of being misleading and conspiring to withhold the Morrissey letter.
“As the person who filed the open records request complaint and knowing all the facts of that complaint, we summarily reject this absurd decision,” said the statement, signed by PPA president Nick Rogers.
Hancock said he has asked Riggs to create a new policy for how the department responds to records requests. Riggs also has been asked to look into why the investigations into White and Murray have taken so long.
The dispute over the open records led to various people in the department taking sides and blaming others for making mistakes. Amid the investigation into Murray and White, Murray made allegations against three members of the police union’s board of directors, accusing them of violating department policy by talking publicly about an ongoing internal investigation. All three remain under internal investigation.
All of this led the Denver Sheriff Department’s conduct review office, which analyzed the independent investigator’s report, to conclude the department is dysfunctional.
“Upon review of the entire investigative file, there are numerous internal disagreements, and dysfunctional relationships that, while potentially salacious, are not relevant to the questions at hand …,” the report said.
Amber Miller, the mayor’s spokeswoman, said the mayor has acknowledged there are clear challenges ahead for the department, and he trusts White and Riggs will address them headon.
As for the car chase, White’s Ford Explorer was hit by another car, and that driver fled the scene. White followed the other vehicle until it wrecked about three blocks away, near the Denver/Aurora line. While talking to Aurora officers about the crash, White made derogatory statements about the officers in his department.
The chief later apologized.