DUANE: HALLOWEEN IS OVER – IT’S TIME TO STOP THE WITCH HUNT

The time has come, long ago, to replace the top management of the Oldham County Police Department. The dissension is high and the morale low within the department. In sports there is a saying that goes something like “It is easier to replace the coach than to replace the entire team.”

Unfortunately, these problems go even deeper. Anyone that knows anything about the way that the county is managed knows that Chief Mike Griffin does nothing without the blessing of Judge-Executive Duane Murner. Thus, Murner is clearly part of the problem. Once again, Murner is demonstrating his disregard for the law as is Police Chief Mike Griffin. Murner is no stranger to disregarding authority and the law. He openly stated that he would defy the Supreme Court. After being ordered by an Oldham County Circuit Judge to release certain information to Magistrate Scott Davis, he refused to do so until the eleventh hour at which time he knew that he would be held in contempt of court.

At the present time, it appears that Chief Griffin disregarded the law when he made the decision not to hire Officer Bruce Gentry, who was an applicant from the Shelbyville Police Department. Gentry alleged that the county discriminated against him due to his military service obligations. If that allegation is found to be true Murner and Griffin jointly made a poor decision. In my opinion Murner simply has no regard for the law. He reminds me of a “mad dictator”. If you cross his path, he will try to crush you. The people in Oldham County should be concerned. What is worse is that he wants the people to elect Paula Gish to succeed him. That would allow Murner to be more covert while continuing to control the office of County Judge-Executive and using her as a pawn. Quite frankly, Oldham County cannot afford or handle any additional leadership by this man.

On October 28, 2009 the Oldham County Police Merit Board found that Oldham County Police Chief Mike Griffin had not interpreted the administrative rules of the Oldham County Police Department correctly when he terminated Officer Tom Douglas. Therefore, the Board ordered that Officer Douglas be reinstated and given full back pay. He was also given a suspension. As of this date Officer Douglas has not been reinstated although he is being paid. Did the Chief and the County Judge not understand the order of the Merit Board? They understood but they don’t want to follow legal orders. If they thought that the Board erred, then they should have appealed the decision but they have not done so.

Now the County is trying to charge Officer Douglas with two additional violations and suspend him again. Keep in mind that Officer Douglas has not worked since May of 2009. Thus, the violations happened prior to the Merit Board hearing. As a matter of fact, the additional violations were mentioned at the hearing but were not pursued by the county attorney. Although I do not have the transcription in front of me, I believe that the Merit Board sustained a motion by the attorney for Officer Douglas to dismiss these new charges. Again, the County could have appealed that if it did not agree with the decision. However, that would have taken the matter out of their control and they do not have a good track record when they do not have total control.

In my article of October 28, 2000 I stated that I would not want to be in Officer Douglas’s position. I said that because I knew that Chief Griffin and Lt. Col. Billy Way would have him under a microscope. However, I did not believe that they would go so far as to try to keep him from going back to work. This has all of the earmarks of a witch hunt.

The actions of the management of the Oldham County Police Department reflect those of a sadistic bully that can’t lose and move on. The people of Oldham County are going to suffer. They may not know it but the quality of policing will go downhill. The people of Oldham County need to step forward to support the police department. We are nearing the 2010 election cycle. Those people seeking public office should make their feelings known on this matter. It is a great opportunity for them to demonstrate the ability to lead. However, I doubt that many will step up to the plate.

I have heard that the officers of the Oldham County Police Department have been told not to talk to the magistrates – and to me. This is scary! In fact, the top management of the Police Department does not want Magistrates speaking with or inquiring about information from anyone below them in their department. Are Chief Griffin and Lt. Col Way trying to implement communism? When police officers are forced to work in a “police state” the public can expect that to trickle down to them. It is an accepted fact that children who have been abused are more likely to abuse their children. Oldham County, you had better wake up!

Lest I should forget, let us not forget that Judge-Executive Duane Murner also recently fired Mitch Nobles, the county’s code enforcement officer. Further, when Murner called the Nobles into his office to fire him, after Nobles returned from a vacation, the police were there to escort him from Murner’s office. Was Murner afraid of Nobles? I have not heard anyone speak badly of Nobles nor his performance. From the information that I have received, that firing was not justified either and it did not follow the procedures outlined in the employee handbook for discipline. Murner is quick to fire the people who can not fight back, but reluctant to take any action against his Chief of Police. I don’t believe that Murner desires to remove his Chief of Police even though it is apparent that the police department is not functioning as well as it should be functioning and conditions appear to be worsening.

Let us recap some of Murner’s personnel actions. Shortly after taking office he removed ten low-level employees. He alleged that he was saving the county money. However, his personnel decisions since then have reflected that he has no problem wasting county funds when approving decisions. The best example of monetary waste is the refusal to hire Bruce Gentry, a Shelbyville police officer who had applied for and was hired for a position with the Oldham County Police Department. Gentry alleged in Federal Court documents that his offer of employment was retracted because he had a military commitment. If that proves to be true it will cost the county more money than it will ever save by dismissing the ten low-level employees. Did Murner and Griffin make this decision based upon the fact that they didn’t want to be burdened with having to work around the scheduling requirements of our military?

Then there was the code enforcement officer and now Officer Tom Douglas. It is time that the managers in Oldham County learn that it is their job to manage people, not to fire them. The hiring process for police officers is quite expensive, as is the dismissal process. Of course when you are wasting taxpayer money it doesn’t seem to matter – at least not to some department managers in Oldham County.