In reference to the recent debacle involving Mayor Andy Berke, Lacie Stone and Bobby Stone, Chief Fred Fletcher has repeatedly said “this incident will be investigated the same as any other crime”.
I can assure you this statement could not be further from the truth. The average city of Chattanooga citizen does not have Chief Fletcher on speed dial with the invitation to come spend the night at his residence after a domestic incident. In addition, the civilian employees who work for the Chattanooga Police Department do not have this option, nor this type of close relationship with Chief Fletcher.
In light of recent events in our community that have exposed the bullying epidemic that is prevalent in our schools and workplace, our very own Chattanooga Police Department has been engaging in bullying of its civilian employees for many years. As someone who has witnessed firsthand their bullying tactics, I was shocked to find how truly egregious and unethical their practices are.
Favoritism, friendship and race rule. The “Chattanooga Police Department – Policy Manual” provided to employees by Chief Fred Fletcher is followed for some employees, and vigorously ignored for others. Without any warning, and contrary to sections outlined in the manual which define Ethics and Harassment policies, employees in a certain department have been placed in harms way many, many times. Management itself has described this department as “toxic”.
Incidents of employees becoming injured, placed in harmful situations or threatened are covered up and the proper reporting channels are ignored. A sergeant with over 20 years of service has said that employees in this department are subjected to “hazing and bullying” and the rules are regularly bent depending on your friendship with management. Some employees regularly sleep, stay on Facebook or text all day, and do very little work. Others employees are told who they can and cannot interact with, along with regular threats of “being watched” and subjected to disciplinary action. The Policy Mnual received upon employment is a joke. Never have written policies been so blatantly ignored, including mandatory reviews and discussions that are to be conducted at specific times during an employee’s tenure. At times, bullying of civilian employees has become so extreme that EMS had to be dispatched.
It has become abundantly clear that Mayor Berke and Chief Fletcher’s Violence Reduction Initiative has woefully failed. Add another fail in the way that the city of Chattanooga’s civilian employees are abused. I expected more from this great city that I have lived in all my life. I am hugely disappointed. An epic fail on Chief Fletcher’s part, both in the way he runs the police department, and in the way special treatment is given to those who are his personal friends. My sympathies are with Mr. Stone.
Cheri Taylor