Claim of racism unfounded, city’s mayor, police chief say|[2/2/05]
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Race has not been a factor in personnel policies, Vicksburg’s mayor said Tuesday in response to a mayoral candidate’s remark.
Numbers provided by the city’s human resources department at the request of The Vicksburg Post show that 36, or about 55 percent, of the police officers who have left in the past four years were black. During the same time, 29 white officers departed.
The totals include retirements, resignations and terminations.
“Our administration is very proud of our personnel policies and race does not play a part of that,” said Mayor Laurence Leyens. “And the numbers support that despite Mr. (Eric) Rawlings’ claims.”
Rawlings, 42, filed Monday to run as a Democrat for mayor and said the police chief, backed by the administration, has fired a disproportionate number of black officers.
Rawlings said that despite numbers showing a small variance, a 10 percentage-point margin against blacks is significant.
“I think that a lot of them who were terminated shouldn’t have been. You look at Gary Cooper. He shouldn’t have been fired,” Rawlings said.
In June 2003, the Mayor and Aldermen upheld a decision by Police Chief Tommy Moffett to fire Cooper after he arrested a 19-year-old accused of violating the city ban on loud music, but then released the teen. It was suggested that the teen was released because Cooper believed he was related to a local attorney who had worked for Cooper in the past. Moffett had issued a “zero tolerance” order for loud music cases.
The decision to fire Cooper was upheld by the Vicksburg Civil Service Commission, but a Warren County judge later ruled that one of the three commission members should have been disqualified from hearing the case and ordered a new hearing.
The city appealed that decision, and Cooper now works for the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department.
Rawlings, who was defeated four years ago in the Democratic primary race by then-incumbent Mayor Robert Walker, also said he believes Leyens has given Moffett a list of black officers to fire. Rawlings would not say who he believes is on that list or how he knows about it.
Leyens, who campaigned on the promise to clean up the police department, said no such list exists.
Moffett, who is black, said earlier that Rawlings’ remarks had no basis in fact.
Leyens campaigned for his first term on improving the police department, which Moffett, formerly chief in Biloxi, was hired to head. The department has been downsized, record raises have been awarded and training programs have been initiated. Total turnover has been about 50 percent.