Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Council gives nod to Duke-area police dept. inquiry
By Shreya Rao
The Chronicle (Duke)
05/25/2007

(U-WIRE) DURHAM, N.C. — Following up on criticism of Durham Police Chief Steven Chalmers' May 11 report on the department's role in the Duke lacrosse investigation, City Council supported plans to pursue an external investigation of the Durham Police Department Monday.

A decision about who will be charged with leading the effort has been postponed until today's work session.

"I feel very strongly that the citizens of Durham have for 13 months been embedded in lies and we've got to get to the truth as much as it hurts," council member Eugene Brown told The Chronicle. "The public needs to know what happened in one of the worst chapters of Durham's judicial history."

The office of state Attorney General Roy Cooper will not be involved in the investigation because a review of the police department is not a criminal case. Cooper, however, met with Mayor Bill Bell and will release a list of potential candidates for the job, Brown said.

He added that the council will likely be looking for retired police administrators from North Carolina who are familiar with police investigation protocols and who can be "unbiased, objective and candid."

Brown said Chalmers' report failed to address the central question of where the responsibility for the investigation lies.

"A very fundamental question was asked and wasn't answered in the report," Bell said at Monday night's meeting. "Was the [district attorney] heading the investigation, or was the police department leading the investigation?"

As the council seeks answers about the details of the lacrosse investigation, DPD was not the only agency to receive criticism.

Council member Thomas Stith proposed Monday that the council request the resignation of Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

"We received bad advice from a rogue DA," Stith said. "We need to stand up and say that, and as a part of that process we need to call for that person to resign."

Brown, however, said it is not within the scope of the council to ask an elected official to resign.

Although the council is not responsible for actions of the district attorney, the police department reports to City Manager Patrick Baker and the council, Brown said.

Nifong, Baker and representatives of DPD could not be reached for comment for this story.

In other news:

Bell contacted University administrators about a proposed ceremony to honor the 2006-2007 men's lacrosse team for its play on the field.

"No matter what you do, people are always going to be suspect to a certain amount and wonder what your ulterior motive is," he told WRAL. "But I can tell you there is no ulterior motive."

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