The N&R takes a look at Risk Management Associates, the authors of the report that did in former Greensboro Police Chief David Wray. The resume is indeed impressive, which actually surprised me considering the somwhat unprofessional way in which RMA took it upon itself to present not only the facts as they knew them but the ‘truth’ as they knew it.
In my mind, President Michael Longmire further exhibited an unprofessional manner with more arrogant remarks, that is if those remarks were placed in the proper context:
Longmire says he and his company have nothing to apologize for; they treated Wray no differently than anybody else they interviewed.
They gave no advance notice of the interview because they wanted to question Wray and several others in quick succession so the interviewees couldn’t compare notes and their answers would be unrehearsed, the RMA executive says.
That is a common investigative tactic, Longmire says.
The report, he says, is the careful handiwork of trained investigators who used assertive, but not excessive police tactics to ferret out the truth.
The way he sees it, if Greensboro residents don’t understand that they had some serious problems in their police department that now have been set right, that’s their problem, not RMA’s.
“No matter what we say, there are some people who are going to support David Wray,” he says. “And these people are not going to give Mitchell Johnson the benefit of the doubt, no matter what.”
I realize Longmire thinks he’s operating in reality instead of theoreticals, and the reality under which he’s operating is the RMA report has been leaked to the public and thus they have adequate knowledge on which to form their opinions of the troubles within GPD. But the other reality is the report has still never been officially released to the public, so it’s not unfair to say that Longmire is criticizing Greensboro resdients for having a “problem” with the facts when they’ve been kept ignorant of those facts.
Then there’s more awkward and heavy-handed spin from City Manager Mitchell Johnson, in the form of a self-pity party in N&R editor Allen Johnson’s column:
Inevitably, somewhere, during his daily travels in the city, Mitchell Johnson will feel the cold, silent jeers of people he does not know, but who believe they know him.
“They look at me with a clear air of visceral disgust,” the city manager says with a pained smile.
“I’m their Anti-Christ.”
…”It’s been hell,” Johnson said, as if anyone needed to ask. “What do you think?”
Anti-Christ? Geez, that’s pretty melodramatic. I also find it incredible that Johnson takes a personal shot at Wray:
Say what you will about Johnson (and who doesn’t?), at least he has been willing to address the situation front and center. With the press. The public. Bloggers. Even Bledsoe. Wray — for whatever reason — hasn’t.
“The guy has never stood the test of fire in front of the press except from a guy who’s telling the story the way he wants it to be told,” Johnson said.
Johnson has maintained time and again that he’s tough enough to handle the shots he’s taken over the past couple of years. Yet he keeps complaining. Look, I realize Johnson truly believes he’s been honest with the public throughout this matter, but is the public going to be able to maintain respect for a public official who has become so sensitive to criticism and, it appears, has developed a sense of personal animosity toward the man whose career he held in his hands?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The only way to answer such questions for sure is to either make the city manager an elected position or have a full-time mayor. This situation has exposed the fact that Greensboro is in desparate need of real leadership, and the public needs more of a direct say in such matters.
