News

Bumper stickers raise questions about sheriff

By LIZ SHEPARD Argus-Press Staff Writer

Thursday, January 24, 2008 9:59 AM EST

THE BUMPER STICKER sold by Caledonia Township resident Christine Barry is shown.

A Caledonia Township woman is selling bumper stickers throughout the community that question the sheriff's support of his department - and some county officials agree with the sentiment.

Political blogger Christine Barry started selling bumper stickers that read “I Support Shiawassee Deputies, Why Doesn't The Sheriff?” at the end of 2007 after hearing from numerous people about alleged misdeeds against department personnel.

About 140 of the car decals have been purchased.

“I just wanted to bring some attention to what is going on at the sheriff's department, hoping people would start talking about it and start asking questions,” she said.

While local blogs are filled with threads discussing alleged problems, Sheriff Jon Wilson denies there are any issues with the department or how he's running it - something other county officials concur with.

Rumors of infighting have Barry questioning the efficiency of the department. Among the issues that spurred Barry's bumper stickers was an alleged incident between Wilson and 911 director Lt. Mike Ash.

According to documents obtained by Barry under the Freedom of Information Act, which she provided to The Argus-Press, Ash filed a complaint with County Administrator Margaret McAvoy last April stating Wilson assaulted him.

The complaint states that while Ash was having a conversation with other department personnel over coffee he was grabbed “forcefully” by the arm and pushed into a hallway. Wilson then immediately terminated Ash for insubordination when he objected to the assault.

“It worries me that we could go from having a very minor disagreement over drinking coffee in the morning, to being assaulted and fired without any noticeable escalation in our conversation... This incident has created such a hostile working environment for me, not knowing if Sheriff Wilson is trying to find a reason to fire me or if he is going to snap and assault me again,” reads Ash's complaint.

The incident occurred after Wilson had requested Ash return to his office saying he was interrupting the others' work and the group shouldn't be having a break. The termination was not finalized, and Ash had marks on his arm from the assault, according to the documents.

Witness statements recounting the same events from Detective Sgt. Charles Duffield, Sgt. Mike Gute, Deputy Keith Hansen, Sgt. Walter McPherson, Detective Sgt. Michael Shenk and office manager Cheryl Young were also obtained under the FOIA.

The county followed the process of Ash's collective bargaining unit concerning the incident, McAvoy said. An investigation was done by the county, but she claims the results are protected under client-attorney privilege.

McAvoy declined to comment on the current conditions of the department.

Ash declined to comment on the incident or his work environment. He said he had filed a complaint with the county and referred any comments to his union representative.

“We reached an agreement on the issue and that was the end of it,” said Teamster Local 214 business representative Bob Donick. “I can't expand on what sort (of agreement).”

When asked if it was a cash settlement, Donick said no and declined to give further explanation.

With his current term coming to an end in November, Wilson said people who may not support him are just “stirring up problems” prior to the upcoming election. He was first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2004.

Wilson declined to comment on concerns about his department not running efficiently, but said “there was no assault, there was no assault,” when asked about the incident with Ash. He was not aware of the bumper stickers.

“I'm not airing dirty laundry in the paper. I'm not responding to the blog and gossip and dirty laundry and rumors,” Wilson said.

Wilson was asked for a second interview to discuss the allegations. He refused and told a reporter from The Argus-Press to be prepared to “take some responsibility” for problems the story may cause the department.

The county commissioners stand divided on their perception of the sheriff's department.

Concerns about the department have not been brought to her, but Chairwoman Henrietta Sparkes said she'd like to hear them if they're out there.

“What do they know that the rest of us don't know? Rather than make a bumper sticker, why not come to a Public Safety and Courts (Committee) meeting, which is all public, and make their concerns known?” she said.

Sparkes refused to comment on the documented incident between Ash and Wilson, also citing attorney-client privilege.

Rumors of poor morale have been heard by commissioner Gerald Cole, but he has not seen evidence of it, and said he does not currently question the operations of the sheriff's department.

“I mean I don't try to micro-manage his runnings of the department or anything. As far as I know, it's pretty fair,” said Cole, who was unaware of the complaint filed by Ash.

The commission's vice chairman, Jamie Pavlica, said it would be inappropriate to comment.

As chairman of the county's Public Safety and Courts Committee, Dan Stewart said he is concerned with the operations of the department and role of the sheriff.

“I agree with the bumper sticker...(based on) speaking on an individual basis with numerous sheriff's deputies, and I would be fearful to mention their names for recourse that could harm them,” Stewart said, adding numerous grievances have been filed and complaints told to him in confidence.

An independent study should be conducted in the department to find out what the morale and corporate culture is, he said.

Stewart is not the only commissioner with concerns about Wilson.

“The morale is so low it's not functioning as well as it should. ... The culture they have there that I'm understanding and beginning to believe is Wilson threatens people with their job,” said Jack Johnson. “(Wilson's) causing an environment there based on rankism - he's pulling his rank as sheriff to manipulate.”

Johnson, who found out about the complaint filed by Ash from the public instead of through the county government, said it also makes him question the workings of the county commission.

“I'd like to see the county put forward a policy that does not support and will not tolerate abusive power and rankism and treating people in an indignant way,” he said.

Along with the department having difficulties running efficiently, Johnson worries it's also losing employees who don't want to work in that environment.

“I consider it's an abuse of power, an absolute abuse of power,” he said.

Commissioners Kim Van Pelt and Jon Michael Fuja couldn't be reached for comment.

If the concerns about the department are unfounded, Barry said Wilson should come forward and discuss it.

“This is our department - the sheriff is really the steward to watch over it for us,” she said.

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