Frank Mickens, WFMY, January 27, 2006: "Interim Chief: No Evidence Supporting Validity Of 'Black Book'"
Although a crappy web site keeps me from linking to similar News & Record articles, anybody paying attention will acknowledge that the narrative told by local media about the events surrounding stripping former Greensboro Police Chief David Wray of his authority and his subsequent resignation included as a central theme the existence of a "black book" -- a photo line up book illegitimately used to "target" black police officers.
It is time for local media to correct the record; to report with just as much attention as they originally did when painting the "black book" as an indictment of Wray that Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson has now acknowledged, in a sworn affidavit, that the "black book" was a legitimate investigative tool and that there is no indication that it was used for any other illicit purpose.
Jerry Bledsoe in this week's installment of his Rhinoceros Times series "Cops in Black and White" explains:
Earlier this year, Greensboro lawyer Samuel Spagnola and Roch Smith Jr., proprietor of the internet site We 101, filed suit against the city seeking public records about the police and the Project Homestead scandal of 2003. In August, Spagnola submitted to the city his first set of interrogatories as well as a request for admissions of fact. The city completed its responses on Sept. 16.
Number 11 in the request for admissions was this:
"Admit that the 'Black Book' was compiled for the purpose of solving or preventing a possible violation of the law.
"Response: It is admitted that the 'Black Book' requested by the Plaintiffs is a photo array or record compiled for the purpose of solving a violation of the law."
The city denied a request for an admission that there was no other use for the book, saying it was privileged under the law. But in the first set of interrogatories, number 10 is this:
"State whether there are any documents or recordings in the possession of the City that indicate any other use of the 'Black Book' other than to solve or prevent a violation of the law.
"Answer: Based on information and belief, the City of Greensboro is not aware of any documents or recordings in the possession of the City that indicate any other use of the photo array, an original of which is currently in possession of the State Bureau of Investigations, other than to purportedly solve or prevent an alleged violation of the law."
These documents are accompanied by a sworn deposition entitled "Verification," which is signed by Mitch Johnson. It states:
"I am the City Manager for the City of Greensboro, and I am authorized to make this verification on behalf of the City of Greensboro. I have read the foregoing Answers to Plaintiffs' First Set of Interrogatories, and know the contents thereof to be true of my own knowledge, except for those matters and things stated therein upon information and belief, and as to those things, I believe them to be true."
So, how about it News & Record and WFMY? Are you going to inform the public or are you going to consign Greensboro to yet another bit of racially tinged history clouded by innuendo and incomplete reporting of the facts? Will you capitulate to the mendacity and mediocrity that have damned our fair city in the past or will you step up, set the bar higher and do your part to allow Greensboro to move forward with an accurate understanding of its past?
A commendable post, Roch.
ReplyDeleteRoch,
ReplyDeleteI am not dropping in to quarrel but to share my despair over the future of this city that I care about.
Correct the record. Ha ! ( Yeah in agat type on the obit page ) What a noble thought and I suppose that it would be a good thing for our local media, as you suggest, to unreport the lies that Mitch Johnson has been perpetuating, with basic impunity, over the last few years, but I would not count on a miracle in this matter.( although I do believe in them ). NOBODY cares. The Mayor, the City Council and the electorate.
If the City agrees to settle this outrageously frivilous EEOC complaint, which a first year law student could successfully defend, then abandon all hope ye who enter the gate city with expectations of good government.
Fred Gregory
Junior,
ReplyDeleteI see that your are over at John Robinson's blog asking about their old coverage of the black book and the new information that you and Spag have made available. I would like to direct you to a letter written by Mitch Johnson that was printed in the N&R.
City manager, in his own words, on Wray affair
Greensboro News & Record (NC)-November 2, 2006
Author: MITCHELL JOHNSON
"The purpose of the initial investigation was to determine a very simple question: "Was the former Chief David Wray providing fully accurate information to the city manager's office, our elected leadership and the citizens?" The resulting answer provided by the investigation can be summed up as "No."
"I can tell you that in June of 2005, based on the information provided to me by Wray, I was led to believe that we had an officer who was involved in an ongoing drug operation. I also believed at that time that there was no accuracy to the concern being voiced that there was a photo lineup book of officers that was used on multiple occasions in an attempt to get informants to identify officers as involved in wrongdoing (which has been commonly described as a black book)."
Now Mitch says what? How many times was the black book used? Multiple occasions in an attempt to get informants to identify officers? Multiple occasions?
Undercover: A unit full of secrets
Greensboro News & Record (NC)-January 15, 2006
Author: LORRAINE AHEARN
"Wray countered in a written statement that the black three-ring binder had only been compiled and used to identify a suspect in a single case: A
prostitute's complaint that a police officer groped and sexually assaulted her during a strip search last January.
But City Manager Mitchell Johnson said investigators concluded otherwise - that there were numerous instances of the book being shown to criminal defendants in an attempt to target black officers among the 19 pictured in the book. Defendants were told, in Johnson's words, 'If you ID an officer, we might help you out....' "
In Johnson's words: "If you ID an officer, we might help you out..." Maybe JR doesn't remember that quote.
Official: Wray hid 'black book'
Greensboro News & Record (NC)-January 11, 2006
Author: ERIC J.S. TOWNSEND and ERIC SWENSEN
"Former police Chief David Wray misled city leaders when he covered up the actions of a "secret police" unit that targeted black officers for unfair internal investigation, Greensboro officials said. Part of the cover-up included the hiding of a "black book" that contained photos of at least 19 African American officers, officials said late Tuesday."
What official said Wray covered for a group of officers that targeted black officers for unfair internal investigations? This included the black book according to the N&R's officials.
Mr. Smith,
ReplyDeleteMy blog posts are not showing up at we 101. Why not?
Ben,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you got it figured out. When your blog went "private" it's feed was no longer accessible by We101. Blogs with unreachable feeds are dropped from We101 and must be re-added if they come back to life -- which it looks like you did.