The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 93, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 15, 2009 Page: 3 of 15
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w Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wdt Bastrop Slcluertiscr ★ Page 3A
ounci con ers about Elgin pol ice
By Terry Hagerty
Assistant Editor
During a seven-hour
retreat held by the Elgin City
Council last Saturday, some
members said the city's
police department "needs
some fixing," but the nuts
and bolts of any adjustment
will apparently await a yet-
to-be-hired new chief.
Former Chief Jack
Hensley resigned Nov. 20 to
take a similar position with
the Salado Police Dept.
Council members met on
a ranch outside of Elgin to
cover a range of issues, under
the broad agenda heading of
"city council, mayor citizen
and police relations."
The group also discussed
city charter amendments.
All nine council mem-
bers were in attendance at
the retreat, including Mayor
Marc Holm, council mem-
bers Theresa McShan and
Theresa Scott from Ward 1,
Anthony Ramirez and Stacey
Van Landingham from Ward
2, W.C. Estes and Pat Frenzel
from Ward 3, and Keith
Joesel and Stephen Kylberg
from Ward 4.
Police action dis-
cussed
During recent months
the council has held several
public forums in which citi-
zen complaints against the
police, including claims of
overreacting by street patrol
officers, have been dis-
cussed.
Elgin Officer Steve Ou
was terminated from his job
Dec. 18, a week after he
used a bat to smash out a car
window of civilian vehicle
during a traffic stop.
Some citizens said police
department supervisors did
not properly address their
complaints, including others
against Ou and at least one
other patrol officer.
Holm led off the discus-
sion by saying, "It behooves
us to have a more direct
relationship with the police
department."
He also asked the council
to consider, "Do we need a
citizens' review committee,
or a parallel (monitoring)
source?"
Frenzel said, "Any con-
crete decisions need to
be waited on for the new
chief."
Kylberg echoed those
sentiments, saying any
restructuring of complaint
procedures involving the
police department should
be done in tandem with the
hire of a new police chief,
and include "safeguards to
ensure the people are fol-
lowed up with."
Kylberg said City
Manager Jeff Coffee had told
him some citizen complaints
were "unfounded."
Joesel said, "I'd like to
see a presentation now by
the acting chief (Asst. Chief
Phil Taylor) on what our
complaint procedures are,"
adding that he didn't believe
Coffee "was in on" the initial
filing of complaints.
At the point the city man-
ager becomes involved in
addressing a complaint, then
the council should also be
informed, Joesel recom-
mended.
Frenzel said, "We (the
council) are the second line
for complaints."
W.C. Estes said, "I think
we should be the third line,
with the city manager the
second line."
Police staffing
addressed
Van Landingham said the
public shouldn't hear com-
ments from police person-
nel that are the equivalent
of, "We are understaffed,"
when it comes to the timely
addressing of complaints.
She added, "No one wants
to hear that (when they are
trying to get their complaints
addressed)."
Kylberg said he had heard
about similar comments
coming from police person-
nel.
"That totally discred-
its the police department,"
Kylberg said. 'That should
never come out of employ-
ees' mouths. All of us have
been in situations (where a
business is understaffed).
You buckle down and get the
job done. Making excuses is
By Dolores Hestdalen
Special to the Advertiser
Members of the Rotary
Club, spouses, family and
friends gathered at the LCRA
Conference Center to cel-
ebrate the holiday season.
The highlight of the eve-
ning came when the Rotary
Interact Club of Bastrop High
School and Club members
joined to wrap presents for
foster care children from the
Dept. of Human Services.
A wish list from the chil-
dren was given to the Rotary
members who selected a
child or two from the list.
Members then purchased
with their own money the
gifts that their child had list-
ed. The Bastrop High School
Bear Band played Christmas
music at the beginning of
the evening while members
enjoyed visiting and a cov-
ered dish meal.
Rotary is an organization
of business and professional
leaders who provide humani-
tarian service and help to
build good will and peace in
not acceptable."
Increase PSAC's
role?
Frenzel said she didn't
believe there is a need for
a separate citizens' review
committee for reviewing
how police complaints are
handled.
Holm disagreed, adding,
"At some point we need that
recourse." He said the Public
Safety Advisory Committee
(PSAC) could be that body.
(Currently the PSAC,
which advises first respond-
er groups, including the
police department, does not
become involved in citizen
complaints.)
"We would have to rewrite
the by-laws of that body for
that to happen," Kylberg
said. He said the council
already has "a right to do
legislative investigations," a
course of action he said has
seldom been invoked.
Frenzel claimed "over
half" of the complaints that
come to city during coun-
cil meetings are from people
living outside the city limits
She said some speakers
during the public comment
period of the agenda mum-
ble their addresses, with the
result that listeners can't tell
where the speakers reside,
even with the meeting being
recorded.
Scott said she thinks some
complainants don't know
how complaint procedures
are handled.
'There was a major com-
munication problem under
the prior chief" in dealing
with complaints, Kylberg
said. "With the complaint
process, if they don't get a
call back from the investiga-
tor (handling the case), that's
a huge thing. Under Chief
Hensley, that was not getting
done."
Kylberg said the PSAC
"could be a driving force"
in helping to improve police
relations.
Frenzel defended Hensley,
responding, "Chief Hensley
had a tremendous respon-
sibility for rebuilding the
police department. We went
two years without an inves-
tigator on the force."
(In a Feb. 2008 Advertiser
article it was noted that 19
Elgin police officers had left
the force over the previous
three years.)
'Medic ne is coming'
Kylberg seemed to sum
up the direction of the after-
noon's discussion when he
said, "We are not going to fix
this as a council; we will let
the (new) chief know, 'This
is what we expect.'"
W.C. Estes had a shorter
refrain: "The medicine is
coming with the new chief."
thagerty@bastropadverti
ser.com
C hili first place
Earl Gorhum, and his team name of Texas Madman,
won first place at last weekend's American Legion
chili cookoff. The event raised funds for children's
charities. Gorhum is from Montgomery.
R verBend Medical Group welcomes
Dr. Jessica Montaivo to their Bastrop location.
Jessica Montaivo, M.D.
OB/GYN
Call 512-304-0327 to make an appointment
RjverBend
Medical Group
441 Highway 71 West, Suite C
Bastrop, TX 78602
512-304-0327
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Smithville Hospital Authority is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
Rotary Club members and students from the Rotary
Interact Club of Bastrop High School wrap presents
during the Rotary Christmas Party.
Lotary s hristmas
meeting a success
the world.
The Rotary Club of
Bastrop County meets at
Colo Vista Country Club at
noon on Tuesdays. To attend
a meeting, call President
Deborah Rogers at 303-
0349.
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Wright, Cyndi. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 155, No. 93, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 15, 2009, newspaper, January 15, 2009; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252547/m1/3/: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bastrop Public Library.