Clayton police change is part of bigger power struggle

"These actions have created an administrative nightmare for county employees, a lack of confidence by the business community and general bewilderment by the average citizen," Bell wrote. "The Clayton County Police Department must be managed as any other department."

"The conversations with the chairman have been almost schizophrenic, so I'm not sure where he stands on the issues," Ralph said. “As of the week before this resolution, the chairman indicated he wanted it to be very clear that he had the board’s authority over the chief."

Bell made it clear in his letter that he wanted all department heads to start reporting to him again, not just the police chief.  Ralph said that the board had wanted to tap his policing experience, but he doubted the board would be willing to eradicate the new chief of staff position. Attempts to reach other commissioners for comment were unsuccessful.

There has been tension between Turner and the commission since the members appointed a special committee to investigate allegations of sexual harassment at the Police Department. The decision came after the commission learned that a police officer had admitted to kissing, fondling and making inappropriate comments to a recruit during a job interview -- and that Turner had demoted the officer but not fired him.

Turner again came under fire in September after a deadly police chase that started on Old Dixie Highway in Clayton County.

Turner said the department has made great strides since he became chief three years ago after 19 years with the department. He said crime is down 7 percent and homicides are down by half -- to approximately 16 -- from what they had been at in recent years.

He credited the emphasis on working with community partners and the department's role in helping create homeowner associations and neighborhood watch programs for the crime reduction.  The department, for the first time, is expected to get the imprimatur from a national accrediting agency for law enforcement early next year, he said.

He said he was grateful for Bell's letter but noted the chairman remained his supervisor until the commission retracted its resolution. He said it appeared that the board was conducting a vendetta against him.

“I guess I must have stepped on somebody’s toes, but I don’t know of any justification for this type of resolution," he said.  "They should put all the departments under the chairman or under the chief of staff."

Ralph said that the commission never was trying to oust Turner. He said the intent of the resolution was only to give Bell the board's authority to hire and fire the police chief, not to give him operational control over the department as Turner has suggested, to allow him to work with the chief to create a better department.

"There are some serious challenges at the Police Department, only some of which have been made public," Ralph said. “We want to ensure that the chairman has no barriers to do the job he asked to do effectively.”

Staff writer Kristi E. Swartz contributed to this article.