Police Chief’s Supporters Lobby City
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ORANGE — Divided City Council members on Wednesday listened to residents demand the reinstatement of Police Chief John R. Robertson, who has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 15, but stopped short of making a decision about the case.
About 50 residents, some armed with brooms to symbolize their stated desire to sweep City Hall clean of ethical conflicts, turned out to voice support for Robertson, who is fighting complaints that he turned the Police Department into a hostile workplace for employees.
Council members urged the crowd to be patient. They added that they are frustrated at being legally barred from discussing city personnel issues.
Council members then went into closed session to hear a progress report from attorneys hired to investigate the complaints against the popular chief. The probe may drag on another two weeks, officials said.
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The chief’s supporters believe his forced leave is political retaliation for his role in investigating allegations that the city’s trash hauling and recycling companies have been embezzling millions of dollars from municipal funds for years.
That investigation, now being handled by the Orange County district attorney’s office, is ongoing and no charges have been filed.
But adding to the intrigue are suggestions that Robertson was targeted because his department was investigating who leaked to the media a sealed affidavit related to the trash investigation.
City Atty. David A. De Berry said that Robertson and police investigators were told by county prosecutors that the leaking of the document was not a crime.
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