Ben Holder unpacks Hinson's lawyer's press conference.
Related: I said this today to a commenter about Jerry Bledsoe's ongoing Rhino series: He has compiled a lengthy and disturbing list of allegations against Lt. Hinson, and he has identified what seem to be some serious problems in GPD culture.
He has yet to address Wray's alleged transgressions.
Far to go, we have.
My understanding is that Bledsoe's articles have just laid some very preliminary groundwork and have hardly even started. All this mess is far from business as usual.
The City of Greensboro cannot just pass these problems along to a new Police Chief and expect improvement. The City Council will have to directly do a lot of the heavy lifting and they must do it in the bright daylight.
We will actually have to dig ourselves out of this mess as a community with all of our virtues, flaws and differences. It appears that all of the "community leadership," certainly including those who claim to be the leadership of the African American community, are blinded in the headlights. Everyone is overly defensive or in denial about the complexity of the multiple problems we face. I doubt that anyone gets out of this unscarred. This is another story with no heroes.
Posted by: John D. Young | Oct 27, 2006 at 05:13 PM
"He has yet to address Wray's alleged transgressions."
No need.
Certain others, with the moral certainty of a kind that only the righteous can bring to bear, have been doing just fine in that department.
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 27, 2006 at 08:29 PM
Wray resigned in the face of allegations of misconduct. A series that fails to address those allegations won't contribute much to the question of whether he deserved to be squeezed out, or not.
My statement that Jerry has yet to address the allegations is a simple statement of fact, not a negative jugdment. I would guess that Jerry will get to the specifics in due time.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Oct 27, 2006 at 08:42 PM
"Wray resigned in the face of allegations of misconduct."
As if he had a choice.
What was he to do? Sit around and twiddle his thumbs in the never-never land where Johnson had placed him?
Some people have more dignity than to put up with treatment like that.
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 27, 2006 at 09:08 PM
This is a point that has little to do with Wray and more to do with this use of the term "dignity."
I don't know the man and he may well have resigned to signal his excess of dignity...I have no opinion on this and don't have enough information to come to a valid conclusion...but when I think of most of the men I've known who have shown the most "dignity" (mostly the Marines with whom I was raised, my father among them) resigning in the face of unjust scrutiny and unfounded charges is not the first thing that comes to my mind.
Posted by: Joe Killian | Oct 27, 2006 at 09:18 PM
Marines accused of anything are courtmartialed (i.e. they get due process) Yes? They get a chance (however slim that chance may be) to defend their honor.
In our "right-to-work" state there is no chance is a target is on your back.
Posted by: Dr. Mary Johnson | Oct 27, 2006 at 09:57 PM
"Marines accused of anything are courtmartialed (i.e. they get due process) Yes? They get a chance (however slim that chance may be) to defend their honor."
Exactly so.
Wray didn't.
And our expert talks about "dignity"
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:06 PM
Marines are Marines their entire lives, even after they retire.
That sort of dignity has nothing to do with the system within which you work or the uniform you wear.
Again - I quibble with the definition, not the man.
Posted by: Joe Killian | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:22 PM
Joe,
Go join the marines.
Posted by: benholder | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:27 PM
Can't. Too much dignity.
(badum-CHING!)
Posted by: Joe Killian | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:33 PM
Joe, why don't you suggest to JR that he assign you to investigate the newest allegations about Hinson raised in Bledsoe's report, or does the N&R believe it is better to ignore these relevations to keep the race angle alive?
Really, I'm serious. Hasn't anybody over there brought this up?
Posted by: The CA | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:39 PM
John Young's comments were about the most thoughtful I've heard on this matter in recent weeks. He also cut to the heart of the matter, which needs more attention.
Thanks.
Posted by: Jeffrey Sykes | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:44 PM
Sam -
I sincerely appreciate the vote of confidence. And I mean that.
But, honestly, I am not part of that discussion. I'm essentially a night time General Assignment reporter. I'm glad to help out here any way I can, but I'm not really in a position where I'd feel comfortable walking into my boss' boss' office and suggesting I be put hot on the trail of pieces of a story other reporters have been working on since before I was even a part-time employee.
I am working on some other longer-term stories I'm excited about - and I'm up to my neck with them. But even if I thought they'd put me on a story like that - they'd have to drastically alter my position in order for me to do it or I'd have to work what would amount to an entire other shift of overtime in addition to my current position and its hours and demands.
Who's having the discussion about what with regards to Wray - that's a question for JR that I am not even remotely qualified to answer.
There seems to be this impression among some that all of us (that is, all N&R reporters) are in on this, that there are newsroom wide meetings about it, that we're suggesting strategy and pitching in with the stories. Nothing could be further from the truth. As in most offices we're each sort of doing our thing and dealing with our responsibilities. We do our best not to step on each others' toes professionally.
I think JR has been soliciting people to come hang out in the newsroom and see how it all works, though. Someone should take him up on that and blog about it.
Posted by: Joe Killian | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:47 PM
Joe's too valuable when it comes to writing obits.
Been there, done that.
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:57 PM
Have written exactly one obit - long form - in my entire career.
But am sorry to hear you had to.
Posted by: Joe Killian | Oct 27, 2006 at 10:59 PM
Bubba, Sam and Joe were having a civilized conversation. Joe provided some insight into the N & R's newsroom.
You interrupted with an unprovoked insult.
What's your intent here?
Posted by: greendog | Oct 27, 2006 at 11:25 PM
His intent is to be the usual dickweed he is.
How's that for an unprovoked insult?
Posted by: Kirk D. | Oct 28, 2006 at 12:28 AM
"How's that for an unprovoked insult?"
Weak.
Can't you do better than that?
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 28, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Actually, let's not use this blog for the off-topic trashtalking. Go to Bubba's place for that, please, or just ignore each other.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Oct 28, 2006 at 11:04 AM
"Wray resigned in the face of allegations of misconduct. A series that fails to address those allegations won't contribute much to the question of whether he deserved to be squeezed out, or not."
Whether Bledsoe's series ever addresses Wray's alledged misconduct, it would seem that there are a zillion allegations against Lt. Hinson that need to be investigated. Everyone keeps saying that he was cleared by three GPD investigations, but no one seems to know what those investigations where about and from what he was cleared.
Wray may have made mistakes and deserved to lose his job, but if half of what is reported in Bledsoe's series is true, there are several others, especially Lt. Hinson, that should also be shown the door, or even better, prosecuted. I haven't seen any allegations against Wray that would rise to the level of prosecution, but I certainly have seen many against Lt. Hinson that could and should.
I don't think that the Bledsoe series is about Wray, it's about corruption and ugly politics in Greensboro Police and city government, and no one seems interested in looking under those rocks.
Posted by: Stormy | Oct 29, 2006 at 10:48 AM
Thanks, Stormy, I would only disagree with a couple of details from your comment.
One, there is more info out there on two earlier GPD investigations of Hinson than you say.
Also, I think it's inaccurate to say that "no one seems interested" in looking at alleged problems beyond Wray -- I'm interested, and many people at this blog and beyond are, too. Perhaps that interest will inspire those focused on other aspects of this mess to take a more holistic view of the situation.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Oct 29, 2006 at 11:14 AM
Bledsoe is showing everyone up. the entire N&R staff and city hall are being handled by a country boy in Asheboro. Dont player hate, duplicate!
Posted by: benholder | Oct 29, 2006 at 04:36 PM
Ben, it won't be the first time Bledsoe took it to them. Their constant nightmare is that he has credibility. Perhaps if they would spend less time shaping the news and more time reporting it, Bledsoe wouldn't have any reason to come behind them and point out where they are wrong- usually very wrong.
Posted by: The CA | Oct 29, 2006 at 08:00 PM
Ed,
What information is out there on investigations? Sandy Carmany says that the investigations cleared Hinson, but she and none of the others know any of the details about the investigations or what they were about. It seems no one really knows anything about the allegations that keep coming from Bledsoe's series. Greensboro city government and council seem to be reeling. And, the News-Record seems to have gone very quiet on this subject, other than reporting what Hinson's attorney and support group has to say.
Posted by: Stormy | Oct 30, 2006 at 12:20 AM
Stormy, the RMA report discusses these investigations in some detail -- their subject matter, scope, investigating officers, etc. Much of the ground covered by the Bledsoe series (hookers at parties, HELP House, Turnbull) is mentioned in the RMA report.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Oct 30, 2006 at 07:27 AM
RMA report discusses these investigations in some detail
Bledsoe spells it out in great detail. If people could just drop their bias feelings and jealousy then it would be very clear that GSO is lucky to have Bledsoe doing what he is doing. He is also doing it for FREE. That is the most amazing point to all of this. Instead of looking for ways to discredit him, why not open your mind. I never liked Nelson Johnson, but that did not stop me from carrying the GTRC up a few stairs. Make you judgement in the end. Bledsoe is doing good stuff. We needed it. However, the blog world, which I have to keep reminding myself is a very very small number, along with the N&R have mainly acted as if Bledsoe is a crazy man that is paid by the Wray administration to spread lies. The truth is he is not. Also, heaven help Wray if Bledsoe does find some bad things about him. Wray will be hung from the highest tree in Asheboro. Just face it folks, the Rhino has one guy that is getting it done. That may sting but it doesnt make Bledsoe wrong. Where in Ahearn's correction? I see Bledsoe's, and that really was a mistake. Ahearn needed it to be a help meeting and presto, it was. Thanks to an aler reader we got the truth out. But not from Ahearn.
Posted by: benholder | Oct 30, 2006 at 08:25 AM
Ben makes some good points. Bledsoe's reporting may not be the be all and end all of the story, but he is certainly informing the public with information not found elswhere in the mainstream press.
Posted by: Roch101 | Oct 30, 2006 at 08:33 AM
I don't see bloggers dismissing Bledsoe's work. In fact, I see the opposite. I see people taking it seriously, and discussing it seriously.
The N&R seems to be pretending his series doesn't exist.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Oct 30, 2006 at 08:49 AM
Ben makes some good points
I agree Roch. Great observation!
Posted by: benholder | Oct 30, 2006 at 10:00 AM