Friday, April 07, 2000
Police chief's leave a mystery
Independence appoints interim
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
INDEPENDENCE — This city's police chief has been placed on an unexplained leave of absence.
Ed Porter, who has led the 22-officer force for more than four years, was put on leave Tuesday and replaced temporarily by Lt. Shawn Butler. The lieutenant was on vacation this week when city officials called him in to take over for Chief Porter.
Chief Porter's attorney, Steve Wolnitzek, said Thursday he hoped to meet with city officials early next week to work out the problem. The chief has been out of the office for some time, training with Cincinnati officers on how to start a horse patrol.
Lt. Butler referred all questions to City Administrator Gary Scott. Mr. Scott did not return several phone calls seeking an explanation for the leave of absence. City Attorney Lawson Walker could not be reached for comment; Mr.
Wolnitzek said he and Mr. Walker have discussed the matter.
The chief, a veteran of the Cincinnati Police Division before retiring and taking over in Independence in November 1995, was known for being direct. He went public shortly after his hiring with blunt comments about department working conditions — floors sagged, pipes dripped in the former Madison Pike headquarters. He told council members the place was like a “dirty, old, smoky pool hall.”
In October 1997, he made it known he had applied for another job because bickering among then-council members was driving him out.
The department has also been in the news recently because of its investigation of one of its own councilmen, Steve Feldhaus. Detectives accused Mr. Feldhaus of booby-trapping a park building with carpet tacks to prevent vandals from jumping up and hanging onto the gutters.
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