Commentary; Posted: 1/22/03

Removing Temte as chief may be too harsh

Cliff Buchan

Resolutions to personnel issues are never easy and in the city of Wyoming this winter, the city council has been confronted with its most challenging issue in years. What to do with Chief of Police Mike Temte?

Temte, the police chief since 1980, has been the subject of insubordination allegations. The charges stem from Temteís use of funds collected through the drug and DWI forfeiture process and refusal to follow council and administrative guidelines before purchases are made.

The city council and its personnel committee have spent most of January deliberating the matter. On Monday, Feb. 3, the council will likely take some form of disciplinary action against the chief. Termination remains a possibility and that action was the recommendation of the personnel committee.

We understand the concerns and the view of the city council. They contend direct orders to the chief were made and ignored. The non-compliance has created situations the city simply can not allow.

As elected officials, the city council has a fiduciary responsibility to make sure all funds coming into the city are properly handled and accounted for. The city auditor has spelled out concerns in relation to how the police department was controlling funds collected from seizure of property through drug arrests.

It is a matter of a serious nature and one a watchdog state auditor would not ignore. There has also been risk of state penalties that could result in loss of local government aid to the city if the situation was allowed to continue.

From this fact of life, the council is forced to take some action against its chief. Should that step be termination?

We donít think so.

There has been no question of impropriety in regard to police department purchases. Temte has not used public dollars for personal gain. But he remains stubborn in obeying a specific process formed by the city as a result of council frustration in how the funds are managed.

In deciding the fate of the chief, we would urge the city to take into account the full body of the chiefís work over 22 years of service to Wyoming. During his tenure, he has served the city well in many ways. Should this misstep be a career-damaging episode?

As the council sets about its final discipline, we believe some form of suspension would best fit the situation. This would be an opportunity for the city to move on and for the chief to recognize that new standard operating procedures must be followed.

There is no question that the city has a way it wants things done and the chief has had his own ideas. Temte must come to accept the fact that he canít and should not be allowed to call the shots. There has been no intent on the cityís part to spend seizure funds in ways that would violate rules on how such funds are spent.

If Temte continues to remain stubborn in his role as chief of police, he should face the reality that it may be time to move on.

A cooling off period and a few days off for the chief may be just what is needed to get everybody on the same page.

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