After more than two and a half hours in Executive Session last Monday night following a special-called meeting of the City Council, four Grenada Police Department officers emerged from City Hall knowing exactly what they knew when they entered: Nothing.
Six items were up for discussion in Executive Session following the 30-minute public meeting. The police officers — varying in rank — were there to file grievances against the department and Chief George Douglas concerning the handling of policies. They were called in individually to speak to the Council and City Attorney Mary Brown, but not before having to wait.
During the lengthy Executive Session, the officers — all four dressed in Class A uniforms — were asked to wait outside in the high temperatures while five other items were discussed before being called indoors to speak. At times, each officer could be observed walking across Main Street to their vehicles to retrieve fluids to cool off as sweat poured from their brows.
Two of the officers — the first and last — spoke at length regarding their concerns with the department even though Chief Douglas was allowed to remain in Executive Session despite the requests from the officers that he be excused. The two other officers refused to speak “without legal counsel” after their requests for Chief Douglas to be excused were also denied.
The first officer to speak was patrol officer Camara Williams — a black female — who has been employed with the department three and a half years and is currently on assignment with the department’s investigations division. She spoke at length, however, shortly after beginning could be seen through the windows in front of City Hall at the podium speaking with Chief Douglas standing next to her.
“All I can say is that she was so brave,” Ward 6 Councilwoman Lori Chavis said after the meeting. “As a female, I have worked in a predominant male environment before and know how intimidating it can be. How she did what she did without wavering took courage.”
The fourth officer to speak was Patrol Sergeant Cassidy Williamson, who has been with the department for 14 years. He entered the meeting with a file folder filled with documents and also spoke at length.
Veteran law enforcement officers, Sgt. Sean Wilbourn with narcotics and Det. Sgt. Chris Brown, both who have served 20 years with the GPD, were the two officers that refused to speak while Chief Douglas was present.
The Council immediately voted to adjourn once out of Executive Session. Shortly thereafter, Attorney Brown was observed in the back of the boardroom speaking with two of the officers that filed grievances.
“So you are refusing to do that, too?” one of the officers shouted after the brief conversation.
“Yes,” Brown responded as she walked away to exit City Hall.
Brown also refused to provide The Star with any details from Executive Session despite some officials announcing that decisions were voted on behind closed doors, unfavorable for the officers.
According to Councilwoman Chavis, a motion to allow Chief Douglas to decide on the outcome of the grievances was passed 4-3 in Executive Session. She said Ward 1 Councilman Warren B. Cox and Ward 7 Councilman Ronald J. Merriman joined her in voting no on the motion.
Although details pertaining to each grievance remain confidential in Executive Session, they were filed only weeks after the Council approved an “exception to allow” Chief Douglas to override department policy and promote two officers to the rank of captain. The two promotions were for former Grenada County Sheriff Rolando Fair, who was defeated by former GPD Police Chief Garrett Hartley in the November 2023 General Election and took over the office in January, as well as longtime officer Reggie Woodall. Following the July 8 Executive Session, Brown said the Council approved an “exception to allow” Chief Douglas to override department policy to allow for the promotions. Fair is also the Chief of Police in Coffeeville, while Woodall is the top cop in Oakland.
According to Chavis, a motion to rescind July’s vote in Executive Session to allow Chief Douglas the exception “based on new facts and broken policies brought to the Council’s attention” also failed 4-3 during last week’s Executive Session under Police Personnel. Chavis, Cox and Merriman were once again the no votes.
Below are the requirements for the promotion of captain as printed in the Grenada Police Department’s Code of Conduct manual obtained from City Clerk Lois Freelon following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by The Star:
Captain — This position shall involve a written examination, an oral interview by a promotional board, and an assessment of accumulated work performance. A minimum score of 70 on the written examination must be achieved in order to be considered for promotion. To participate in the testing process, the employee must currently hold the position of Lieutenant/Detective-Inv. Lieutenant and served at this rank for one (1) year. Documented job related advancement of continued education will be a consideration for the selection process. The final decision of the promotion will be made by the Chief of Police, with the approval of the City Manager.
Also discussed in Executive Session last week included:
• Lease of Property — Animal Shelter
• Litigation — Opioid-Kroger Settlement
• Potential Litigation — Hughes
• Personnel — Approval to Hire
No details on these four items were made available to The Star. However, a FOIA request has been made to City Hall.
All four officers expressed their intentions to seek legal counsel.
