As you may remember, people got all upset in Red Oak because they had a traffic division in their police department that was doing what I would assume a traffic division should do – write tickets.
Well the police chief and one of his deputy chiefs have been fired. An outside investigator has found that nothing was done illegally. But now the city of Red Oak must find a new police chief.
The WDL has a letter to the editor from the now former police chief today:
To the Editor,
I would like to thank all of the good people who have stood behind me in this troubling time. I want to thank the city manager and mayor for standing up for me when it would have been so easy easy for them just to go along with the crowd. It hurts me deeply that my time has come and gone as an officer with the Red Oak Police Department. Serving this great city has been an honor and I have really enjoyed my time here. I serve a great God and he will open another door for me. I have always given a hundred percent in everything that I have done. I have always been honest and up front with everybody, they might not have always liked my answers but pleasing everybody all of the time is simply impossible. I tried to lead the officers as Tom Landry led the Cowboys, Coach Landry stated “My job was always making men do what they didn’t want to do to become the men they always wanted to be.†To be good officers.
During the budget hearings last summer I presented a plan to the city council that in my opinion would be a win-win for the citizens which I took an oath to protect. I presented a plan that would establish a traffic division. This traffic divisions primary duty was to monitor high volume traffic areas, school zones, and any areas where citizens complain of speeders on their streets along with working accidents. This would allow patrolman to be highly visible in residential areas and business districts . This would also free up patrol from traffic duties. Once I presented the projection on the number of citations issued by the traffic division and the projected revenues Councilman Ben Goodwin stated “ If you can make that kind of money, why don’t we hire more traffic officers.†Councilman Hargrove even wanted them on motorcycles. I personally gave each councilman a copy of the power point presentation to take notes on and to take with them to study. So the dramatic increase of citations after the traffic division was formed should have been no surprise to them. If they didn’t like the proposal they had every right to ask me to reconsider, revise or simply state that they didn’t care for that plan. The city manager had nothing to do with my decision to form a traffic division, this idea came to me solely based on the high number of major accidents and the number of citizens complaining of near accidents and speeders in their neighborhood and wondering when something was going to be done.
On the day of my termination I was also advised in writing that the investigation showed that I “have committed no illegal wrong doing.†During the investigation I abided by the rule of mum is the word. So even at the request of Fox 4, I made no comments. I can’t say the same for the couple of councilman who after being advised still went to the press and drug my name and the name of my deputy chief through the dirt. I have always believed that if a person is in the right they should stick to their guns and if they are in the wrong, own up to it and move on. I am in now way perfect or in no way the perfect chief as we all make mistakes, but I did nothing illegal and that is why I chose to be terminated in lieu of resigning. Due to the officers signing a letter of no confidence in me I was terminated for “administrative style indifference†which simply means even though I have done nothing illegal, immoral, or unethical it is in the opinion of the city manager that it is time for me to move on.
As a long time citizen of this great city, I wish the city of Red Oak and its entities the best of luck in its future. As I said before, I serve a great God and he will provide for me and my family. I have nothing to be ashamed of as I have seen this city and the police department grow in every area over the last 15 years.
Donald D. Fullerton,
Red Oak
Also in today’s paper, Judge Bob Carroll, County Court at Law #1, resigned last night, effective at midnight April 30. There’s a story and an open letter from the judge in the paper.
I personally wish the judge the best of luck as he moves into the private sector. I know he had a hand in a case or two with some dear friends of mine and they along with I have nothing negative to say about the judge.