Va. Police Chief Placed on Administrative Leave

Oct. 18, 2012
Hampton Police Chief Charles "Chuck" Jordan Jr. was placed on administrative leave with pay.

Oct. 18--HAMPTON -- Hampton Police Chief Charles "Chuck" Jordan Jr. was placed on administrative leave with pay Wednesday, and will remain so while the city hires an independent accounting firm and an independent municipal attorney to investigate an undercover cigarette sting operated by Hampton Police.

The department will be run by former Police Chief Thomas H. Townsend while those reviews take place, according to a statement released by the city to the media Wednesday evening.

"As the captain of the ship so to speak, it is my responsibility to get to the bottom of what has happened and, if there were mistakes made, fix what needs to be fixed," wrote City Manager Mary Bunting in the statement. "I am fully committed to doing so, and to being transparent at the appropriate time."

An internal police investigation is now being conducted over the former undercover police investigation that saw more than $3 million flow through its books over its 19 month course. That operation, however netted zero arrests.

The city has also failed to provide a number of receipts showing how large sums of money were spent from the operation's accounts.

The city has hired Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, LLP, of Richmond, to review transactions conducted using the cigarette operation's accounts, Bunting wrote in the statement.

It was unclear early Thursday how much that review will cost taxpayers.

The city has also hired attorney Bill Hefty, of Hefty & Wiley, of Richmond, to look at Police Division "policy development, enforcement, oversight and management of the operation," Bunting wrote.

Hefty's work will begin Oct. 30. It was unclear in the city manager's statement how much Hefty's investigation will cost.

The police internal affairs investigation is expected to conclude by the end of October.

"...the decision to place Chief Jordan on administrative leave is in no way meant to convey any pre-determination of wrongdoing on his -- or any other officer who remains on administrative leave -- part," Bunting wrote. "...administrative leave is used to ensure that a thorough and complete investigation can be conducted without the perception of influence. The administrative leave process is in the best interest of the employee, the organization and the community."

Hampton Police is now being operated by Townsend who joined the division in January 1974 and was police chief from January 2000 until his retirement in 2004. He was most recently named Suffolk's interim chief of police in January 2008.

The city manager and City Attorney Cynthia Hudson are also asking the state Attorney General's Office to opine on "various legal issues arising from the undercover operation." That request will me made formally by the end of the week.

Copyright 2012 - Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

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