Pike questions police chief’s leadership ability ‘in light of current challenges’

Jan. 29—Councilman Kyle Pike demanded the implementation of a performance improvement plan for Chief Todd Pinion and the Decatur Police Department on Monday, just days after the release of a third-party review of the department.

The demand came after Pike read a prepared statement at Monday’s City Council work session that he has concerns about Pinion’s “ability to lead the department going forward in light of the current challenges.”

However, Pike did agree with statements made by Mayor Tab Bowling and Pinion that Huntsville-based Green Research & Technology’s review didn’t find police brutality, abuse, racism or civil rights violations.

Councilman Billy Jackson and many of those in attendance in a full council chambers disagreed with the officials’ assessment that the review cleared the department of accusations of discriminatory and abusive conduct.

Jackson, who called for Pinion’s termination following the fatal police shooting of Steve Perkins on Sept. 29, 2023, said Pinion needs to face accountability just as the chief executive officer of a company would.

“Early on, I said we needed to move a different direction from the chief,” Jackson said.

Jackson said that footage and incidents redacted from the report by City Attorney Herman Marks and not available to the public “were the most damning part to me.” Roughly six and a half pages of the 41-page review were redacted.

Michael Stovall, of Standing In Power, said the report is lengthy, and he urged the mayor and council to look closer.

“There’s a lot in there and, if you go line by line, you will see that there was much about racism,” Stovall said.

Pike said the mayor and Legal and Human Resources departments should lead to the implementation of a performance improvement plan with objectives for the chief and the department.

“If not, I expect this council should do what it can, like it did with the review. It should be formal and made public if possible,” Pike said.

He said the process may require personnel actions, clear accountability measures, further training “and, most importantly, a clear and public communication of progress from the chief in these council chambers.”

“The issue will not be ignored or downplayed, and we owe it to our officers, community and city that the department has the right leadership moving forward,” Pike said.

Pike said problems with the public communication of Pinion and his department have been discussed a lot in the last 16 months and remain unresolved.

“This has contributed to lingering negative perceptions, including the first statement after the Perkins incident that was made,” Pike said.

He said the department “has lacked leadership and decisive action” since the Perkins shooting.

“There must be far more urgency from the department and its leadership, specifically the chief, in these matters and in dealing with the public,” Pike said.

Pike said one of his greatest concerns is Internal Affairs, a concern highlighted in the Green Technology report.

“The issues with IA such as discrepancies in body cameras and reports, withholding of critical information and the perception of a lack of accountability undermine the public’s trust,” Pike said. “Trust is vital to our department’s ability to effectively serve our city, and issues in IA are cause for further concern.

“I’m apprehensive whether Chief Pinion has the leadership ability to guide the department forward, rebuild the public’s trust and implement the necessary change. At this time, I am not confident in his ability as it stands.”

Pike said Pinion has had over a year to investigate the problems internally and implement change.

“The lack of visible progress is concerning and raises questions about his ability to step forward and address these challenges decisively and publicly,” he said.

Pinion said Tuesday that he would not comment on Pike’s statement. He added that he will likely make comments in the future addressing the concerns of Pike and the public.

Councilman Carlton McMasters continues to support Pinion as police chief.

“I’ve seen the chief’s leadership,” McMasters said, “and I don’t know if other people have.”

McMasters said he believes the Police Department is in better shape than it was before Pinion became chief in 2022.

“Crime is down and officer retention is much better than it was three and a half years ago,” McMasters said. “That doesn’t happen with poor leadership.” — Pinion pushes back

The chief asked before the meeting to speak prior to public comment. Pinion entered the council chambers flanked by a dozen police officers.

About 15 people stood up and walked out of the chambers as Pinion prepared to speak. They returned when he finished.

In a prepared statement, Pinion started by pointing out that people repetitively suggested at council meetings for over a year that “this department is corrupt, out of control with no accountability, racist with many civil rights violations, (and) made multiple demands for the (U.S.) Department of Justice to come here, which by the way I welcomed then and I still welcome now. This report gave no indication that any of those things were a legitimate or significant concern. For that, we should all be proud.”

While Pinion said the review did not find police brutality and abuse, racism or civil rights violations in his departments, he acknowledged it did find some issues.

“The report did show us some areas of improvement, which we will address and some of which I’ve already addressed prior to this report’s release,” the chief said.

Bowling said he expects the changes will most likely come from Pinion as leader of the Police Department.

“Let me answer one thing that you haven’t asked,” Bowling told a speaker. “Do I support our chief of police? Yes.”

Pinion said he takes offense at the suggestion that “our officers are misapplying the law on a regular basis to violate people’s rights.”

The Green Technology report cited “questionable arrests for Disorderly Conduct and Obstruction of Governmental Operations, often based on officer’s problematic ‘lawful orders’ … .”

Pinion called this “a slap in the faces of the men and women that put on that badge every day. The report intentionally leans into that perception, which is why those two charges combined make up for less than 1% of the total charges that we make.”

McMasters said crime was getting “a little bit out of control” under former Chief Nate Allen with a record number of homicides in 2020 and 2021. Crime is down under Pinion, he said.

McMasters said the candidates for chief when Pinion was interviewed and hired “wanted more leeway to be more proactive.” He said traffic stops and drug arrests have increased under Pinion.

“I think there’s a fine balance between that community policing and being proactive,” McMasters said.

Jackson said he believes the low percentage of complaints relative to police contacts is due to the perception of many people in the city that the Police Department will not follow up on complaints filed against the officers, another concern raised by the Green Technology report.

“I’m not saying this is true or not — it’s a perception of someone who did not file a report,” Jackson said. “‘This is Decatur, Alabama, and if I report this, I’ll be retaliated against.'”

Resident Christy Love said she doesn’t trust DPD’s data because the department’s officers “don’t want to be held accountable.”

Pinion said Municipal Court Judge Takisha Gholston doesn’t think police officers “are making those charges inappropriately. I would hope you have already reached out to the Municipal Court judge for her opinion. I know I have, and she has no concerns with us abusing those laws.”

Pinion criticized some council members for their unwillingness to meet with him or participate in a ride-along with a DPD officer. Only one of the five councilmen has been on a ride-along.

“If you think there is a concern within our department, please come do a ride-along and see for yourself,” he told the council.

He said he sent an email to council members inviting them to weekly one-hour meetings about their concerns, “and that was after concerns with my lack of communication.”

“Some of you never showed up; some of you showed up infrequently; and others are there regularly,” Pinion said.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432

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