Lexington Police Chief Randy Davenport. (KXAN photo)
State agency investigating police chief
Citizen takes Lexington chief complaint to the top
Updated: Wednesday, 09 Mar 2011, 7:30 PM CST
Published : Wednesday, 09 Mar 2011, 7:05 PM CST
Story link – http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/investigations/State-agency-investigating-police-chief
LEXINGTON, Texas (KXAN) – The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education said they are investigating a complaint brought to their attention by a citizen regarding Lexington Police Chief Randy Davenport.
The state agency that oversees law enforcement officers could not go into specifics about the complaint, but said the accusation was non-criminal.
Davenport turned in his resignation to the city at the end of February following a KXAN Austin News investigation into a series of complaints were leveled against him.
Davenport plans on working until March 31 and would like to help the city search for a new police chief. He is currently under review by a committee of council members and citizens who are collecting first hand complaints and data about Davenport’s past.
During a Feb. 9 city council meeting several citizens came forward for the first time and voiced complaints about Lexington police and Chief Davenport. The council all voted in favor of putting a review committee together to look into the accusations.
Prior to the council meeting, several citizens spoke to KXAN News about their concerns. One woman who worked in a local store said Davenport made 15 to 20 sexual remarks to her at work in the fall of 2009 — at one point asking her over to his hot tub, clothing optional. At the time she did not want to take legal action, but had a Giddings attorney mail a letter to Mayor Robert Willrich. In the letter, the attorney stated the woman wanted her complaint documented in the chief’s personnel file and requested an investigation.
Written complaints were requested from the city, but on several occasions the mayor said, “I’ve never received any complaints in writing.”
When KXAN Austin News interviewed the mayor Feb. 17, he was shown a copy of the letter sent by the woman.
“You’ve never seen this? This is a letter addressed to you and your office,” KXAN reporter Erin Cargile asked.
“This complaint I did receive and somewhere in my office I probably have a copy of this,” Willrich answered.
He did not have a copy. When the chief reviewed Davenport’s personnel file during the KXAN investigation — a file the chief keeps in his own office at the police station — the letter was not there.
A former police officer also accused Davenport of taking online FEMA safety training tests for officers.
Davenport has been the Lexington Police Chief since March 2008.
Story courtesy of KXAN.com.
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