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Watchdog Response:
So what's the story behind this review of the police department?
First, lets start with some background information. The report was done by James D Sewell at the request of Bob Lowery
and cost the city $12,000.00. Sewell is a friend of Lowery's and some of you may remember former Alderman Terry
Busken's comments about Lowery's plan. At the February 9th, 2006 board meeting Busken stated Lowery had told him of
his plan to hire one of his buddies to review the police department and that Lowery would control what is in the report.
Well lets see, a report was written, it was done by Lowery's buddy and the report says everything Lowery wants to say but
doesn't have the guts to say himself.
For those who don't know, Lowery fell into disfavor with the old board because Lowery began undermining the boards
efforts to halt the giveaways to the builders. Some of Lowery's actions are detailed in the lawsuit filed by former employee
Todd Criswell. Lowery, fearing he would lose his job, formed an alliance with Cantwell and Bill Hennessy. Mayor
Donna Morrow and Bob Patek joined this new alliance. This new group was doomed to failure because, unlike the
members of the old board, its members had no agenda or plan other than their own personal gain.
The new team began falling apart over issues involving the police department. First, the current board voted to hire back
Tom Otten. Information was found on Otten's home computer which indicated he sent an email to the former board. The
email contained information not available to the public about Tom Wilkerson, attacked Otten's fellow officers and
contained false information. When a search warrant was executed at Otten's home Otten is alleged to have threatened
the officers. Wilkerson, by the way, is a long time friend of Lowery's. However, the biggest divide between Lowery and
Cantwell is over the rehiring of Steve Talbott. Cantwell and his errand boys on the council have created a position,
Director of Public Safety, for Steve Talbott. Lowery advised the mayor and some members of the old board
during their investigation of Talbott and wanted Talbott's job. Lowery does not want Talbott back in City Hall for obvious
reasons.
All of this brings us to the Sewell report. Interestingly Sewell talks about two competing cliques in the police department
which he labels extreme. Yet, Sewell's report is nothing new but instead puts in writing what the one "extreme" clique has
been saying for years, that the department had poor policies and procedures, favoritism was rampant, certain officers
were above the law and the Kissell investigation was not handled properly. And, by the way, there is no need for a
Director of Public Safety. What's next Mr. Sewell? A report telling us cops need cars? Of course, anyone who listened to
the cops already knew this. So why did Lowery, whose entire career was in law enforcement, need an "expert" to tell him
the obvious? Political cover. Lowery wasn't about to take a stand so he has his buddy write this report and releases it
days before the council is to vote on funding the position for Director of Public Safety. Ironic isn't it. Sewell criticizes
department employees for their involvement in politics while his report is done for political purposes. And he got paid!
The politics don't stop here though. Last night the council voted to over ride the Mayor's veto and fund the Public Safety
position thus ignoring Sewell's report. Then in a purely political move Cantwell tells Lowery not to do anything to fill the
job because the council still needs to define and refine what the job entails. The result is the city spends our money to tell
us we don't need a Public Safety Director, then ignores the report and funds such a position not knowing what the job
duties will be. So when will the job description be complete and the position filled? After the April election of course. Can
you wait that long Steve?
So what's the story behind this review of the police department?
First, lets start with some background information. The report was done by James D Sewell at the request of Bob Lowery
and cost the city $12,000.00. Sewell is a friend of Lowery's and some of you may remember former Alderman Terry
Busken's comments about Lowery's plan. At the February 9th, 2006 board meeting Busken stated Lowery had told him of
his plan to hire one of his buddies to review the police department and that Lowery would control what is in the report.
Well lets see, a report was written, it was done by Lowery's buddy and the report says everything Lowery wants to say but
doesn't have the guts to say himself.
For those who don't know, Lowery fell into disfavor with the old board because Lowery began undermining the boards
efforts to halt the giveaways to the builders. Some of Lowery's actions are detailed in the lawsuit filed by former employee
Todd Criswell. Lowery, fearing he would lose his job, formed an alliance with Cantwell and Bill Hennessy. Mayor
Donna Morrow and Bob Patek joined this new alliance. This new group was doomed to failure because, unlike the
members of the old board, its members had no agenda or plan other than their own personal gain.
The new team began falling apart over issues involving the police department. First, the current board voted to hire back
Tom Otten. Information was found on Otten's home computer which indicated he sent an email to the former board. The
email contained information not available to the public about Tom Wilkerson, attacked Otten's fellow officers and
contained false information. When a search warrant was executed at Otten's home Otten is alleged to have threatened
the officers. Wilkerson, by the way, is a long time friend of Lowery's. However, the biggest divide between Lowery and
Cantwell is over the rehiring of Steve Talbott. Cantwell and his errand boys on the council have created a position,
Director of Public Safety, for Steve Talbott. Lowery advised the mayor and some members of the old board
during their investigation of Talbott and wanted Talbott's job. Lowery does not want Talbott back in City Hall for obvious
reasons.
All of this brings us to the Sewell report. Interestingly Sewell talks about two competing cliques in the police department
which he labels extreme. Yet, Sewell's report is nothing new but instead puts in writing what the one "extreme" clique has
been saying for years, that the department had poor policies and procedures, favoritism was rampant, certain officers
were above the law and the Kissell investigation was not handled properly. And, by the way, there is no need for a
Director of Public Safety. What's next Mr. Sewell? A report telling us cops need cars? Of course, anyone who listened to
the cops already knew this. So why did Lowery, whose entire career was in law enforcement, need an "expert" to tell him
the obvious? Political cover. Lowery wasn't about to take a stand so he has his buddy write this report and releases it
days before the council is to vote on funding the position for Director of Public Safety. Ironic isn't it. Sewell criticizes
department employees for their involvement in politics while his report is done for political purposes. And he got paid!
The politics don't stop here though. Last night the council voted to over ride the Mayor's veto and fund the Public Safety
position thus ignoring Sewell's report. Then in a purely political move Cantwell tells Lowery not to do anything to fill the
job because the council still needs to define and refine what the job entails. The result is the city spends our money to tell
us we don't need a Public Safety Director, then ignores the report and funds such a position not knowing what the job
duties will be. So when will the job description be complete and the position filled? After the April election of course. Can
you wait that long Steve?
Director just isn't needed, report says
By Nancy Cambria
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/25/2007
O'FALLON, MO. — An outside review of the city's police department criticizes the proposed formation of a public safety
director — a job the City Council may approve tonight.
The report, completed earlier this month and released Wednesday, recommends a variety of changes in the management of
the 102-officer department as well as a new headquarters, more personnel and considerable new equipment.
It also criticizes the formation of a public safety director being pushed by the majority of the council. The council is expected to
make a decision on the position at tonight's regular meeting, at 7:30 in City Hall.
"In reality, the establishment of this unrequested position provides for an unnecessary level of bureaucracy and simply
creates a chief over the current chief of police, an unworkable solution to a problem that does not exist," consultant James
Sewell says in his report.
Finally it describes a police department split between two political cliques backing either the former Board of Aldermen or the
current City Council, which took over last April.
"Over the past two years the line between acceptable involvement of elected political leadership in departmental affairs and
involvement of police officers in political affairs within the city of O'Fallon has become murky," the report said.
The 20-page report was compiled by Sewell over three months at a cost of $12,000. The council authorized the review, and
City Administrator Robert Lowery Jr. hired Sewell. He is an assistant commissioner of the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement and has written several articles and books on law enforcement.
His report was released just a day before the council decides whether to override Mayor Donna Morrow's line-item veto of a
$95,000 public safety director position that detractors argue is being established for former Police Chief Steve Talbott.
Morrow has not mentioned Talbott in her criticism of the post but has said that it is a duplication of services and that disaster
preparedness ought be handled in a regional way.
Morrow is continuing efforts to set up a countywide group on emergency preparedness, she said.
Talbott was fired by a former board majority in 2005 with Morrow's support. He later sued the city, Morrow and members of the
former board, for wrongful termination. He settled the suit in September for $250,000. The city was liable for a $25,000
insurance deductible.
Talbott came under fire by the former board for, among other things, his handling of a drug overdose death investigation
involving the daughter of a lobbyist for the state Police Chiefs Association, of which Talbott was a member. Sewell's report
criticizes how the department handled the investigation as an example of the need for better training.
Council President Peter Cantwell, a proponent of the public safety position that he is now calling a civil defense post, insists
that it is not being established for Talbott and that it is needed for public security. Cantwell and the majority of the current
council have said that Talbott should not have been fired and should be reinstated.
Cantwell said he needed to study the report further before commenting on it.
Councilman Pierce Conley initially called for the police department review. Conley, a Talbott supporter, said Wednesday that
he had asked for an outside evaluation to ensure that the department was keeping pace with the rapidly growing city.
"I just wanted to make sure that we're doing everything we could possibly do to be the best police department we could
possibly be," he said, later referring to the report as a "good audit."
He said that Sewell's criticism of the public safety post might have been based on an earlier job description and that the
council had revised it considerably and would continue to streamline it.
"I feel we need the position," Conley said.
Despite the audit's stinging criticism over politics in the department, Lowery said the force was in good shape but was also a
victim of the city's meteoric growth. He declined to discuss the public safety position but said he planned to discuss the
report's many recommendations with Chief Jerry Schulte next week.
"It's going to make a good police department even better," he said.
Nancy.Cambria@post-dispatch.com | 636-255-7214
By Nancy Cambria
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/25/2007
O'FALLON, MO. — An outside review of the city's police department criticizes the proposed formation of a public safety
director — a job the City Council may approve tonight.
The report, completed earlier this month and released Wednesday, recommends a variety of changes in the management of
the 102-officer department as well as a new headquarters, more personnel and considerable new equipment.
It also criticizes the formation of a public safety director being pushed by the majority of the council. The council is expected to
make a decision on the position at tonight's regular meeting, at 7:30 in City Hall.
"In reality, the establishment of this unrequested position provides for an unnecessary level of bureaucracy and simply
creates a chief over the current chief of police, an unworkable solution to a problem that does not exist," consultant James
Sewell says in his report.
Finally it describes a police department split between two political cliques backing either the former Board of Aldermen or the
current City Council, which took over last April.
"Over the past two years the line between acceptable involvement of elected political leadership in departmental affairs and
involvement of police officers in political affairs within the city of O'Fallon has become murky," the report said.
The 20-page report was compiled by Sewell over three months at a cost of $12,000. The council authorized the review, and
City Administrator Robert Lowery Jr. hired Sewell. He is an assistant commissioner of the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement and has written several articles and books on law enforcement.
His report was released just a day before the council decides whether to override Mayor Donna Morrow's line-item veto of a
$95,000 public safety director position that detractors argue is being established for former Police Chief Steve Talbott.
Morrow has not mentioned Talbott in her criticism of the post but has said that it is a duplication of services and that disaster
preparedness ought be handled in a regional way.
Morrow is continuing efforts to set up a countywide group on emergency preparedness, she said.
Talbott was fired by a former board majority in 2005 with Morrow's support. He later sued the city, Morrow and members of the
former board, for wrongful termination. He settled the suit in September for $250,000. The city was liable for a $25,000
insurance deductible.
Talbott came under fire by the former board for, among other things, his handling of a drug overdose death investigation
involving the daughter of a lobbyist for the state Police Chiefs Association, of which Talbott was a member. Sewell's report
criticizes how the department handled the investigation as an example of the need for better training.
Council President Peter Cantwell, a proponent of the public safety position that he is now calling a civil defense post, insists
that it is not being established for Talbott and that it is needed for public security. Cantwell and the majority of the current
council have said that Talbott should not have been fired and should be reinstated.
Cantwell said he needed to study the report further before commenting on it.
Councilman Pierce Conley initially called for the police department review. Conley, a Talbott supporter, said Wednesday that
he had asked for an outside evaluation to ensure that the department was keeping pace with the rapidly growing city.
"I just wanted to make sure that we're doing everything we could possibly do to be the best police department we could
possibly be," he said, later referring to the report as a "good audit."
He said that Sewell's criticism of the public safety post might have been based on an earlier job description and that the
council had revised it considerably and would continue to streamline it.
"I feel we need the position," Conley said.
Despite the audit's stinging criticism over politics in the department, Lowery said the force was in good shape but was also a
victim of the city's meteoric growth. He declined to discuss the public safety position but said he planned to discuss the
report's many recommendations with Chief Jerry Schulte next week.
"It's going to make a good police department even better," he said.
Nancy.Cambria@post-dispatch.com | 636-255-7214
To view Sewell's report Click on the link below.