Cleveland Police Chief Wes Snyder today denied any failure to investigate allegations that his officers had sex with teenaged girls and also abused drugs.
Speaking at a news conference he called at the Cleveland Police Department, Snyder described Times Free Press reporter Todd South’s story that appeared in Tuesday’s newspaper as “grossly inaccurate.”
“Mr. South reports that I had knowledge of drug and sexual abuse by members of this department prior to my internal affairs investigation. This is completely false.”
The news story originated from court testimony by Cleveland Assistant Police Chief Gary Hicks.
Snyder read from a prepared statement and did not answer questions.
When asked by a Times Free Press reporter if he denied that South asked him four times on Nov. 22 for comment, he ignored the question and walked from the room.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.
Judy Walton has worked 25 years at the Chattanooga Times and the Times Free Press as an editor and reporter focusing on government coverage and investigations. At various times she has been an assistant metro editor, region reporter and editor, county government reporter, government-beat team leader, features editor and page designer. Originally from California, Walton was brought up in a military family and attended a dozen schools across the country. She earned a journalism degree ...
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Woozers! Maybe Wes is a chip off of my old pal Bernard Snyder's block! That is something I would totally expect his dad to do. Go Wes go!
Charles Bikas :)
"Personal agenda"? Seriously?
Wow. Where to begin...
1) Chief, this is what happens when you don't tell your side of the story (or feed your side to a friendly media outlet) and close ranks behind a thick wall of "no comment". When there is a void of information out there, someone will rush to fill it. You can help shape the story or it can make you look like you are trying to cover up. Your choice.
2) Using phrases like "grossly distorted" are the kind of weasel words that tell careful readers that the basic story is true, but some of the details are in dispute. Again, if you are transparent and open, the story of your covering up won't overshadow the story that started it all.Now, it becomes a "media story" where everything being written will be about you,your denials or your failure to clarify.
City officials often bring these problems on themselves because they don't use common sense in their media relations.
Stay tuned....
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