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Roberts: Turnover not a problem at Fayetteville PD

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

(Editor’s Note: This is the second part of staff writer Ben Nelms interview with Fayetteville Police Chief Johnny Roberts.)

Fayetteville Police Chief Johnny Roberts went on the record Tuesday, responding to questions that arose after two recent federal discrimination complaints were filed by former Maj. Harold Simmons. Questions concerning departmental morale, employee access to management and questions of Roberts and employees taping each other were discussed in the May 4 edition of this newspaper. The conclusion of Robert’s remarks centered on issues related to a recent accreditation assessment of the department, employee morale, staff turnover and whether a culture of fear exists in the department.

Roberts said Fayetteville Police Department is nationally and internationally accredited and state certified. Commenting on a recent assessment of the department that directly contributed to the accreditation, Roberts referenced the section on employee grievances that concluded “There is an obvious positive relationship between the administration and the rank and file personnel. The positive and supportive interaction between all personnel was obvious throughout the on-site visit. The agency has recorded no grievances in the past three years,” the report said. The assessment added that interviews conducted with officers revealed their desire to “come to the FPD because of its professional reputation. All personnel spoke highly of the positive changes that were occurring recently within the agency.”

“I think that (assessment) speaks directly to morale. And let me go a step further,” Roberts offered. “Harold Simmons participated directly in this and had his opportunity to speak with these assessors. So, that speaks to what I feel is the morale (of the department). Is morale 100 percent, 100 percent of the time? No, not in any organization. How do I think morale is? I don‘t know of any morale problems. The only disgruntled, unhappy person is Harold Simmons, an ex-employee.”

“As a manager, you try to ensure that you do the best you can do, that you listen to the people, you listen to their suggestions, you listen to their ideas. But you also have to gauge it from the overall big picture of how it affects the whole organization, not just the individual.”

Responding to questions about staff turnover, Roberts provided requested statistical information compiled by Maj. Steve Ledbetter. Data showed the department’s annual turnover rate between the years 1997-2004 averaged 9.53 percent. Data showed an average of 44 authorized staffing positions during the period with an average annual turnover of four staff, with a complimentary annual retention rate averaging 90.47 percent for the same period. The department had three employees leave in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. Six staff left in 1998, five in 1999 and, subsequent to 9/11 related employment, said Roberts, seven officers left in 2002. Correspondingly, the turnover percentages per year ranged from 6.25 percent to 16.28 percent.

The department’s turnover figures, Roberts said, fare better than both the state and national turnover statistics in law enforcement. Data provided by Ledbetter showed a national average turnover rate of 12 percent for each of the years during the 1997-2004 period. Corresponding turnover rates for Georgia were 16.00 percent each year.

During the 1997-2004 period, said Roberts, he has fired only one person. That person was Simmons, he said. Another staff member, he added, resigned in lieu of being terminated.

Concluding his remarks, Roberts responded to questions of whether a culture of fear existed in the department.

“To my knowledge, no. I try everyday not to do that (generate a culture of fear). To my knowledge I haven’t done it. The open door policy, the city’s policy, the police department policies are very specific about those type things,” said Roberts. “And I challenge anyone to come forward and show me where I’ve done that or where anyone’s done that. Because an organization cannot prosper, cannot grow, cannot thrive without good, open communications. I encourage everybody to come in and talk to me. I may not agree with them, I may not do what they want to do, but they can feel free to come in and express that to me without fear of retribution, without me saying it’s stupid, or whatever. Because they may have good ideas, good thoughts, good process. They are the ones out there on the street doing the job everyday. So I look to them to give me their input.”

Roberts said professionalism is not an option in his department. The numerous meetings conducted each month are an example of ensuring professionalism through effective communication. The result, he said, is the creation of an atmosphere of communication.

“But there are people in this organization today that don’t like me, because I’m hard. I am hard. I’m not running a nursery school here. These men and women out here are carrying guns. They are the only profession that has a legal right to take a life. So if you don’t have good policies and enforceable policies and if you don’t hold them to that standard, then what are you going to have? You’ll have some of those other law enforcement agencies you’ve seen. Not as long as I’m here.

“I came here 13 years ago and I’ve taken this department and I’ve made it into a professional law enforcement agency,” Roberts continued. “If they fired me today I could look in the mirror and say I’ve made a change because I know what I’ve done. An officer can come in my office today and scream and holler and cuss at me and everything else, as long as he does it respectfully. That’s the only thing I demand. And when we walk away, that’s it. It’s not held against them. And if I’m a racist, prove it. If I’m a racist, Harold Simmons wouldn’t have carried my mother to the grave. He was a pallbearer.”