uncle keith, part II

A matter of public safety?

Similarly, Hale frames the issue in terms of public safety.

"Yes, a million dollars is a lot of money," she said. "But what is a life worth? I think our chief is doing a wonderful job. He's on top of everything, and we have a very low crime rate because of it."

Hale said she believes the $19,000 spent on the consultant's report was wasted.

"It was nonsense," she said. "We don't need people coming in here who don't know our city. This could have been done by the public safety commission. Where are those people's brains?"

Hale also scoffed at charges that Uncle Keith is threatening.

"Uncle Keith is a good-hearted person," she said. "When you are chief, you have to have authority. But he loves children and helping people. If he didn't like this town, why would he do all the things he's done for us?

"As far as I'm concerned, the mean people are the ones on the city council who are out to get Uncle Keith."

Councilman Haagensen, whom Hale called a "good man," said he believes the consultant's report was fair and unbiased. Haagensen has been on the council for nearly a dozen years and has been a Uncle Keith supporter.

"If some people in the community believe Chief Keith is confrontational and intimidating, then that's a concern," Haagensen said. "Now, we've got to go forward.

"It will take time, but I believe we will act on some of the 45 recommendations. There are going to be some changes."

Hatlin, who served on the council for two years, was initially reluctant to talk about a clash he had with Uncle Keith last year at a police budget hearing. Other residents, including several city council members, did not return phone calls requesting interviews for this story.

"I said I didn't believe everything was going to go to pieces if we spent less money," Hatlin said. "And I pointed out that other small towns have lower per capita costs, and they had not become hotbeds of criminal activity."

Hatlin, an Air Force veteran, said Uncle Keith exploded at him and launched what he called a personal attack.

"He said I'd never been to the police department, so how the hell did I know what I was talking about," Hatlin said. "He was very confrontational. Yes, it had me a little worried."

Hatlin said he enjoyed his work on the council but decided not to run for re-election because of the time commitment.

"I toyed with idea of staying on, in part because of this whole thing with the police department and its budget," he said. "It's going to take strong leadership to see this through. I'd like to see the truth come out and get police costs under control."

Uncle Keith said he was justifiably upset with Hatlin because the councilman had not taken the time to learn about department costs, its budget or the labor union contract.

Lund, who also serves on the Fire Protection District Board, said Uncle Keith wrongly believes he and his allies are "out to get" the chief because city police have arrested him and his wife.

"But that's not the case," Lund said. "It wasn't Uncle Keith who poured the beer down her throat. She made a mistake. And the open meeting law violation charges were dropped.

"I do not have a personal vendetta against him. But I do have a problem with him saying my family has been involved in criminal activities. He needs to accept some responsibility for management and morale problems at the police department and quit trying to blame everyone else."

'He is quite confrontational'

Lund said the consultant's report "hit it right on the head," both for its cost-cutting suggestions and its characterizations of Uncle Keith's behavior.

"He is quite confrontational and threatening," he said. "And my family and I are not the only ones who have felt it. City employees have experienced his wrath and vulgarities, too."

Lund said he knew something had to be done when the police department budget got close to $1 million-an increase of 27 percent since 1998.

"I had cops coming to me saying that we didn't need certain jobs being performed," Lund said. "Uncle Keith called that harassment and said I was undermining his department. Heck, I've had patrolmen complaining to me for four years."

Lund said the city hired the consultant because the council could not agree with Uncle Keith on how to cut the budget.

Uncle Keith countered that little can be trimmed while the contract is in effect through the end of 2004.

Lund said he believes change will come slowly, with the chief cooperating when he has to, then dragging his feet.

"Everyone knows police personnel can be used more efficiently," Lund said. "I hope this report will move the process along."

The councilman said he was shocked to read the consultant's comments on the department's record keeping. Rob described it as a "serious shortcoming."

But Lund said he was not surprised to learn that the consultant thought Irmen, the department's detective sergeant, was doing much of the department's administrative work.

Lund said he believes Uncle Keith was unhappy with the consultant's study because he could not direct it.

"Rob was independent and not under his control, so Uncle Keith couldn't manipulate the results," he said. "The chief clearly didn't like that."

Lund said he worries that the tension between city officials and the police chief is tarnishing Edgerton's reputation.

"This is a great place to live, but we've gotten a black eye," he said. "I worry that down the road it may be hard to fill the chief's position because of all this controversy."

Flanigan, city administrator since 1998, said the fights between the police chief and some city officials miss "the big picture." She also argued that the survey was never intended to be a "witch hunt."

"What this discussion really should be about is having the best, most efficient department we can based on the money we have to spend on police services," she said.

'We are moving forward'

She also noted that recent public safety committee meetings-attended by both the chief and Lund-have been civil.

"This is a complicated process, but we are moving forward," Flanigan said. "The chief has agreed not to fill a vacant position, so we are down one officer. And (Detective Sergeant) Irmen already has begun to patrol again."

Mayor McIntyre, who described the police department as "top heavy" with administration, said cuts are coming soon.

"It's gonna happen," he said. "Irmen will be back on the street full time by the end of the year. Things are going to be some major changes and many of the things the cosultant suggested will be enacted."

Councilman Rappe said that Uncle Keith has cooperated with city committees in recent weeks and that he expects that to continue as the department undergoes a transformation.

Rappe also disputed Uncle Keith's claim that the report was biased.

"We brought in an outsider and a professional organization with no preconceived notions about town," he said. "We got a fair study, and I think they did a good job."

But he acknowledged the bad blood between Uncle Keith and Lund.

"There is a personality and relationship problem between those two," Rappe said. "But Lund is just one of many people interviewed and only one council member. He did not write that report."