gThe Pulpit Forum of Clergy of Greensboro and Vicinityá

In care of St. Philip AME Zion Church, 1330 Ashe Street, Greensboro, NC  27406 (336) 272‐1301 

January 21, 2010

Mr. Timothy Bellamy

Chief, Greensboro Police Department
Melvin Municipal Office Building
300 West Washington Street
Greensboro, NC 27401

Dear Chief Bellamy:

This letter is a follow up to our communication of December 1, 2009 entitled “Citizen

Concerns and Requests to the Greensboro City Council, City Manager and Police Chief.” That
communication raised six requests to the City Council, to the City Manager and to you as Chief
of the Greensboro Police Department. In fact, many of the requests involved police conduct,
matters over which you as police chief are responsible. The December 1st communication
indicated that we would “send a certified statement to Chief of Police Tim Bellamy with specific
questions for which we need answers.” The letter also said, “Our intention is to have a meeting
with Chief Bellamy within a week after receipt of the questions.”

Before we raise specific questions, we want to provide some background and context.
We apologize in advance for the length of this letter but we believe it is important to take the
necessary time and space to be as comprehensive and clear as we can.

In the spirit of clarity, let us remind you that our December 1st communication was signed
by Rev. Cardes H. Brown, President of the Greensboro Branch NAACP, Rev. Gregory T.
Headen, President of the Pulpit Forum, and Rev. Nelson N. Johnson, Executive Director of the
Beloved Community Center. Since that time Rev. Clarence Shuford was elected as the new
President of the Pulpit Forum for the next two years. Therefore, his signature will be added to
the other three in this communication. Although we signed in our particular capacities as leaders
of different organizations, these organizations share a common vision, and we work closely
together. In addition, we are all pastors and members of the Executive Committee of the Pulpit
Forum. We ask, therefore, that you respond to this communication via the Pulpit Forum,
attention to Rev. Clarence Shuford, at the above address.

As you might recall, we appealed to the stated core values of our city: honesty, integrity,
stewardship, and respect. Again, we appeal to those same values. Again, we also note the
elaboration of the core value of honesty as “being truthful, ethical and principled, being
authentic and taking a stand on important principles, disclosing the entire truth.” These
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core values can be tremendously helpful; we hope you will join us in using them as a guide and
as an anchor as we work through some difficult issues together.

These core values are especially helpful because we live in a politicized, partisan,
racialized and highly polarized atmosphere, an atmosphere that all too often distorts, diminishes
and dismisses legitimate justice concerns. Unfortunately this atmosphere results in labeling
many valid justice issues as “publicity stunts,” or “racial politics,” or just the “vindictiveness” of
a few people. We have done our best to anchor the questions we will raise within the city’s core
values, as those values are consistent with our faith calling. We pray that you will give these
questions your prompt and sincere attention, using those core values as your guide.

As you might discern, the issues we raise grow out of many conversations and prayerful
reflections with people who have come to us as ministers and leaders in this city. Those who
have approached us include citizens who feel victimized by the police department; they include
police officers who have deep concerns about what is described as a growing culture of
disrespect and double standards for officers within the department; and, they include young
people lumped with and identified as gangs as well as those who self identify as “gangs.” Many
of these young people feel they are the target of personal hostility, prejudicial attitudes and an
unjust “two-tier legal process.”

We are humbled that this broad array of people trusts us enough to share their painful
stories. We have listened and raised our voices as these concerns have intensified over the
month and years, resulting in declining respect for the GDP and brewing an urgent, dangerous
situation for all of us. Although often misunderstood and assailed, we, as followers of Jesus
Christ, are duty-bound to continue to raise our voices. In the last analysis, the issues we are
raising are issues of right and wrong, of justice and injustice. They apply equally to all people
regardless of race, economic status, ethnicity, or social station in life. We, therefore, ask you to
receive and respond to them as justice issues, disclosing the entire truth.

Because the questions we are raising are difficult and challenging, they can be
misunderstood and/or misused to suggest that we are against the police or the City of
Greensboro. Nothing could be further from the truth. We want to emphasize with all sincerity
that we are for the police. We know that police work plays an important and vital role in the life
of our city. The men and women who do this work are literally charged with life and death
decisions as they place themselves in life and death situations. It is because police work is so
vital and with life changing implications that we must insure the highest ethical standards, a
positive work environment, high quality training, and the very best overall supervision. It would
not be fair to police officers, nor to the broad public, they serve, to do anything less.

JUSTICE ISSUE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE INTERNAL OPERATION AND

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE GDP:
The assault charges brought against Officer A. J. Blake, the subsequent trials and the post-trial
developments provide unusual insights and a bit of a “snapshot” of the internal operation of the
GPD. These insights may well apply to all phases of the GPD’s operation. However, the
statement and questions in this section relate primarily to Officer Blake’s case.

During the assault trial of Officer A. J. Blake during the spring and summer of 2009, the
lead detective in the assault case, Detective Schwocho, stated that he brought charges against
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Officer A. J. Blake because he was ordered to do so by his commanding officer. The detective’s
comments were made in open court and reported in the news media.
¾ Were you aware that Detective Schwocho was ordered to file charges that he felt he did not
have adequate evidence to support? If you were not aware of this, then why not?
¾ Given that the lead detective did not feel that he had sufficient evidence or probable cause to
charge Officer Blake, why was the detective compelled by his commander to bring charges?
¾ If you were aware that Detective Schwocho was ordered to bring charges against his best
judgment, could you have intervened to prevent the charges from being filed?
¾ Does the act of ordering a detective, trained in gathering evidence (who presumably has
more information than anyone else), to file charges against anyone, when that detective feels
there is insufficient basis for criminal charges, raise any ethical or legal issues for you?

Officer A. J. Blake was accused of assault and was in the process of preparing for a jury
trial in Superior Court in the late summer of 2009. Ten days prior to the officer’s case being
heard in Superior Court, you conducted Officer Blake’s internal administrative hearing, which
was primarily based upon those same criminal charges. The administrative hearing, convened
under your direct leadership, resulted in the termination of Officer Blake. Yet, several days later
a jury of six men and six women found Officer Blake not guilty.
¾ What were the compelling, legitimate reasons for holding the administrative hearing before
the Superior Court trial, where it was possible, and indeed likely, that more information
bearing on his case would be made available?
¾ What damage could have been done to the GDP or to a fair administrative hearing for
Officer Blake by waiting ten days for the completion of the trial?

Before Officer A. J. Blake’s case in 2009, there were at least two other officers that were
indicted on felony charges, Officer Fox and Officer Saunders. You allowed both of their
criminal processes in Superior Court to be completed before conducting their administrative
hearings.
¾ Why did you wait until their two trials in Superior Court were completed before holding
their administrative hearings?
¾ Were there compelling, legitimate reasons in the cases of Officer Fox and Officer Saunders
to wait until after their Superior Court trials were completed before holding their
administrative hearings? If so, what were the reasons, and what made the circumstances
different from A. J. Blake’s case?
¾ Are you concerned about double standards within the GPD? Is it not reasonable, in your
opinion, for officers of the GPD to be concerned about double standards?

More than forty (40) days after Officer A. J. Blake was terminated, using the appeal process
for the GPD and the City of Greensboro, he was reinstated by Mr. Robert Morgan, Interim City
Manager. At that time, as the Interim City Manager, Mr. Morgan was the city’s highest ranked
employee, with all powers of hiring and dismissal. Upon the reinstatement of Officer Blake by
Mr. Morgan, however, certain GPD officers released a statement to the Greensboro News and
Record that appeared in one of its October 2009 issues. A portion of that statement read, “We
wish to let the public know our disagreement with this decision and our deep disappointment
with City administration in not investigating this matter correctly, if at all. Good officers have
continued to do their jobs every day despite these criticisms. We will continue to do so.
However, it makes it extremely difficult when uneducated decisions such as this put people
who are not fit to serve back on the police force” (emphasis added). These officers used the
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news media to publicly disagree with the Interim City Manager’s decision, essentially accusing
him of “not investigating this matter correctly” and going further by questioning “if (an
investigation was done) at all.” Further, they accused the City Manager of “putting people who
are not fit to serve back on the police force.”
¾ Were you aware that statements such as these were to be made publicly?
¾ Did you authorize or encourage that any such statements be made by or on behalf of a group
of GPD officers?
¾ If you were not aware and you did not authorize or encourage that these statements be
made, are you in agreement with them?
¾ Are these statements in violation of Department Directives 1.5.1 General Conduct, 1.5.2
Conduct towards Public and Employees, 1.5.9 Malicious Gossip and Criticism, 20.3 News
Media Relations?
¾ If these statements are not in violation of one or all of the above quoted Department
Directives, please explain why?
¾ If they are in violation, what actions have you taken? Is there an investigation underway to
determine what officer or officers are responsible? What is the status of the investigation?

Following Officer A. J. Blake’s reinstatement by the Interim City Manager, an officer

was quoted as saying that he would not provide assistance to the reinstated officer.
¾ If made, do you consider this statement a threat to the safety of Officer A. J. Blake?
¾ If made, do you consider this statement a threat to the public safety of Greensboro?
¾ If made, do you consider this statement the declaration of a work stoppage?
¾ If made, do you consider this statement a violation of Department Directives?
¾ In light of all the possible weighty implications of this statement, have you made any effort to
determine whether such a statement was made and to identify the officers(s) that made these
statements? If so, what is the progress of your investigation?
¾ If you have not made any effort to identify the officer or officers who made the statements
would you accept assistance in determining the officers responsible for the statement?

Once Officer A. J. Blake was reinstated, upon returning to the Department to make
arrangements to begin regular work he was reportedly called “a piece of Sh_t” by Captain Wolf.
This occurred in the presence of Officer Blake’s fiancé and a subordinate sergeant who was with
Captain Wolf at the time. Officer Blake has filed a complaint providing the details of this
encounter. This should be available to you.
¾ Are you aware of this reported incident?
¾ If made, do you consider this statement a violation of the City’s core values or any
department directives?
¾ If made, what in your opinion of the impact of such a statement on the work
environment/culture within the Department by an officer at least five grades higher than
Officer Blake?
¾ Have you conducted an investigation?
¾ Has the investigation been completed? If so, what were the findings and what actions were
taken?

Information has come to us that derogatory paraphernalia regarding Officer A. J. Blake and
Deputy City Manager Robert Morgan was placed on walls of the Western Division Substation.
This information included Officer Blake being called “unfit” and the Interim City Manager being

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accused of making “uneducated decisions.” Officers also displayed information that they would
not respond to assist Officer Blake if called. Given this kind of behavior:
¾ How would you characterize the work environment of the reinstated officer?
¾ What specific steps have you taken to stabilize and make the work environment of this officer
safe?
¾ What is the relationship of the treatment of Officer Blake and his work environment of
apparent double standards, threats, etc. and the 39 other officers who have brought a legal
suit against the city?

In the Thursday, October 8, 2009 edition of the Rhinoceros Times, a group of police
officers are pictured in their GPD uniforms while attending a closed-door meeting of the
Greensboro City Council. The meeting was specifically called for council members to discuss a
decision made by then Interim City Manager Robert Morgan to reinstate Officer A. J. Blake to
his job. The article stated that the officers were there to show their displeasure with the
reinstatement of Officer Blake.
¾ Were you aware that these officers were planning to attend the council meeting to express
their disagreement with the Interim City Manager?
¾ Did you direct or in any way encourage officers to attend this particular meeting?
¾ Is the attendance of these officers in uniform for the expressed purpose of showing their
disagreement with a decision made by their superior and of opposing that decision a
violation of GPD directives?
¾ If the behavior of the officers is not in violation of GPD directives, please explain why not?
¾ If the behavior is in violation or if it is unclear whether it is in violation or not, has an
investigation been undertaken? If so, what is the status or the outcome of the investigation?

During your tenure as Greensboro Chief of Police, one of your officers committed a
violation of your departmental directives. This individual was reprimanded; however, he still
had a hearing with Training and Standards as they contemplated revoking his state law
enforcement certification. You were present at the hearing and spoke on behalf of this officer,
attempting to convince the Training and Standards Board that although the officer had made a
mistake, he was still of value to the City of Greensboro as a police officer. You now have
Officer A. J. Blake going before the Training and Standards Board on February 18, 2010.
Officer Blake was found not guilty in a court of law. He was reprimanded for a departmental
violation. He has been reinstated to the department.
¾ Will you attend the February 18th hearing and speak on behalf of Officer A. J. Blake as you
have done in the past when an officer was reinstated?
¾ If not, would you please explain why not, including the specific factors or considerations
that are influencing you not to speak on Officer A. J. Blake’s behalf?

Officer A. J. Blake shared publicly that he filed several complaint that involved anti-Latino
discrimination, attitudes and/or behaviors. There have been conflicting reports on the number of
complaints filed and/or their disposition.
¾ How many complaints did Officer Blake file, alleging any form of anti-Latino discrimination
or inappropriate behavior?
¾ What is the disposition of those complaints?
¾ Do you feel that there is any relationship between a hostile attitude towards Officer Blake by
certain officers in the GPD and the allegations of anti-Latino attitudes and/or behaviors?

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 In July of 2009, Rev. Gregory Headen, then President of the Pulpit Forum, called you on
behalf of the Executive Committee of the Forum and asked if you would meet with the Pulpit
Forum. You immediately agreed, and a date was scheduled. Several days later you returned a
call and left a message that you were prepared to meet with Rev. Headen and others but not if
either Rev. Nelson Johnson or Rev. Cardes Brown was in the Forum delegation. The Forum
lodged, in letter format, a complaint with the Mayor and City Manager regarding your behavior.
We subsequently had the meeting with about 12 members of the Forum, including Rev. Brown
and Rev. Johnson.
¾ What prompted you to make the decision to attempt to exclude Rev. Johnson and Rev. Brown
from the scheduled meeting?
¾ If, as you stated in the subsequent meeting, you did not want to meet because you felt the
meeting was about A. J. Blake and you were not prepared to discuss that, what did that have
to do with Rev. Brown and Rev. Johnson? Further, why did you not simply share your
preference not to discuss Officer Blake rather than seeking to exclude Rev. Johnson and Rev.
Brown?
¾ Did you assume that no one in the Forum was concerned about the A. J. Blake case other
than Rev. Rev. Brown and Rev. Johnson?
¾ Do you see your request to exclude these two members of the Pulpit Forum as interfering in
the internal affairs and disrespecting the integrity of the whole Pulpit Forum?

During your tenure as Chief, City Council Member Mike Barber expressed the conviction
that there were corrupt officers in the GPD. He used the phrase “potato heads.” Based on our
investigation, “potato heads” meant not only corrupt officers, but also certain officers that were
troublemakers. At one point you addressed the Council with respect to this issue.
¾ Did you have any specific view of whom or what Councilman Barber was referring to?
¾ Did you concur with Councilman Barber’s view that there were problems of corruption in
the department (from the context we can deduce that Councilman Barber meant significant
and/or widespread corruption)?
¾ If you concurred, what did you do, if anything, to expose the corrupt officers, to restore
community trust, or to significantly address the publicly expressed issue of corruption within
the department?

Concerns have been shared with us about how administrative investigations are handled
in general. We have learned that the GPD has a policy requiring notification of outside
employment by GPD employees.
¾ Is there any specific time requirement related to notification of outside employment/work?
For example, are police employees required to seek approval from the appropriate GPD
officials prior to seeking outside employment? Or, are police employees required to notify
the appropriate GPD authorities at the time outside employment is obtained; or, is there a
specific time period after outside employment is secured in which notification is required?
¾ How many violations of the outside employment policy notification have been sustained
during your tenure?
¾ How many supervisors were found in violation of the policy?
¾ Were there any supervisors allowed to make notification of outside businesses or
employment after their business or employment had begun without receiving sanctions?
¾ Were there other supervisors or officers denied the opportunity to make notification of pre-
existing businesses or work without sanctions?

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¾ If so, under what circumstances were some police employees allowed to submit late
notification without sanction and others were not?

During your tenure federal funds were received to investigate cold cases. Concerns have
arisen about the use and management of the funds.
¾ How much federal funding was received to investigate cold cases?
¾ How many cold cases were investigated?
¾ How many cold cases were resolved?
¾ How was the decision made on what cold cases would be investigated, and how were these
monies allocated and spent?
¾ Is there an accounting process that will show in a specific way where the funds were spent?

Our information is that the Professional Standards Division reports directly to you as
Chief. It has come to our attention that certain administrative investigations were improperly
altered, without adequate evidence to substantiate the recording of different conclusions.
¾ Are you aware of the allegations of altering administrative reports without documented new
evidence to support any new findings?
¾ Do you (or did you) concur with this approach?
¾ If you do not concur with this method, have you investigated these allegations and, if so,
what were your findings?

A number of complaints have been made, alleging slanderous coverage of certain police
officers by the Rhinoceros Times. Selective personnel information, assumed to be illegally
released from GPD employee files, has also been printed by the Rhinoceros Times. There is a
legal suit pending against the Rhinoceros Times related to this matter. Some of this information
has damaged officers’ reputations and has placed the community in a position such that many
have lost faith in the GDP.
¾ Do you agree that some of the personnel information printed by the Rhinoceros Times was
illegally released and printed?
¾ Has there been any investigation to determine the source of the privileged personnel
information that was given to the Rhinoceros Times?
¾ As Chief of the GPD what actions, including legal remedies, have you taken to address the
allegation of personnel information being distributed and printed illegally by the
Rhinoceros Times?

JUSTICE ISSUE QUESTIONS RELATED TO WORK WITH "GANGS”:

In order to appreciate the meaning of the questions to follow, it is necessary to set the context.
In June of 2008, it was our privilege to meet a group called the Almighty Latin King and Queen
Nation (ALKQN). Since meeting this organization of young people who classify themselves as
a “nation” and who are classified by the GDP as a “gang”, we have been impressed with their
efforts to change their lifestyles. We have worked rather closely with this group for over 18
months. Although plagued by some lingering bad habits, bad relationship with police, and
economic deprivation growing from their past and current circumstances, we have found them,
especially their leader Jorge Cornell, to be honest with solid integrity, strong commitment and
unusual resilience. As opposed to the stereotypical image of stealing and robbing, they work hard
on labor-intensive jobs; they share their limited resources with each other in the spirit of
community.

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 We saw the ALKQN as a God-given opportunity and as a challenge to do constructive work
with a broad cross section of marginalized young people, many of whom are engaged in
destructive life styles and some in criminal activities. In the first several months we made
considerable progress. With the leadership of the ALKQN and the support of the Pulpit Forum ,
six organizations (at least four of whom would be classified as gangs) met and formed a process
for peace, including a plan to do constructive work among youth in the city. Since the public
announcement of the peace process by the ALKQN, they have undergone a continuous withering
assault from the GPD, especially by the Gang Unit. The long list of arrests, trials, and
intimidations has made it extremely difficult to carry forth with the peace and community
building process.

We have done our best to communicate openly with you and to work with you as Chief.
We have also sought to work with the Gang Unit and the GPD in general. We have held at least
four meetings between police leadership, city leadership, and community leadership to explain
what we were trying to do. In addition, we have had a number of individual or phone
conversations with you as Chief. We have written a draft proposal called “A Paradigm Shift.”
This proposal outlined a way for us to work together with the purpose of promoting community
safety, community justice, and community building. However, time after time, we have felt
betrayed as the Gang Unit continued to bring frivolous charge after frivolous charge against the
young people of the ALKQN, the overwhelming majority of which were thrown out of court or
defeated in court.

Many of the most outrageous examples of abuse and mistreatment have been filed with the
Human Relations Department. A partial record is on file there for all to see. Also, we have
enclosed a partial list of the more than 78 charges recently brought against members of the
ALKQN. We are still seeking to work with the ALKQN. At some point, it may be helpful for
some of the ALKQN to gather with a cross-section of community leaders, including police and
city officials to share more completely their story. In this section we will raise a few questions
that might be helpful in clarifying the current situation as it relates to the ALKQN and gangs in
general. We hope these questions will help establish a more positive direction that includes
promoting community safety, community justice-making and community building.
¾ Has violent gang activity in Greensboro increased or decreased in the last two years. Can
you provide statistics (real numbers and percentages of increase or decrease) in the last two
years (2008 and 2009)?
¾ To what do you attribute the change, whatever the change is?
¾ In a meeting with four ministers from the Pulpit Forum in the fall of 2008 you shared that
the ALKQN was not considered a violent group (“gang”) in Greensboro. Do you still hold
that view? If not what has caused the change?
¾ In the last two years how many criminal charges have been filed by the Gang Unit that were
classified as gang related?
¾ How many of the gang related criminal charges brought by the Gang Unit in the last two
years were against persons not a part of, or primarily identified with, the ALKQN?
¾ In the last two years how many criminal charges have been brought against Jorge Cornell?
¾ How many of the criminal charges brought against Jorge Cornell during this period resulted
in convictions?

We have enclosed a document entitled “A Listing of Some of the Harassments Including

Unjustified Criminal Charges against the ALKQN.” We have asserted on numerous occasions
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that the volume of arrests has resulted in bleeding dry the limited resources of these young
people, i.e. paying bail bondsmen, lawyers, etc. Even when they were found not guilty, they
still had to spend scarce funds. Moreover, they were continually being projected as criminals,
causing them to lose their jobs and, in some cases, lose their dwelling places. When they have
found work, Gang Unit members have visited their jobs and, in at least one case, have falsely
stated that a certain person was banned from working on city property. This trend first came to
our attention in the summer of 2008 when we learned that Gang Unit members visited the homes
and jobs of those who knew or were in some way associated with the ALKQN (see the July 2nd
and July 3rd entries in the enclosed document).
¾ Have you investigated the December 2009 case of Wesley Williams that involved Gang Unit
member Watkins visiting Williams’ work site and falsely informing his employer that
Williams was banned from working on city property?
¾ If the investigation is completed already, what actions have you taken based on the
investigation?
¾ Are you aware that Officer Watkins, who visited Williams’ work site and shared false
information, is the object of many claims of unjust treatment by members of the ALKQN?
¾ Officer Watkins is recorded on tape saying in substance that it does not matter how many
complaints are made against him that it will have no effect? Would you like to have a copy
of the tape?
¾ Does the city’s core value of honesty (the other core values are integrity, stewardship and
respect) apply to the Gang Unit?
¾ If not, is it clearly spelled out when it is permissible for members of the Gang Unit to lie or
deliberately promote falsehoods?
¾ Are you aware that the Gang Unit visited both the homes and jobs of family and/or friends
associated with the ALKQN as far back as 2008, inquiring about charges that did not exist
(see the July 2nd and July 3rd entries in enclosed document)?
¾ Do you consider such visits to jobs, causing people to be dismissed and leaving them without
an income for their livelihood, to be the legitimate work of the Gang Unit?
¾ Have you considered that this kind of activity might push the members of ALKQN and others
toward criminal activity?

On January 12, 2010, the National Public Radio (NPR ) reported that gang violence in Los
Angles was considerably down and that this was due in part to the police working with former
and current gang members, including squashing rumors that pit one gang against another. In
the fall of 2008 we presented to you, City Manager Mitchell Johnson and the Human Relations
Commission a draft proposal called “A Paradigm Shift.” The proposal outlined a way for the
Police, the Pulpit Forum, Gangs, the School system, and the community to work together with a
view towards making use of “gang” as a resource for community safety, community justice and
community building. We have received no response from you.
¾ What are your views on the “Paradigm Shift” draft proposal? As a draft proposal, do you
consider it a worthy beginning to build upon?
¾ Has the proposal been shared or discussed with the Gang Unit?
¾ Do you have any specific ideas that can improve the draft proposal?
¾ Are you willing to give the draft proposal a positive recommendation and to work with us
toward its further development and implementation?

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January 20, 2009 
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 JUSTICE ISSUE QUESTIONS THAT PRECEDED YOUR TENURE AS CHIEF:
Chief Bellamy, we are fully aware that many justice issues preceded your tenure as Chief by
many years and some preceded your employment in the department. You inherited a police
department in crisis. In this section, we want to gain deeper insight into the state of and some of
the practices within the GPD while you were in a leadership role but before you became Chief.

In the summer of 2005, officers made various complaints against the David Wray
Administration. The City subsequently hired Risk Management and Associates (RMA) to
investigate the police administration. The report prepared by RMA validated many of the
complaints. The city stood behind the report at that time. Related to the findings in the RMA
report, there were resignations and abrupt retirements by several top police officials
¾ Have the issues identified in the RMA report been satisfactorily addressed and resolved?
¾ If not, what are the key issues that still need to be addressed and resolved?

In the period leading up to the hiring of RMA to conduct an investigation, a number of

complaints were made by police officers about the police administration. In fact, these
complaints resulted in hiring the RMA.
¾ Did you as Assistant Chief of the GPD contact various officers in the Department and advise
them that there were officers in the GPD that were being unjustly targeted?
¾ Did you as Assistant Chief develop questions or help to develop question for various officers
to submit to then City Manager Mitchell Johnson in an effort to expose what you felt were
discriminatory practices?
¾ Did you as Assistant Chief participate in a meeting called by then Chief David Wray that
resulted in various recommendations to alter a related administrative report?
¾ If this did occur, was there additional investigation that produced new findings to support
the alteration?
¾ Were you and others who participated in the above-referenced meeting given different
colored pens to represent the person who was making the change(s)?

It is our understanding that the investigative practice of “line-ups” is based upon the
people in the line-up exhibiting a reasonable likeness to the description of the person alleged to
have committed the crime. It has been widely reported that the “Black Book,” which was at
issue during the end of Chief David Wray’s tenure contained 19 photographs of African
American officers who were reportedly on duty during the time that a reported sexual assault
occurred. Further, information indicates that officers in the photo line-up had a range in age of at
least 20 years, ranged in height from approximately five feet five inches tall to six feet and five
inches tall, ranged in weight from approximately 170 pounds to approximately 390 pounds, in
skin complexion from very dark-skinned to very light-skinned, and had a combination of full
heads of hair to completely shaved heads.
¾ In your opinion does the array of differences described above fit within the range of
reasonable likeness in appearance?
¾ Is such a broad range of appearances the proper way to assemble a line-up?
¾ If it is, would not such a broad range almost insure that the only criteria of distinction in the
line-up of criminal suspects would be race or gender?
¾ Was the woman who made the claim of being sexually assaulted by an African American
police officer (in or around the 2004 period) already working as an informant for the
Special Intelligence Division and/or the Vice Narcotics Division at the time that she made
the claim?
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¾ If so, was that alleged incident and related claim the reason for creating the photo line-up
mentioned above?
¾ Are the Special Intelligence Division and/or the Vice Narcotics Division still operational?
¾ If not, why were they dismantled and/or why are they not currently operational?

As you have probably discerned, a considerable amount of time and effort has been put
into gathering information and framing the related questions in this document. The questions we
have raised with you are not just our concerns, we believe they reflect the public’s concerns and
are, therefore, the public’s issues. They bear on the quality of life in our city. Information that
translates into knowledge is one of the foundations of democracy. It is, therefore, our moral and
democratic duty to figure out a way for the public to be meaningfully involved in the probing of
these questions and engaged in the truth and justice issues toward which they point. In our
opinion, there can be no better time to rekindle the fires of truth and justice than on the eve of
the 50th Anniversary of the Sit-In Movement, a great movement for truth and justice by
grassroots people. In raising these truth and justice issues, we are seeking to stand in the best
tradition of the Sit-In Movement. It was indeed a movement meant to affirm the dignity, worth
and potential of all of God’s Children, especially the least among us. At the end of the day,
however, truth and justice are in the best interest of all people, regardless of how it might look or
feel at any given moment. So in doing this work, we see ourselves standing for your best
interest, as we also stand for the true greatness of all of Greensboro.

While we know you cannot give us a full written report in seven days, as we indicated
earlier, we will be in touch with you within seven days after you receive this communication
(probably by phone) to schedule a time to meet. We are very anxious to clarify any of the
questions that may be confusing or even inappropriate and to speak to any concerns you might
have, including concerns about us. We hope we have not misrepresented or distorted the context
of any of the concerns that we have raised. If so, we would want to make the necessary
correction before such information spreads. Our deepest desire is for truth and justice; it is in
this spirit that we want to facilitate your prompt written response.

Thank you very much for your attention to this letter and we look forward to being in
touch with you soon.

Yours in faith and hope,

Rev. Clarence Shuford Rev. Cardes H. Brown

President, Pulpit Forum President, Greensboro Branch NAACP

Rev. Nelson N. Johnson Rev. Gregory T. Headen

Executive Director, Beloved Community Center Former President, Pulpit Forum
 

Follow‐up Letter to Chief Tim Bellamy 
January 20, 2009 
Page 11 of 11