Thursday, August 30, 2012
"We have not filed suit yet," the lawyer for Canton's former assistant police chief said.
Canton City Manager Scott Wood said there's no basis to change Chief Robert Merchant's decision to fire assistant police chief Todd Vande Zande. In an Aug. 15 letter to Vande Zande, Wood wrote that he'd reviewed the matter "in accordance with the City of Canton Personnel Policy," and saw "no reason to overturn or modify his decision in the matter." Previously, Todd Vande Zande asked that the Canton City Council assign a hearing officer "who does not report to the City Manager" to oversee the appellate process. Vande Zande believes Wood was behind his Aug. 6 firing. Since Vande Zande's termination, Wood has referred all questions to city attorney Bobby Dyer because of the potential for litigation. "It is my understanding that the City …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Todd Vande Zande wants City Manager Scott Wood to recuse himself from any appellate proceedings.
In a letter formally appealing his termination as the city's assistant police chief, Todd Vande Zande asked that the Canton City Council assign a hearing officer "who does not report to the City Manager" to oversee the appellate process. City clerk Susan Stanton released the letter this morning, one day after the council went into executive session to discuss "possible litigation" against the city. The council did not return from that closed session to make any formal statements to the public. Previously, the city's attorney has denied that City Manager Scott Wood had any involvement in Vande Zande's termination. "It is my understanding that the City Manager had no input or role in deciding to terminate Mr. Vande Zande, and therefore the …
Monday, August 6, 2012
"It is my understanding that the City Manager had no input or role in deciding to terminate Mr. Vande Zande, and therefore the purported basis for any legal claim would not be true," the city attorney said.
Todd Vande Zande, who temporarily took the helm of the Canton Police Department after the agency faced widespread criticism for its role in the search of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera, was fired today. "I have confirmed that Todd Vande Zande’s employment was terminated today," city attorney Bobby Dyer wrote in an email to Canton-Sixes Patch. Vande Zande had until the close of business today to resign or face termination, Atlanta lawyer Lance J. LoRusso said in a letter to the mayor, the city manager, the new police chief and all six members of the Canton City Council. Dyer said he has received a copy of the letter and refuted LoRusso's claim that Vande Zande's ouster was retaliation for his failure to comply with several requests from City …
Todd Vande Zande, who was charged with stabilizing the Canton Police Department after the Jorelys Rivera case, must resign today or be fired, his lawyer said.
The man tasked with stabilizing the Canton Police Department after the brutal abduction and murder of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera must resign today or be fired, his attorney said. New police Chief Bob Merchant on Friday "advised (assistant police chief Todd) Vande Zande that his employment would be terminated on Monday if Vande Zande did not voluntarily resign his position by close of business on Monday," Atlanta lawyer Lance J. LoRusso wrote in a letter to Merchant, the mayor, the city manager and all six members of the Canton City Council. In the letter, LoRusso introduced himself as Vande Zande's attorney, demanded "the City of Canton immediately cease its harassment and retaliatory actions," asked that Merchant and the city manager take …
Monday, May 7, 2012
Robert Merchant will begin the first week of June.
Nearly four months after former chief Jeff Lance was forced to resign in the wake of a scathing review of the Canton Police Department's work during the search for a murdered 7-year-old Canton girl, a permanent successor was named this morning. Saying that the police department's best days lie ahead, City Manager Scott Wood introduced Robert Merchant as Canton's new chief. "We are pleased that Bob Merchant has aligned himself professionally with the city of Canton," Wood said. "Each of the employees who work for our city eagerly look foward to working with him, to learning from him and to contributing to what we all can individually and collectively to making our city the best it can be. Chief Merchant, welcome to Canton." Merchant, 56, …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
After a report of a March 15 traffic stop involving the city manager surfaced last Thursday, questions of preferential treatment dogged the city.
The Canton City Council placed Scott Wood on six months probation "to evaluate his effectiveness" as city manager. "You're going to have a blemish-free record from now on is the way I see it," Council member Glen Cummins said tonight. The majority decision comes seven days after a WSB-TV report revealed that the city manager was pulled over shortly after a March 15 city council meeting. Until that report, the city said nothing about the stop. Wood, who made sure the officer knew he was not dealing with an ordinary citizen, drove off that night with a warning for failing to maintain his lane and driving 45 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. zone. And Henley received a verbal warning for shutting off the audio toward the end of the stop. That violation …
Todd Vande Zande, the interim chief of the Canton Police Department, overheard a Friday meeting between City Manager Scott Wood and Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison about the candidates for police chief. Garrison said the meeting wasn't unusual.
The city still reeling from the fallout that followed revelations of a March 15 traffic stop involving City Manager Scott Wood, the interim police chief said this week that he questions the integrity of the search for a permanent replacement. It started Friday, when Todd Vande Zande called the city manager's phone. Wood answered, but said nothing. Three times, Vande Zande said, "Hello." He waited. And waited. And then Vande Zande heard a conversation between the city manager, Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison and a third unidentified person. They were talking about him. "I'm thinking, "Well, maybe he's finishing up a conversation because he can see who calls when they call,' " Vande Zande said. "So I sat there for a few minutes. It …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The interim chief of the Canton Police Department said he can't blame Officer Daniel Henley for resigning.
Interim police chief Todd Vande Zande was on his way back to the Canton Police Department when he decided to call and make sure that everything was OK back at headquarters. Since last Thursday's WSB-TV report about a March 15 traffic stop involving the city manager, things have been stressful around 221 East Marietta St. Questions of preferential treatment surfaced. And in an instant, the perfect record—and the public perception—of an officer who the chief described repeatedly as a "good employee" had its first blemish. During today's call, Vande Zande learned that things weren't OK. Daniel Henley, the officer who pulled over City Manager Scott Wood, had walked into police headquarters, turned in his gear and submitted a one-sentence …
Until a WSB-TV report on Thursday evening, the city said nothing about a March 15 traffic stop involving the city manager.
Todd Vande Zande, Canton's interim police chief, confirmed that Officer Daniel Henley resigned today. Here's the transcript of his interview with Canton-Sixes Patch: "It's true. I found out this afternoon. I was attending a vendor demonstration and I called back here on my way back to see how everything was going and found out that he came in, turned in a letter of resignation and turned his gear in and that was it. He hasn't been back to work since the incident aired on TV. He took off. He's called in sick. And then today, he came in and turned in his resignation. To whom it may concern: Please accept this letter as my letter of resignation from the Canton Police Department effective immediately. April 11, 2012 No (I haven't spoken to him…
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
City Manager Scott Wood was stopped just after 10 p.m. March 15. At 8:30 a.m. March 16, his assistant was on the phone with the interim police chief with a request.
Less than 12 hours after a Canton police officer pulled over the city manager, the interim police chief received a call. It was 8:30 a.m. March 16. Donna Bell, City Manager Scott Wood's administrative assistant, was on the other end. She said that Wood "wished to meet with myself and Officer (Daniel) Henley in his office," Todd Vande Zande said Monday in an interview with Canton-Sixes Patch. "I told her that (Henley) wasn't working Friday and that I would get back with them in regards to when that would be possible." Henley was the officer who turned off his microphone during the last 95 seconds of a March 15 traffic stop in which Wood made sure the officer knew he wasn't dealing with an ordinary citizen. Until a WSB-TV report on Thursday …
People are Crazy
2:06 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013
...and Wood is still here , all these months later and all is forgotten and forgiven! It pretty much reflects the amount of respect one should have for everyone from the Mayor down to the officers. The hillbillies haven't moved into the era of professionalism yet. I am glad to see the former Interim Chief got a good job. Likely much better than the City of Canton. more ›