By Amanda Rolik
The Wooster Daily Record
APPLE CREEK — The investigation against Apple Creek’s police chief that began in November was concluded the last week of December and was turned over to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation began Nov. 18 when village officials approached the Sheriff’s Office and asked an investigation be done regarding financial misconduct concerning numbers related to the Apple Creek Police Department.
On Nov. 19, Mayor Betty Keener issued a letter to Chief John Lowe informing him he was being placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice. Less than two weeks later the department’s two part-time officers were put on leave because there was no one to supervise them. Sheriff’s deputies have been covering the village since.
On Dec. 23, Lowe, who hadn’t had correspondence with the village since being put on leave, issued a records request to the village for all records of items that were purchased for the Police Department from 1993 to 2010.
“I am making this request so I can get everything out of the Apple Creek Police Department that is my personal property that I paid for with my own money, which I felt the department needed to run better,” the request said. “If the Village of Apple Creek did not buy ... then this shows that it is mine.”
A letter from Keener was written in response explaining the issue’s most recent developments. It informed Lowe council tabled an ordinance to disband the police department and acted on an emergency ordinance introduced to disband the department. Keener said the rationale for the emergency ordinance was to avoid the 30-day implementation period that is required by passage of any ordinance upon three readings.
Before being tabled, the ordinance was given its third reading.
Solicitor Jeff Musselman said council essentially was substituting an emergency reading for the third reading, but wanted to give the ordinance three readings in order to give the public an opportunity to comment.
The opportunity was taken when roughly 35 residents attended Monday’s meeting to express concern the village would not have enough coverage from the sheriff if the Police Department was disbanded.
After public discussion, council went into executive session, and when they came out they introduced the new emergency ordinance. As Keener mentioned in the letter to Lowe, the vote received two “yeas” and three abstentions.
“The Apple Creek Police Department remains in effect and existence for the foreseeable future,” Keener said in the letter.
Keener reiterated to Lowe he will remain on leave with pay until the investigation is resolved. If no charges are brought, he will be able to return to work. Keener also told Lowe the village would comply with his records request.
According to Musselman, the fact the ordinance to dissolve the department was voted down on emergency essentially makes it a “dead issue.”
Until the situation is resolved, the village is paying Lowe and the part-time officers, as well as the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Musselman said it’s important to keep the Police Department on leave because the allegations against Lowe are “serious,” and “to pretend that they don’t exist can be dangerous.”
Currently, the sheriff is providing part-time coverage for the village. According to Musselman, council may now discuss getting increased coverage for the village until the investigation is resolved.
Copyright 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning