Commerce City – The city’s 90-member police union is asking Police Chief Brian Hebbard to resign or be fired.
Hebbard is on administrative leave while the city explores allegations that the Police Department gave former city manager Perry VanDeventer preferential treatment during an investigation of an auto accident.
A memo from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 19 to Commerce City officials this week seeks Hebbard’s ouster because he acted unethically during the investigation.
“He’s fired people for doing less than what he’s admitted to have done,” Officer Scott Wilson, president of the lodge, said Wednesday.
Hebbard has said publicly he should have handled the investigation differently. The accident involved VanDeventer, his wife and the city-owned SUV she was driving last December, according to reports.
She allegedly hit a parked car and later VanDeventer paid $3,000 for damages. VanDeventer reportedly told Hebbard a few days later about the accident, but Hebbard didn’t tell the officer investigating the accident for almost six months, according to reports.
VanDeventer resigned as city manager in August at the request of the City Council.
Wilson said that because of the allegations, officers have been mocked by residents.
“It’s given the department a black eye,” he said.
The city has hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations. The findings are expected by the middle of this month, said city spokeswoman Heather Grady.
The Adams County district attorney also is investigating the matter. Neither VanDeventer nor Hebbard could be reached for comment, but Hebbard has said the investigation will clear him of wrongdoing.
Mayor Sean Ford also couldn’t be reached for comment. City Councilman Paul Natale said he had yet to see the memo from Wilson but he knew there was friction between rank-and-file officers and the chief.
“There’s just been talk that officers don’t like the way the department has been running,” Natale said.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
