DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | 1970-09-02 Daily Iowan Article: ""City Police Chief Comes Under Fire""

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-09-02 Daily Iowan Article: ""City Police Chief Comes Under Fire""

DI 9/2/70

Council Gives Confidence Vote - 

City Police Chief Comes Under Fire
By DEBBIE ROMINE
DI Assoc. City-University Editor

Iowa City Police Chief Patrick McCarney came under public fire at a city council meeting Tuesday, but the council itself extended a unanimous vote of confidence to the chief. 
Frank Leone, A1, Iowa City, requested McCarney be removed from his post. Leone said he based his request on quotas taken from an article on Tuesday's Daily Iowan concerning a speech made by McCarney Sunday to Mechanicsville audience. 
Initially referring to McCarney as "a certain undesirable individual." Leone cited three reasons for his request. 
McCarney, he claimed, " has a two faced approach to student problems."
"He poses on the one hand as a peacemaker, then he turns around and makes inflammatory statements when he thinks no one is listening. Well someone was listening . . . "
Leone also accused McCarney of a "disregard for due process of law" and said the accusation was based on McCarney's statement that " the 227 people who were arrested last May ... should be expellled."
He cited McCarney's reported remark that, " As far as we're concerned they (the university) created the problem" as proof of an alleged "lack of understanding and perception of local problems."
In responding to the request, City Manager Frank Smiley told Leone that the responsibility for hiring or firing department heads is vested in the city manager, not in the council. 
Later in the meeting, the Council unanimously approved a resolution giving McCarney a vote of confidence. 
Councilman Robert McConnell called McCarney "one of the finest chiefs in the country" and said that McCarney would "bend over backwards to be fair - more than fair . . . "
Councilman Patrick White said " I have every confidence in the world in Chief McCarney . . . " and added that those who are now criticizing the police chief "might not react the same way" later. 
Also at the meeting, the Rev. Frank Valainis presented a statement from members of the Association of Campus Ministers censuring McCarney for his remarks. 
Calling the statements "cause for concern to the entire community," the campus ministers specifically quoted The Daily Iowan's assertion that McCarney "emphasized that his department and other law enforcement agencies have a primary responsibility to merchants and 'many other good, solid taxpaying citizens.'
In reply, the ministers said, " We respond that the law enforcement entities are agencies to serve all citizens and the total community equally, and we deplore the implicit priority given to 'merchants' and select citizens."
To McCarney's remarks that. "It's none of their (the news media's) damn business what goes on at the police station," the ministers said, " We affirm that the business of the police station is the business of the community, and that there should be no decrease in the access by the news media to police business."
In other action, the council voted to amend a proposed ordinance banning sex discrimination. 
As amended, the ordinance would permit discrimination in housing when the housing is owned by a religious institution, or in the cases of owner-occupied duplexes and units of less than six rooms. 
If passed as amended, the ordinance would duplicate a state anti-discrimination law which went into affect July 1.

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DI 9/2/70 Council Gives Confidence Vote - City Police Chief Comes Under Fire By DEBBIE ROMINE DI Assoc. City-University Editor Iowa City Police Chief Patrick McCarney came under public fire at a city council meeting Tuesday, but the council itself extended a unanimous vote of confidence to the chief. Frank Leone, A1, Iowa City, requested McCarney be removed from his post. Leone said he based his request on quotas taken from an article on Tuesday's Daily Iowan concerning a speech made by McCarney Sunday to Mechanicsville audience. Initially referring to McCarney as "a certain undesirable individual." Leone cited three reasons for his request. McCarney, he claimed, " has a two faced approach to student problems." "He poses on the one hand as a peacemaker, then he turns around and makes inflammatory statements when he thinks no one is listening. Well someone was listening . . . " Leone also accused McCarney of a "disregard for due process of law" and said the accusation was based on McCarney's statement that " the 227 people who were arrested last May ... should be expellled." He cited McCarney's reported remark that, " As far as we're concerned they (the university) created the problem" as proof of an alleged "lack of understanding and perception of local problems." In responding to the request, City Manager Frank Smiley told Leone that the responsibility for hiring or firing department heads is vested in the city manager, not in the council. Later in the meeting, the Council unanimously approved a resolution giving McCarney a vote of confidence. Councilman Robert McConnell called McCarney "one of the finest chiefs in the country" and said that McCarney would "bend over backwards to be fair - more than fair . . . " Councilman Patrick White said " I have every confidence in the world in Chief McCarney . . . " and added that those who are now criticizing the police chief "might not react the same way" later. Also at the meeting, the Rev. Frank Valainis presented a statement from members of the Association of Campus Ministers censuring McCarney for his remarks. Calling the statements "cause for concern to the entire community," the campus ministers specifically quoted The Daily Iowan's assertion that McCarney "emphasized that his department and other law enforcement agencies have a primary responsibility to merchants and 'many other good, solid taxpaying citizens.' In reply, the ministers said, " We respond that the law enforcement entities are agencies to serve all citizens and the total community equally, and we deplore the implicit priority given to 'merchants' and select citizens." To McCarney's remarks that. "It's none of their (the news media's) damn business what goes on at the police station," the ministers said, " We affirm that the business of the police station is the business of the community, and that there should be no decrease in the access by the news media to police business." In other action, the council voted to amend a proposed ordinance banning sex discrimination. As amended, the ordinance would permit discrimination in housing when the housing is owned by a religious institution, or in the cases of owner-occupied duplexes and units of less than six rooms. If passed as amended, the ordinance would duplicate a state anti-discrimination law which went into affect July 1.