Cleves Mayor Danny Stacy placed Police Chief Mark Demeropolis on unpaid administrative suspension June 13. The suspension came upon the recommendation of the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, which is conducting a criminal investigation of Demeropolis based on internal issues, according to Stacy.
Assistant Prosecutor Bill Anderson, responsible for the Demeropolis investigation, declined to comment on the case. Stacy also refuses to go into details.
“I don’t know what the outcome of the investigation will be,” he says. “I hope in my heart it will be a good one. I don’t want to see anyone lose their job. It’s unfortunate this happened, and we’ll see what the outcome is.”
Lt. Bill Renner is serving as acting chief during the investigation.
Demeropolis’ attorney, former Prosecutor Mike Allen, says his client is cooperating with the prosecutor’s office.
“The chief has cooperated and will continue to cooperate,” Allen says.
“The ball is in the prosecutor’s court, and we are waiting to hear what they intend to do.”
Prosecutors haven’t given a timetable, Allen says.
In January 2005, 11 of the 14 officers in the Cleves Police Department signed a petition calling for Demeropolis’ resignation (see “Chief Problem,” issue of Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2005).
Last year the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation of allegations of misconduct involving Demeropolis. The allegations included charges that Demeropolis ordered officers to tow cars without following proper procedures and ordered an officer to throw a confiscated gun in the river (see All the News That Fits, issue of Aug. 10-16, 2005). The investigation led to no criminal charges.
Demeropolis’ employee performance reviews for the past three years, since his appointment as chief, have shown recurring areas needing improvement. In 2003, 2004 and 2005, it was recommended that Demeropolis work on “confronting and addressing personnel about errors or problems.”
His reviews said the confrontations “should not be done when upset or angry” and should be conducted “one-on-one behind closed doors, not in public or in front of the officers’ peers.” The reviewer recommended Demeropolis “take a step back and let (his) emotions settle so that (he) can be more effective when (addressing) the identified problems.”
In addition to being police chief for the village of Cleves, Demeropolis is an investigator for the State of Ohio Medical Board. Stacy says Demeropolis is under investigation by the medical board but that it was “totally external” from the investigation by the prosecutor’s office.
But Allen says that’s untrue. Demeropolis is “in good standing” on that job, according to Allen.
A spokesman for the medical board says Demeropolis hasn’t faced any disciplinary actions and isn’t under investigation.
“I don’t think that (Demeropolis) is being dealt with in a fair manner by the village of Cleves if the mayor is saying that,” Allen says. “It’s not right. It’s just wrong.”
Demeropolis declined to comment, hanging up on the reporter.
Stacy says he hopes for Demeropolis’ return to duty.
“You learn from your mistakes,” Stacy says. “He is a good guy, and if it looks like he made a mistake, I can only hope for the best.” ©
This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2006.
