11/24/22
Just days after the Lawrence Police Superior Officers’ Union took a vote of no confidence in Chief Roy Vasque, and Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena suspended three Lawrence officers, DePena is now calling for “certain investigations” into the department.
DePena did not specify the nature of the “investigations” or who would be conducting them.
In a letter released to the Valley Patriot Thursday afternoon, DePena said that he is looking to “preserve the good name of our department so that it is not stained by rumors of indiscipline, corruption, and internal mistreatment where a few surreptitiously share certain privileges among themselves and abuse their power.”
Mayor DePena released the following statement to the Valley Patriot:
Dear Lawrence Residents,
As the mayor of the City of Lawrence, I am aware of the complaints, challenges, and internal and external grievances that have been made about the Lawrence Police Department for years.
This unfavorable environment affects, at times, the efficiency and good spirit of our department, putting most of our officers at a disadvantage due to the scarcity of opportunities they are exposed to and the lack of adequate and timely leadership.
As head of the municipal executive body, it is my duty to preserve the good name of our department so that it is not stained by rumors of indiscipline, corruption, and internal mistreatment where a few surreptitiously share certain privileges among themselves and abuse their power.
This is one of the main reasons that has forced my administration to order certain independent investigations that will allow us to make the right decisions to safeguard our department’s good name and high honor.
Our men and women in uniform, especially the most vulnerable, have been exposed to this harmful situation for years.
For instance, righting these wrongs is my duty and a vital part of our commitment as a municipal government. My administration is solemnly committed to taking the necessary and pertinent steps to prevent anything or anyone from affecting the department, which eventually puts at risk our public safety, which is and always will be above anything.
Sincerely, Brian A. DePena, Mayor of the City of Lawrence