THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 1, 1995 TAG: 9512010286
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Police Chief Charles R. Wall is resigning from the Fraternal Order of Police because of the FOP's role in a controversial political campaign, the group's leader said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Wall informed FOP president-elect Al Byrum of the decision.
``I met with the chief and he did indicate to me he would be turning in his resignation as a member of the FOP,'' Byrum said. ``We at the FOP in no way see this as his withdrawal of support for the officers of this department.''
Wall did not return several calls seeking comment Thursday. Membership in the FOP is voluntary. Wall's quitting has no bearing on his official department duties.
Wall's notice of resignation came a day after Sheriff Frank Drew said he would move his department's annual Christmas party out of the FOP building because of a dispute with a police lobbying organization of which the FOP is a member. Drew also belongs to the FOP, which unanimously voted to support his re-election bid for sheriff last election.
The FOP is one of three police organizations that combined earlier this year to rally for better salaries and benefits. On Monday, the coalition sent a man dressed as Santa Claus to deliver presents to City Council members at a fundraiser for Mayor Meyera Oberndorf.
The wrapped gifts contained copies of advertisements voicing the coalition's political message. At least one package included a T-shirt with comic-strip style panels lampooning city leaders for spending money on projects like Lake Gaston and the Boardwalk holiday lights. The T-shirt's message implied the city was spending money on such projects at the expense of police pay.
Drew, who helped organize the fundraiser, was embarrassed. The mayor and several city council members expressed anger.
Leaders of the police coalition, called Code Blue, said the city leaders overreacted.
``This is politics,'' Police Supervisors' Association President Chip Condon said in an interview Wednesday. ``. . . If they don't want to play politics, they shouldn't be politicians.''
Code Blue's message to the city's politicians has been delivered through newspaper and radio ads, letters to the editor, press conferences, unity walks, airplane banners, and, recently, Santa.
The coalition's aim is to raise police salaries to the levels paid by other regional and national cities of Virginia Beach's size.
A city-sponsored study showed police salaries in the resort city typically lagged thousands of dollars a year behind what is paid by other similar cities.
City officials said they would try to close the gap over the next several years, but Code Blue organizers said the raises offered so far aren't sufficient because salaries have fallen so far behind.
The FOP is the nation's largest police organization. Ranking police officials in many departments across the country are often discouraged or prohibited from membership in the organization because the FOP is sometimes involved in political lobbying.
In July, Wall and Drew were cheered by 5,000 delegates and family members at the FOP's national convention because both were members. It was the second-largest convention the city has ever hosted and the event dumped an estimated $5 million into the local economy.
Wall has been an FOP member for most of his 36 years in law enforcement. He has been a member of the local lodge since he took over the Police Department's top office in October, 1981.
``It is difficult for me to believe this was an individual decision made solely by the chief,'' Byrum said of Wall's announced resignation. ``I think it is unfortunate that, because of this one issue, he is relinquishing his membership to the FOP, especially because of all of our contributions to the community.
``We do continue to support Chief Wall as the law-enforcement leader of the department,'' Byrum said. by CNB