The Brief
- A Forest Park police chief cleared of wrongdoing in an independent investigation remains locked out of his office.
- Forest Park City Councilwoman Latresa Wells slammed the decision, calling the ongoing drama inside City Hall frustrating and embarrassing.
- The city manager blocked the chief from returning to work this week, claiming the mayor’s veto of his firing was illegal.
FOREST PARK, Ga. – A metro Atlanta police chief cleared of wrongdoing in an independent investigation is still waiting to return to his office after the city manager blocked his reinstatement this week.
Forest Park police investigation
What we know:
Forest Park Police Chief Brandon Criss was originally fired in May after facing accusations that he improperly took paid time off. However, a recent independent investigation cleared Criss of any wrongdoing. Councilwoman Latresa Wells said the dates questioned in the probe were actually times when the city was closed for holidays, the day before Christmas, and inclement weather. Following the investigation’s findings, the Forest Park mayor vetoed the termination.
Criss attempted to return to work this week, but the city manager refused to let him back into the building. Wells stated that city officials claimed the mayor’s veto was illegal, a stance she fiercely criticized. According to Wells, Criss says the city manager is failing to follow the city’s charter. Criss noted that Forest Park operates under a strong-council, weak-mayor form of government where the city manager reports directly to the council. Councilman Hector Gutierrez also expressed deep disappointment, stating he is embarrassed that the community and employees have to endure this situation.
City Hall employment dispute
What we don’t know:…