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By LEANORA MINAI, Times Staff Writer
A day after his comment became public, Vines telephoned prominent black leaders, set up meetings to apologize and fielded a flurry of questions from the media and the community. "I'm trying to hopefully put this to bed and get on with the business at hand," said Vines, 63, who has been chief for exactly 10 weeks. City officials, led by First Deputy Mayor Tish Elston, have begun interviewing police officers to determine the context and circumstances of Vines' remark, made last week in a meeting with about 40 officers. Mayor Rick Baker said Thursday that he was reserving judgment about Vines until the city's internal review is complete, possibly by next week. "I think people are concerned," Baker said. "It's an important matter in the city. It's a very serious deal." The upheaval over Vines' remark is the latest chapter in the tumultuous history of the police department and its relationship with the black community. In the past decade, a police chief was fired over his alleged racial insensitivity, and civil disturbances erupted five years ago after a white officer fatally shot a black man. In interviews Thursday, police and city officials described a meeting Dec. 4 at which Vines said "orangutan" while discussing his discipline philosophy and the "fierceness" with which some suspects resist arrest. The meeting, which lasted 20 to 30 minutes, was on the second floor of the police department with the criminal investigations unit. It is routine for Vines to attend squad meetings to explain disciplinary board hearings. Vines told the 40 officers that they should not be afraid to do their jobs and not to expect an internal affairs investigation at every turn. Last month, for example, Vines and other supervisors decided that four officers should not be punished for the way they handled an arrest of a black man who resisted arrest. "What he said was, just because it takes four officers to arrest someone, if they're acting like an orangutan, that's not necessarily unnecessary force," said Sgt. John Rush, who is white. Several officers in the room thought Vines was talking about Willie E. Smiley, 45, accused of ramming a police cruiser with a truck when officers tried to arrest him April 24. Smiley refused to get out of his truck and slapped at officers' hands, police reports said. Smiley entangled his legs around the steering column, and officers pulled him out of the truck window, using two sets of handcuffs on him. Police found 10 pieces of crack cocaine on Smiley, the reports said. Referring to the Smiley incident, Vines made the "orangutan" comment, saying later it was intended to describe the suspect's actions. "Let me put it to you this way: I realized what he said when he said it," Rush said of Vines' remark. "I knew he was going to get some heat for it." Others didn't notice. "To be honest, I didn't even hear it," said homicide Detective Carl Watts, who is black and attended the meeting. Burglary Sgt. Bill Lusby, who also attended the meeting, later told city officials that he was not offended by the remark. "It wasn't intended to be a joke," Lusby said. "He was just using an analogy." Assistant police Chief Luke Williams, who supervises criminal investigations, said he was told by city officials not to comment. Other high-ranking black officers, robbery Sgt. Al White and Sgt. Horace Nero, refused to comment Thursday. Word of Vines' remark apparently took six days to travel several blocks to City Hall. Elston, Vines' immediate boss, said she received an anonymous telephone call Monday from a resident. That afternoon, an employee -- unrelated to the Police Department -- also told Elston about the comment, she said. "There were concerns in the community about a statement made by the chief," Elston said. By Tuesday morning, Vines already was seeking help to calm concerns. At Vines' request, former police Chief Goliath Davis III, the city's first black chief, met for 30 minutes Tuesday morning with four high-ranking black officers and Chuck Harmon, assistant chief of patrol, in the Municipal Services Center. They talked about the orangutan comment, among other issues. "There just seemed to be some communication gaps within the staff and myself and I wanted him to review that," Vines said. "I felt that would be good to see what he could add." Davis, who was once promoted by Vines when Vines was chief in the 1970s, confirmed the meeting but refused to elaborate. Several hours after Davis' meeting, Vines was called to City Hall late Tuesday afternoon to meet with Baker, Elston and Gary Cornwell, employee relations manager. "We discussed what might have happened," Elston said. On Wednesday, Vines formally apologized to his staff during a regular weekly meeting. Maj. Reggie Oliver, who is black and is in charge of property crimes, was at the staff meeting. He said Vines directed his apology to black officers. "I think he should have made it overall to the whole staff . . . not just specifically to the African-Americans," Oliver said Thursday. Vines now is dealing with the backlash, including a call from some black activists for his resignation. But the chief said he also has plenty of support. "Many people have said that they know that I'll get through this," said Vines, who said he does not remember making the remark but does not deny saying it. For Mayor Baker, the controversy represents a political problem. He relied heavily on support from the black community early this year to win the mayor's race, and black officers stumped for him on the trail. Baker ultimately won several black precincts by more than 80 percent. The mayor pledged to keep former chief Davis in charge of the Police Department if Davis agreed. But Davis announced his retirement soon after Baker took office in April. With Davis' public blessing, Baker picked Vines in early September. On the day Baker made the announcement, the mayor joked to his new police chief, "If you mess up, Mack, in three years, they'll throw me out of office." -- Staff Writers Bryan Gilmer and Mike Brassfield contributed to this report. Staff Writer Leanora Minai can be reached at minai@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8406.
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