Valley kicks off search for new chief

The Valley City Council will meet this morning to consider what qualities they want in their next police chief.

Council member Dr. Elizabeth Lyons called the work session Wednesday, two days after she was appointed by the mayor to lead the council in the search process. The work session is at 10 a.m. EDT at the Valley Community Center in the Hood Room.

“We aren’t going to focus on ‘who’ so much as ‘what it is that we are looking for in the next chief,’” Lyons said. “And how that relates to our (the city) needs.”
Lyons said she is uncertain if the recent turmoil in the city - including three claims filed with the city, citing misconduct within the police department - would deter some candidates from applying for the job, however she remains hopeful the city can recover and move forward.

Lt. Frank Montroy has been serving as acting chief since the council voted May 18 not to renew contracts for city administrator Tim Bryan and police chief Michael Taylor. Taylor had been on administrative leave since April 14, pending the results of an outside investigation into a claim of misconduct. In that period, Bryan had been acting chief.

A claim filed April 10 with the city cited mistreatment of a juvenile at the police department and at the hands of Taylor. A second and separate claim, also citing mistreatment of a juvenile at the department, was filed April 23. The 90-day time frame for the city to respond to either claim has not elapsed.

Montroy declined Wednesday to say if any disciplinary action had been taken against Valley police officer Danny Williams and Lt. Chuck McBrayer, who were named in the third and latest claim filed with the city. Because the incident with Valley resident Joseph E. Coker, 64, is under investigation, he said he could not comment about any disciplinary actions.

Coker’s claim states that McBrayer sprayed him twice with pepper spray, once directly into his eye, while Williams was putting handcuffs on him May 31 at his residence.