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Stallings has put its police chief on paid administrative leave while it investigates a complaint against him made by "several departmental employees," Stallings Mayor Lynda Paxton confirmed today.
She said Town Manager Brian Matthews notified Stallings council members on Monday that Chief Michael Dummett had been put on leave pending Matthews' investigation into the complaint. In an emailed statement, Paxton said she had requested a copy of the complaint but was refused, and said questions about the complaint should be directed to Matthews.
Matthews could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.
Dummett declined to comment. He was hired as chief in December 2010.
Paxton defended Dummett in her email, stating, "The chief is providing excellent service and leadership to the town. It is not unexpected that there might be some difficulty adjusting to new standards and procedures and I anticipate that any complaints will be resolved quickly."
The mayor has requested that an objective, outside professional run the investigation "because in my opinion, we have no one on our staff who has the investigative skills or the unbiased perspective necessary in this situation."
