WILMINGTON — The first Wilmington City Council meeting of 2024 saw a variety of topics brought up on Thursday. These included the new mayor discussing his plans for the city and a citizen’s complaint about a recent run-in with local law enforcement.
Haley’s new tenure
Mayor Pat Haley addressed those in attendance about his plans and hopes for the City of Wilmington at Thursday’s meeting along with announcing appointed personnel.
“My mission, as I have repeatedly said, is to ensure safety, promote transparency, and always put the interest of our citizens first,” said Haley.
He went on to reference Norman Rockwell’s painting, “Freedom of Speech,” saying, “that’s what our citizens should be able to do. Even when they disagree with the mayor or the city council or when we disagree with them.”
He went on to say that he, other officials (old and new), and citizens can “restore the peace and tranquility which we once took for granted,” citing the Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.”
Haley announced newly-appointed city personnel he selected for his administration. These include Mike Cluxton as special assistant to the mayor, Joe Spicer as safety director, Mike Crowe as service director, Dan Mongold as the new human resource director, Jonathan McKay as the director of transit, and David Stewart as street superintendent.
“We look forward to the contribution of these individuals. They have the maturity, common sense, and wealth of experience they’ll bring to these jobs,” said Haley.
Complaint involving police
During the public comment section of the meeting, local Eric Gherman expressed he was “tired of the harassment,” the “corruption” and “being targeted” by the Wilmington Police Department.
Gherman told the council that during what he described as a routine traffic stop, he said there were three officers on the scene and questioned the need for it. Gherman advised to the council he had asked why there were no body cameras on the officers. He said they advised that it “was not a routine traffic stop.”
“I had a license plate light out,” Gherman told the council. “How was that not a routine stop?”
He said evidence has been lost and he’s filed numerous reports, though he did not specify what evidence was lost. He told the council there had been “falsified police reports.”
He did not specify during the meeting why he believed he was being “targeted” by the police.
“I don’t care if you have to fire the whole entire police force … something needs to be fixed,” he said.
Police Chief Ron Fithen advised the News Journal in an emailed statement that Gherman had been having issues with his neighbor “over the past several years” and the department had “numerous reports of them calling on each other.”
Fithen advised his neighbor was charged by the WPD and he was upset that the charges were dismissed. Fithen said they had no control over the dismissal. He went on to talk about the circumstances involving the aforementioned traffic stop.
“(Gherman) was stopped on New Years Eve for a violation and he thought there were too many officers present. I currently have two officers on training, which means that there are two officers per cruiser. One cruiser backed up the other, which is always normal practice in policing. With two, two-man cars, there were four officers. I spoke with Mr. Gherman after the meeting and advised him that he always has the opportunity to meet with me to talk about any issues within the department,” said Fithen.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
