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The News & Observer *

February 1, 1992

**Police* probe a relief to city SBI will study call girl charge*

Author: JANE STANCILL; Staff writer

Edition: *DURHAM*
Section: NEWS
Page: B1

/Index Terms:/
*Durham*
*police*
SBI
DCC
*prostitution*
LEAD

Estimated printed pages: 2

Article Text:

*DURHAM* -- Now that state and federal agents are looking into
allegations of wrongdoing surrounding the *Durham* *Police* Department,
everyone from City Hall to Main Street is breathing a sigh of relief
that outside agencies are finally entering the case.

District Attorney Ronald L. Stephens has called the SBI into the
investigation involving allegations that a *prostitution* ring operated
out of the *police* department and the handling of an in-house probe of
the charges. He's asked agents to look at possible obstruction of
justice, intimidation of witnesses and even perjury involving the
complex case.

"There needed to be someone totally independent to come in and in a
professional manner review all of this and make some determination on
substantiated facts as to whether things were done appropriately and
legally," Stephens said.

*Police* Chief Trevor A. Hampton says he also has asked the SBI -- as
well as the FBI -- to enter the case.

On Friday, City Council members said it was time outside investigators
came onto the scene. "I think it will raise the comfort level of
everyone involved," said member Sylvia S. Kerckhoff.

Others said the *police* department should never have been investigating
itself in the first place.

"Hindsight is 20-20," said Mayor Harry E. Rodenhizer Jr. "We were not
aware of the first two investigations. But I would have been in favor of
an outside investigation from the start."

An internal investigation was conducted over five weeks late last year
by officers from the force's own organized crime division. That's when
allegations of the call-girl operation and other sexual misconduct
surfaced, but no criminal wrongdoing was uncovered.

The department's investigation focused on five employees, including
Wiley Davis Jr., former career development manager, who resigned earlier
this week amid allegations that he falsified his academic credentials to
attain his city position.

But some have speculated the investigation may have been compromised
from the very beginning. It started out in the department's own
professional standards division and then was handed over to the vice
officers.

Hampton has said the vice officers may have violated federal laws by
making some procedural errors during the probe. But Capt. George B.
Hare, who leads the vice unit, has staunchly defended his investigators.

And on Friday, he welcomed the outside agencies into the case.

"It will get a fair review," he said. "I have a lot of confidence in SBI
and any federal investigations. So far, the chief has been in full
control of information presented to the City Council and the public.
There are more details."

Meanwhile, officers on the street said morale has already started to
rise with news of the pending investigations. During the past three
weeks, some officers have said it was hard to

concentrate on doing their jobs.

"This has been an explosive issue to everyone," Hare said. "Maybe with
the SBI, we can get things back in perspective and get back to what
we're supposed to do."

Beginning early next week, several agents will start reviewing documents
and conducting interviews at the department.

"I hope it won't take long," said SBI director Charles J. Dunn Jr. "But
you never know until you get into it."

###(Shorter version of this story appears in final edition, page 3B)

Copyright 1992 by The News & Observer Pub. Co.
Record Number: RNOB70363