Wayland Police Chief Dan Miller is Fired

[XLFD]

WAYLAND -- Police Chief Dan Miller, suspended since early January from his long-time job, was told Thursday that he violated city policy 32 times in the past.

The notice of the violations, presented to Miller by interim Wayland City Manager Terry Hofmeyer, came as Miller is to learn today whether he keeps his 26-year job as Wayland police chief.

Miller said the alleged policy violations are minor and most are related to earlier allegations involving a state police probe over possible mismanagement of confiscated evidence.

The state Attorney General's office recently cleared Miller of any criminal wrongdoing of the allegations. In one instance, he was accused of keeping a seized GPS unit for his own use.

Miller was cleared more than a month ago, but he remained on paid suspension by the interim city manager pending an internal investigation of other possible wrongdoing.

Many community members have come to his aid, packing City Council meetings to urge the board to reinstate Miller to his full duties.

Miller said Thursday that he had a "predetermination" meeting with Hofmeyer that lasted less than five minutes. During that meeting, he was handed a list of 32 alleged policy violations that happened in the past and asked for any comment.

Miller said he did not know what would happen today with the city manager's decision, expected to be released to the media mid-morning.

He considers all of the alleged violations to be minor. Some involved his service of a personal protection order notice and others involved investigative document he had taken home to study.

Miller has a 40-year career in law enforcement, including 26 years as chief of Wayland police.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/04/suspended_...

 

WOOD TV confirms that Dan Miller has confirmed his firing this morning.  The Ludington Torch has been following this story since the beginning of the year, and this looks to be just the start of a brewing controvery.  Will this turn out like the brouhaha about a decade ago where the Chief prevailed over a corrupt City Manager?  Or have the tables turned on the Chief? 

Read more here at: 

 http://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/forum/topics/wayward-and-waylaid-i...
http://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/forum/topics/the-tail-wayland-the-dog

 

In case you missed it the first time.

 

[Phil Convissor]

XLFD, Do what you do best, like I said before its no hair off my back if he gets some money out of this for a trumped up DAC case. (especially for one with questionable character)

He is the reason all but my actual name was put all over 4 flippen tv stations, I guess if you put in all the ex's it could have been anybody right? Maybe it wasn't me.

I've lost enough already, I carry two like I mentioned before. Anything anybody says about me at this juncture, means nothing to me.

The sun will still rise and set tomorrow and the next and the next. 

[XLFD]

So, Phil, am I understanding that you blame Chief Miller for your bad publicity?  I can empathize with that, and so can he.  If he did something unethically or illegally in doing so, why don't you state your case, and back it up?  Chief Miller had no authority I know of for deciding what gets put out on 4 flippin' TV stations. 

If you think he did, now is the best time to pursue that legally, now that he is out of power, and all, and he may soon get a windfall from the City of Wayland's insurance company.  I am thinking that if there was a legit problem here, you would have found violations #33- #36 concerning you in Hoffmeyer's complaint.

I'll continue doing what I do best in the meantime, once the weather clears.  

[Lisa O'Brien]

I absolutely believe he deserved to be fired - complete abuse of power

[XLFD]

Lisa,

As I said in that thread, the PPO could have been served via certified mail, return service requested.  This is something that both Miller and the officer should have known, and thus I doubt severely that it was "ordered", as it was a service the WPD offered, and hence a duty for Miller and the officer to perform for the public.  There is no specific assertion in this list that Chief Miller used his position of authority to force the officer into doing anything.  Furthermore, XWPD also asserts the process was served in the City limits.  With any luck, the records I have requested will show the truth behind this PPO, and why it became so politicized.   

[Phil Convissor]

Did he do nothing wrong? Or not enough to warrant termination? 

Do you see it as problem, not owning what you do or did wrong, no matter how trivial,?

Does doing a number of, lets say trivial things, but not owning them , make it harder to trust that someone? 

Does trust between officers in a small town Police Dept. Matter?

Does commraderie in a small town police dept matter?

Does getting a direct order from your boss not to do something, and then agreeing to that order, and then disobeying that order constitute that person who did it, to own it?

Did he do nothing wrong? Or is he just not owning it? This wanna be Goliath needs to own up man. Or not. 

It's really no hair off my back, it is what it is, and will be what it will be.

The sun will still rise and set,.. and so on and on and on.

[Sweater Cows!]

Phil, are you the estranged ex? I missed something

[Lisa O'Brien]

From what I read yes he is the ex.

[Lisa O'Brien]

XLFD -

From reading the charges above - it does state ORDERING a Wayland Police officer to serve the PPO on the girlfriends estranged husband. I think perhaps you should reread item # 23. 

His defense:

"It's a service we do for everyone else," shrugs Miller. "She was a taxpayer. We do that as a service for our city taxpayers."

Personally I think he is a piece of crap - who let power go to his head. If he really cared about his job he should of thought with the head on his shoulders and let the MSP or Sheriff's dept deal with it as HE was instructed to do.

[XLFD]

Lisa, I'm willing to keep an open mind on this subject until all the facts are in, but let's remember one thing about this insubordination charge: if any insubordination took place, it would have been to the City Manager at the time, that's two City Managers ago.  Why does the successor CM, who claims no insubordination to himself, now bring it up nearly a year after the fact, when there is no evidence yet that the CM at that time thought Dan Miller committed an insubordinate act?

And wouldn't you think that if the WPD had a previous policy of serving process for Wayland citizens, the Chief may have tried his best to avoid a conflict of interest/abuse of power by having a neutral officer serve the PPO?

[Phil Convissor]

Lisa you read it right, he was told to stay out of it, in other words (leave the city out of it) he agreed to stay out of it, in other words (he agreed to leave the city out of it) he decided to try and get around what he committed not to do by enlisting a subordinate to do his dirty work, thus still involving the city in his personal situation, which he just won't own up to and denies still today. Because why? His god, only knows.

[XLFD]

Phil, I am very sympathetic to your situation, and I have read through all that you sent me, but I think your main gripe is with the 'system' that has restricted you for a long time from sharing more in the growth of your kids when they made you a non-custodial parent.  Dan Miller, to you, is part of that 'system'; but he was not the arbiter that made that decision, long ago or very recent.  

I can't rightly determine whether you are a potentially dangerous person because you had and have a PPO on you, but a judge has decided to sign that order, and the ex-Chief likely has had to enforce it over the years as a duty of his office.  Nor can I discount that Shawn may have utilized these PPOs as a means to garner and keep full-custody, rather than for protection.  You have to live with what the courts ultimately decide though. 

[Hanne Convissor]

XLFD, let me assure you that Phil is NOT a dangerous person. SHE is abusing the system. It always has been about the children. I have watched this for the last 12 yrs and the woman ought to be ashamed of her self. She will make it harder for others. Miller does not know Phil,only from what SHE tells him. There are 2 sides to every story and he's only hearing one. She is very convincing with her so called life being in danger. Her #1 goal, keep the kids away from their father. Having Miller in her pocket makes it easier for her. He should be staying  out of this. Cop or no Cop.