Tarnished badges in Indianapolis

Story from the IndyStar:

Officer's promotion draws flak

Union, NAACP question elevation of mayor's security chief over 20 who tested higher; backer cites experience.

By Tom Spalding March 07, 2002

A police union and the NAACP are questioning the promotion of an Indianapolis police officer assigned to head security for Mayor Bart Peterson.

Union leaders said Joseph Gambrall was 39th on a list of 94 candidates when he was promoted from patrolman to sergeant.

In May and in February, Chief Jerry Barker promoted 19 people from the list, picking officers ranked No. 1 through 15. In order to diversify middle management, he also promoted female and minority candidates No. 22, No. 25 and No. 30.

But to get to Gambrall -- a 15-year veteran with a number of responsibilities leading a team that protects the mayor and other dignitaries -- Barker bypassed 20 candidates who had performed better on written and oral tests.

Two of those bypassed are black; another is a woman. Gambrall, 37, is white.

The membership of Fraternal Order of Police Indianapolis Lodge 86 voted Monday to pursue a lawsuit against the city over the issue, said President David Young. He said the city did not follow merit laws and prevented a deserving black or female patrol officer from advancing.

Young said officers want a judge to affirm that "if they score high enough they will be promoted, or there will be (a) good, credible reason why they are not. That's all this whole thing amounts to."

Barker, Peterson and Gambrall are in Mexico as part of a city cultural immersion tour and were not available for comment.

Assistant Chief Michael Spears said Barker promoted Gambrall because of experience, not political payback. Spears said Barker "made a decision that was well within his authority" as outlined in city ordinances.

At issue is the definition of qualifications, and whether the promotion list is the final ruling on promotions or simply a guide.

"I certainly think they (the union) have the right to ask questions and make inquiries about the ordinance or policies that need clarification," Spears said. "We welcome those inquiries."

The president of the Indianapolis branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said it plans to write to the U.S. Department of Justice, questioning the promotion. Roderick E. Bohannan said the department harms only itself by reinforcing a perhaps unfair impression that connections matter more than competence.

"We always hear that if you don't have political connections or aren't part of the 'good ol' boy network,' you don't get a fair shake," Bohannan said. "It says to either the African-American rank and file or other minority rank and file, 'Why bother to even apply when you know you'll score but won't pass?' "

Spears said the list of 94 doesn't expire for 27 months, and with resignations and retirements, many people eventually will be promoted.

Gambrall was assigned to the mayor's office Jan. 1, 2000, after Peterson's election, personnel records show. Young said union members also have concerns over a lieutenant's recent promotion, an indication that the union stance is not an isolated attack on Gambrall.

Before Peterson's election, Gambrall wrote a letter to the editor in the July 14, 1999, edition of The Star saying he supported Peterson and criticizing the union for its support of another candidate.

About 700 Indianapolis police officers are patrolmen, but only about 170 are sergeants. Every three years or so, a new crop of applicants gets a shot at promotion. Scoring high on the tests -- making "the list" -- can mean more bars on the uniform, a pay raise and a leadership assignment.

Many officers feel like Roger Spurgeon, an Indianapolis police sergeant who ranked eighth on the list -- and was promoted at the same time as Gambrall.

"A list should be followed," Spurgeon said. "But that's just my personal opinion. I'm not the one who created the policy."