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Just when you thought the Motor City was done with the drama of inappropriate text messaging at work, along comes another doohickey of a hoochie-coo, involving Detroit's current and immediate-past top cops, the woman between them, and an apparent resurrection of Billy Paul's 'Me and Mrs. Jones.'
Now just a few weeks ago, AOL Black Voices told you that former Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans (pictured above) resigned. Evans, though, is striking back by revealing text messages between Lt. Monique Patterson (pictured above left) and interim police chief Ralph Goodbee, who is married. The texts show that the two had a romantic relationship.
Patterson's attorney, David Robinson, says she ended her relationship with Goodbee when she started dating Evans last year.
One of the other reasons Detroit Mayor Dave Bing asked Evans for his resignation was because of what was deemed an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and the alleged preferential treatment he gave her. Even still, Bing has made it clear that he has no intentions of firing Goodbee for his relationship with Patterson and is still considering hiring him permanently.
Which is what Evans is complaining about.
Evans proposed revealing the texts through his lawyer to Deputy Mayor Saul Green in order to right what he feels was a wrong done to him. The messages are reportedly of a romantic nature, but we don't know if they were as freaky-deaky as the ones between former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, which resulted in Kilpatrick's downfall and subsequent imprisonment.
"What struck us as puzzling is that Warren was terminated, in part, because he had a fully disclosed relationship with somebody. Protocols were in place. She was outside his command and he never did anything to advance her career. Yet, Chief Godbee doesn't disclose the relationship and appears to have made promises in his professional capacity to help her career," Evans lawyer, Mark Zausmer, told the Associated Press.
Although Evans really just wants a position in the police department, apparently a war of words has sprung up between him and Bing:
"Appointees, all of whom serve at the pleasure of the mayor, are retained or released based on their uncompromised ability to lead," Bing said. "Failed attempts of personal gain at the expense of the police department and city-at-large are unfortunate and should not be tolerated."
Now, hold on a second. As a reader, you might be thinking: "Detroit has abysmal unemployment, school dropout and foreclosure rates. Violent crime is out of control, residents do not feel safe and abandoned houses are spreading through neighborhoods like pancreatic cancer. So what does a typical police love triangle have to do with me living in a better city."
The answer is not a gat damned thing.
But even though this thing is the personal business of Patterson, Goodbee and Evans, the firing and replacement of the chief of police is something that does affect every Detroiter. If the department is fragmented, then it cannot police the city properly, and after the hellish summer Detroit has had, it cannot afford anymore cop conundrums.
So, no, the soap opera at 1300 Beaubien is not really that important in the grand scheme of things, but just like any other workplace, when people's personal lives start to spill over into a job that affects so many people, it needs to be checked with the quickness. And when it comes to those who serve and protect, it needs to be checked yesterday.
Watch the love triangle here:
Comments: (5)
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By: ron on 8/14/2010 9:37AM
I dont live in Detroit,when will men with power take lessons from Tiger Woods,Tiki Barber,etc and other men who fool around? for a few moments maybe days or weeks of sex and fun they always come out the loser..lost of family,job,money,respect, diginty, shall I go on seems like the word of God is right " a man who cheats is broght down to a piece of bread" go figure.
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By: Sharon on 8/14/2010 12:27PM
IM from Detroit and love my home town, but now when you look at warren evans hes the chief that went to the streets of Detroit and fighting crime for the old and young. He was cleaning up Detroit who ever he dates is his business not Detroit as long it don't come into the work place. Dave Bing need's to shut up and get out.We need to stop voting for people we think we know because he play basketball and was a so call business men. Help Detroit Mr. Bing if you want to do something.
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By: PJD120 on 8/14/2010 4:33PM
Okay now I'm over here very confused. Was she messing around with the both of them. Aren't their text messages being sent from her or him to her showing their was a relationship between Goodye and Patterson. Now she is trying to sue for sexual harrassment? Okay and yes the other guy, Evans, I feel should not have been fired. He wasn't hiding the fact that he was in a relationship with Patterson, but Goodbye was because he was married and was planning on advancing her career. He should have been the one being fired. That's just my opinion.
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By: miana on 8/15/2010 2:08AM
Evans told it earlier; shame on me for being single dating a single woman, shame on others for being married and having a girlfriend on the side". Godbeeor whatever should be ashamed holding an office with conduct unbecoming an officer married and messing around, promising positions of power ,favors for sex. Evans I cant for the life of me see what he did wrong. But Bing doesnt want any competition from Evans in the next Mayoral run, he should have never left his Sheriff position for that fool. OMG, who else are single cops suppose to date? They are on the job all the time, close as hell, what does mr. baldbasketball think. Its all a big mess, Evans shouldnt have quit he should have let them have it. Its ok to be Married in detroit and fool around, its not ok to be single,legal and date. Does that sound right to you. No wonder his factories were in jeopardy he hasn't a clue.
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By: D.L. Saunders on 8/19/2010 2:38AM
Let me see if I have this straight. The former mayor and aide were caught up and the true nature of their relationship was disclosed as a result of "captured" text messages from city owned cellular phones. Now the former police chief and current police chief and a female subordinate respective personal business is in the street as a result of "captured" text messages from city owned cellular phones...Does anyone else see a common theme here. Not to mention the arrogant and boorish behavior on the part of all involved parties.
They should all be charged with Conduct unbecoming an Officer
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