By Kevin Hogencamp
Albany detectives accidentally locked a “person of interest” in a burglary case in a police interview room for at least eight hours – but the person responsible hasn’t confessed, angering high-ranking police officials.
As was the practice of his predecessor, Albany Police Chief John Proctor is exacerbating his department’s error by covering it up. Indeed, Proctor is now committing a crime himself: He’s keeping what’s on paper about the mishap’s details secret by violating Georgia’s open records laws. The Albany Journal asked for records generated from the incident on Friday, as state law requires that the records be made public within three days.
The Journal has asked Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards to investigate the matter.
Albany police officials shared details of the calamity on the condition of that their identities be withheld. Here is their account:
Last week, police detectives – including members of a newly created burglary suppression task force – interviewed many “persons of interests” regarding the recent burglary spree plaguing the community. Some of those interviewed are believed to be suspects; others are witnesses or otherwise have information about recent criminal activity.
One such “person of interest” was detained alone one evening and was discovered the next morning by a police captain who heard the man tapping on the window from inside a police interview room.
After being locked in a room for eight to 14 hours, the man was immediately released. Meanwhile, police officials have been unable to determine who is responsible for locking the man in a room – without cause and without access to a restroom. The man was locked
“Everybody is pointing fingers,” a police official said.
In addition to Proctor, the Journal asked police spokeswoman Phyllis Banks and City Manager Alfred Lott – who readily allowed Proctor’s predecessor, James Younger, to violate the state’s open records law – to intervene and shed light on the mishap. Neither replied.
Unlike Younger, Proctor hasn’t run afoul of the law and regulations as Younger did until being paid a $40,000 bonus by Lott to resign. Proctor, however, does hide from the truth by refusing to be interviewed by the Journal about any topic. He has never provided an explanation for refusing to be interviewed.
Proctor was hired in spring 2009 following a tragic incident in Tallahassee, Fla., where he served as deputy chief, during which civilian drug informant Rachel Hoffman was shot and killed on the Police Department’s watch. Proctor was reprimanded for his role in the incident.
In response to an Albany Journal post on Facebook about the recent Albany Police Department mishap and cover-up, Albany citizens provided the following responses:
- Sounds par for their course.
- Dang!!
- No one knew? Isn’t that place staffed 24/7? Seems he could have made enough noise for someone to hear.
- Hilarious!
- Let me guess, if that person promises not to file a suit, they won’t charge him/her the regular room rate @ the PD…?
- Guess they weren’t watching them to good huh
- Imagine that!!
- They had to make a run to Krispy Kreme!
- This should be on a TV show.
- Must be the new way to cut down on crime.
