Haymarket Police Chief Wants to End 'Soap Opera'

Haymarket Police Chief James E. Roop called it his "Paul Harvey."

Harvey, the famous radio broadcaster, often said, "You know what the news is. Now you're going to hear . . . the rrrrest of the story!"

And so, over a cup of coffee at a Haymarket diner last week, Roop gave the "rest of the story" -- allowing his views and frustrations over the town police department's towering troubles to spill onto the table.

"People just can't keep beating us up," he said. "I'm thinking, 'What the hell am I doing here?' You try working under that."

In a letter to the public, which he dropped door-to-door March 3, he wrote that it was time to make a choice: "Do you want a professional police department and town with a good reputation? Or do you want a soap opera?"

So far, the soap opera's plot has gone a bit like this: Brother turns against brother. A sexual harassment investigation follows. Then a domestic dispute case. An officer is fired. Rumors abound. Infighting increases. Political sides emerge.

The department, which once had nine law enforcement agents, stands at only three -- Roop, Sgt. Gregory Breeden and Officer Bart Kenworthy.

Of the others, one was fired, one quit and four fell under the ax of a Town Council decision to suspend the auxiliary police program.

Former auxiliary officer Charlie Proffitt has been vocal against the chief. Proffitt says Roop runs the department without consideration for what's good for the town. He and the three other auxiliary officers who worked as volunteers without pay received a letter dated Jan. 27 saying the Town Council was suspending the program.

"It's a good ol' boy system," Proffitt said. "I don't believe in corrupt cops and them doing stuff illegal."

He and others, including former auxiliary officer Tim Benjamin, said they think the department was whittled down to eliminate all those who have spoken against Roop. Roop and Breeden were each suspended for 15 days without pay after a sexual harassment investigation initiated by a former officer's complaints.

Roop says he wants back pay for those 15 days. Plus his name cleared and his attorney's fees reimbursed. Although he used to drop "dear" and "sweetie" when he spoke in that southern drawl way, he said he now finds himself swallowing those sentiments.