9 SEP 08: CASTLE KEEP?

Columbus Council could vote today on a proposal renaming the "Public Safety Advisory Commission," and giving it the power to conduct investigations. Based on the number of probing questions our blog gets, the commission would have plenty to do - and we never hear from Bill Madison at the NAACP.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Your blog confirmed Monday that two Columbus police officers are the subject of an internal investigation, which might involve lying about their actions. The incident in question occurred in January - so I suppose you can start an office guessing game, about whether this will be resolved before the election.

Major Lem Miller with the Columbus Police told me officer Roscoe Castle faces a complaint of "excessive use of force." Of course, that phrase can mean a lot of things. Some people consider it excessive force when a four-year-old is spanked for refusing to be quiet.

The second officer under investigation in this complaint is Jeff Fox. Yes, I'll confess it -- during my interview with Lem Miller, I tried to call him Foxworthy....

We should note Jeff Fox is NOT accused of excessive force. Lem Miller said Fox is accused of being in "the immediate vicinity" of the incident. I think traditional Southerners call this by another term -- shouting distance.

Lem Miller did NOT call Jeff Fox a witness to Roscoe Castle's possible excessive force. Miller indicated Fox was simply close to it. For all we know, he might have turned his head away - which I guess would mean he'd be looking out for more than number-one.

Lem Miller declined to go into the details of what happened on 19 January. But a source with police connections tells me a handcuffed man was beaten at an entrance to the Muscogee County Jail. I think the C.I.A. normally waits until a prisoner is in a cell, before applying this sort of pressure....

This source also claims Roscoe Castle and Jeff Fox lied, during a police department investigation of this complaint. "I can't comment on that," Lem Miller replied when we asked about that detail. He's wise enough to realize you don't lie about whether or not somebody else lied.

So why is this still under investigation, eight months after the alleged incident happened and seven months after a complaint was filed? Lem Miller heads what he calls a "fact-finding unit" inside Columbus Police -- and he admits the detailed review of the Zachary Allen case "got us behind." Then it ended with the fire chief getting it in the.... uh, well, you know....

On top of that, Lem Miller says the fact-finding of this excessive force complaint was interrupted in the spring by the Doctor's Hospital shootings. So please, everyone - if you want justice done for our law officers, don't do anything to them before that happens.

Lem Miller says he's preparing a summary of findings, in this excessive force complaint. He told me it will be submitted to Chief Ricky Boren "shortly," but he didn't want to set a firm date for it. Take that, you critics - the Police Chief is more tolerant than a lot of college professors would be.

But hold on -- does this lengthy wait actually make an argument FOR a renamed "Public Safety Review Commission," checking people's complaints? Lem Miller indicated he sees no need for it. "We thoroughly investigate our cases," he told me. Of course, that's more or less what the John McCain campaign said....

"We try to police our own," Lem Miller added. That's a good idea, of course -- and Don Siegelman probably wishes the Democrats had done that with him.

As we researched this story Monday, we were surprised to find a web site where you can leave opinions about law officers. It's called "Rate My Cop" - and Jeff Fox happens to be among the 14 Columbus police officers listed on it. While Fox is not rated, Sheriff Ralph Johnson is rated "poor." OK, which opposing candidate filled out this survey?

Oh yes - the source who alerted us to this investigation wanted us to find out why the Ledger-Enquirer hasn't mentioned it yet. I don't claim to speak for the newspaper, and I really don't know anyone at the newspaper. But then again, I never intended when I started this blog to get to know majors at the police department....

We only have time for one investigation a day right now, so the three e-mail requests near the top of our InBox will have to wait. In the meantime, let's review some Monday headlines:

+ Alabama Attorney General Troy King told WRBL he's reviewing the Hurtsboro charter case. With the size of his staff, King might be able to finally corner Mayor Sandra Tarver-Yoba and ask more than one question.

+ The Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum began at the Trade Center. The opening day ended with a dinner called "A Taste of Uptown" - and after smelling chocolate chip cookies while I jogged across the Dillingham Street Bridge, there had better not have been any left over.

+ The Muscogee County School Board was told by the end of this term, the district will have more than 50 16-year-olds attending middle school. These football redshirt programs seem to start younger all the time....

+ Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced a new fitness program for Muscogee County seventh-graders. The "Be Well Project" will have them track an online "walk" to Microsoft headquarters in Washington state. I'm guessing they'll be discouraged from having "Apples" along the way....

+ The Associated Press reported a synagogue in Dothan is offering Jewish families as much as $50,000 to move to the city for five years. Hmmmm - peanuts ARE kosher, aren't they?

+ Instant Message to the United States Tennis Association: I think one Columbus TV station would like to thank you. By rescheduling your men's singles final for 5:00 p.m. Monday, you gave Barb Gauthier a bigger opening-day audience than anyone expected.

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