Sunday saw "handwriting on the wall"
Friday, November 20, 2009 - 5:59 pm
By Larry Peirce
Banner-Press Editor
Steve Sunday said he is extremely disappointed, but not angry, that he was not able to stay on as police chief of David City.A 37-year-veteran of law enforcement, he tendered his resignation Wednesday night a month and a half shy of the 26th anniversary of his hiring.
He talked about his departure from the job Thursday after attending a Rural Apprehension Program meeting in York. Like other city department heads, he was facing his annual re-appointment decision next month.
Sunday said that after an interview with a prospective new officer earlier this week, Mayor Dana Trowbridge asked him to attend Wednesday night's City Council meeting. Sunday was called into an executive session after the meeting.
Sunday said the mayor announced that Sunday would not be re-appointed in December, and that the city was planning to advertise for a new chief.
Trowbridge disagreed with Sunday's version of the comments. He said that he told Sunday that due to the chief's long career with the city, it was fair to tell him he was "strongly considering" non-reappointment. The mayor said the Council members, Johnson and Egr could confirm his statements.
"To me it was very obvious that the handwriting was on the wall. Thinking something was brewing, I drafted a letter of resignation. I pulled it out of my pocket and filled in the blanks," Sunday said.
While Sunday wrote that he would stay on 30 days, Trowbridge asked if he was going to stay 30 days or would he leave immediately.
"I said 'immediately,'" he said. "In my mind there was no point in hanging around. Nobody said a word."
Late Wednesday night, Trowbridge said he did not ask Sunday to resign, nor did he threaten him with termination. Sunday said he couldn't see his departure in any other way than as a firing.
In his 25 years as chief, Sunday said, he had never found that his job was on rocky ground with other mayors. He said that since Trowbridge has been mayor, the two have had numerous discussions about the police department's operation.
He said Trowbridge disagreed with Sunday's leadership of the department.
"He had his vision of the community and how to accomplish it. It was clear and obvious from his decision that he had the belief and perception that I wasn't doing it the way he wanted it done," Sunday said.
Sunday said he tried to explain his methods of law enforcement, which he often called "community law enforcement."
"I always told (city leaders) that I would treat everybody fairly, equally and consistently with respect and dignity," he said.
Over the last several years, Sunday and other public officials expressed frustration at the difficulty of getting problem properties - including dilapidated houses - cleaned up.
"With board of health issues, I believe in giving everybody an opportunity to cooperate with the city," he said. "I was able to sit down and talk with people and get them to understand the goals of the city, and they also knew I was there to treat them fairly and equally."
Sunday said it has been a tough year, with the controversy building up about the sale of the police station and the proposal - since dropped by the council - to consider contracting with the
Butler County Sheriff's Office. The police station has been sold to Henningsen Foods, and plans are being developed to build a new City Hall/Police Station. Sunday served on the building design committee.
When the recall effort was launched against the mayor, an effort that subsequently stalled in a
court case, some recall supporters alleged that Sunday might face retaliation because his wife Pat signed a petition.
"I had no desire to be involved with the recall," Sunday said. "My wife signed the petition. All I
wanted to do was do my job and be the best police chief that I could."
So was retaliation by the mayor a factor?
"I can't prove it one way or the other," Sunday said.
Asked if he was unfairly terminated, Sunday said he wasn't trying to make that case.
"I'm not headed in that direction. Right, wrong or indifferent, I am not here to worry about it. I am here to try and move on and find another job," he said.
He added that he is not part of any other efforts regarding the current turmoil in city government.
"If someone wants to make a stink about things, they should know this. I'm not going to be part of anything anybody else is doing. If I'm going to do anything, I'll do it on my own," he said.
He emphasized that he wanted people to know he submitted his resignation, but he did so "based on what was presented to me."
Sunday said that he was not angry.
"I haven't got time for that," he said. "I'm extremely disappointed that someone saw fit to do this to me."
As for his future, Sunday said his long career has given him many contacts across the state in law enforcement, a career he still loves.
He said he has his eye on a couple of police chief positions, but he also said he'd like to stay in his home that the Sundays built in 1995.
At 57, Sunday said he thought he had another 15 years or so that he could serve as police chief, and he hoped to retire in David City. He and his wife raised two sons and two daughters here.
The community had welcomed him in 1984 and had always treated his family well.
Sunday said he had too many highlights of his career to mention, but he said building rapport with elementary students was at the top. The students, as they got older, knew the police were there to help them, he said. He said he recently had been meeting the grandchildren of youths he had known early in his career.
"I'm on the third generations in some cases," he said.
His run as chief was longer than most; the average tenure for chiefs in small Nebraska towns is about eight years.
Sunday holds several posts in law enforcement associations. He is president of Nebraska Crimestoppers, president of the Nebraska Police Chiefs Association and coordinator of the 11-county Rural Apprehension Program for seven years.
He said the financial bite would be tough. He was making $24.50 an hour.
"I'm probably not going to walk into that kind of job unless I land another chief's job. I will land on my feet and survive. I'm going to have to tighten my belt."
