Union Leader Thinks Demoted Cop CJ Davis Acted on Orders From Above
By Tim Eberly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
06/13/08
Cerelyn "C.J." Davis carefully shaped her 22-year career at the Atlanta Police Department. She earned a reputation as a self-conscious officer who didn't make risky moves without the direction of superiors. Some say her career aspirations included being Atlanta's top cop. That's why a police union leader suspects Davis was following orders when, a city investigation concluded this week, she told two detectives not to investigate the alleged sex crimes of a police sergeant's husband in 2004.
Davis was demoted to lieutenant and removed from her job as major in charge of the Office of Professional Standards, which investigates complaints against Atlanta police officers. She has been transferred to a less visible unit and could be fired. Sgt. Scott Kreher, president of a union that represents Atlanta police officers, suspects Davis did not act alone. "In this instance, it would make sense to us that she had advice from someone [else] to not investigate this case," Kreher said. "She was very careful in her decisions and not quick to make decisions without advice from command staff members. ... Who that person is, we don't know."
City Attorney Beth Chandler, however, said Thursday that her department's investigation did not uncover evidence that Davis acted on orders. She added that the probe is finished unless new and credible tips are brought to her attention. Davis and two other police employees, including Sgt.
Tonya Crane, are in trouble for their roles in covering up the alleged crimes of Crane's husband, Police Chief Richard Pennington announced this week. Federal authorities indicted Crane's husband, Terrill Marion "T.C." Crane, in November on charges of producing child pornography after Atlanta police provided them with sexual photos of Crane and underage girls.
But Atlanta police were given the photos in 1999! They only emerged last fall when found in a file cabinet. An investigation by the city's Law Department concluded that Davis had earlier told detectives not to look into the case, and that Tonya Crane burned sexually explicit photos of her husband after someone tipped her off, according to documents detailing the probe. A third police employee, crime analyst Randolph Ory, was a close friend of T.C. Crane's and knew about Crane's sexual exploits, documents show. All three will be disciplined for their involvement, possibly in the next week and a half, Pennington said. He was unavailable for an interview Thursday.
Kreher said he has talked to people who know and worked with Davis, and no one knows of any connection between her and Sgt. Crane. "So the burning question everybody has, 'Why, if Major Davis did make the decision by herself, would she put her career at risk for a sergeant's spouse whom she doesn't have a personal relationship with?'" Kreher said. The union leader also said he and other police officers questioned Pennington's decision to promote Davis to major and put her in charge of the internal affairs unit after she was reprimanded for saying she was on duty or moonlighting for 72 straight hours during the 2003 NBA All-Star Game weekend." A lot of people felt like she got a free pass," Kreher said.
The union, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, represents 1,100 of the 1,400 eligible police officers, which include those at the rank of sergeant and below. While at the ranks of lieutenant and major, Davis could not be in the union.
By Tim Eberly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
06/13/08
Cerelyn "C.J." Davis carefully shaped her 22-year career at the Atlanta Police Department. She earned a reputation as a self-conscious officer who didn't make risky moves without the direction of superiors. Some say her career aspirations included being Atlanta's top cop. That's why a police union leader suspects Davis was following orders when, a city investigation concluded this week, she told two detectives not to investigate the alleged sex crimes of a police sergeant's husband in 2004.
Davis was demoted to lieutenant and removed from her job as major in charge of the Office of Professional Standards, which investigates complaints against Atlanta police officers. She has been transferred to a less visible unit and could be fired. Sgt. Scott Kreher, president of a union that represents Atlanta police officers, suspects Davis did not act alone. "In this instance, it would make sense to us that she had advice from someone [else] to not investigate this case," Kreher said. "She was very careful in her decisions and not quick to make decisions without advice from command staff members. ... Who that person is, we don't know."
City Attorney Beth Chandler, however, said Thursday that her department's investigation did not uncover evidence that Davis acted on orders. She added that the probe is finished unless new and credible tips are brought to her attention. Davis and two other police employees, including Sgt.
Tonya Crane, are in trouble for their roles in covering up the alleged crimes of Crane's husband, Police Chief Richard Pennington announced this week. Federal authorities indicted Crane's husband, Terrill Marion "T.C." Crane, in November on charges of producing child pornography after Atlanta police provided them with sexual photos of Crane and underage girls. But Atlanta police were given the photos in 1999! They only emerged last fall when found in a file cabinet. An investigation by the city's Law Department concluded that Davis had earlier told detectives not to look into the case, and that Tonya Crane burned sexually explicit photos of her husband after someone tipped her off, according to documents detailing the probe. A third police employee, crime analyst Randolph Ory, was a close friend of T.C. Crane's and knew about Crane's sexual exploits, documents show. All three will be disciplined for their involvement, possibly in the next week and a half, Pennington said. He was unavailable for an interview Thursday.
Kreher said he has talked to people who know and worked with Davis, and no one knows of any connection between her and Sgt. Crane. "So the burning question everybody has, 'Why, if Major Davis did make the decision by herself, would she put her career at risk for a sergeant's spouse whom she doesn't have a personal relationship with?'" Kreher said. The union leader also said he and other police officers questioned Pennington's decision to promote Davis to major and put her in charge of the internal affairs unit after she was reprimanded for saying she was on duty or moonlighting for 72 straight hours during the 2003 NBA All-Star Game weekend." A lot of people felt like she got a free pass," Kreher said.
The union, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, represents 1,100 of the 1,400 eligible police officers, which include those at the rank of sergeant and below. While at the ranks of lieutenant and major, Davis could not be in the union.
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