Still reeling from suspended police chief, Circleville mayor fires new safety director

Just days after Circleville Police Chief Shawn Baer was put on paid leave for reported harassment, intimidation, threats and other malfeasance and misspending, the city's mayor has fired her safety director after just a week on the job.

At a March 19 Circleville City Council meeting, Safety Director Steven Wilkinson called Mayor Michelle Blanton "a coward" who has "caved to the illegal demands of the police department."

Wilkinson, a retired 30-year Columbus police officer, said that when he was hired as safety director on March 7, Blanton told him not to discuss any of the grievances about Chief Baer's conduct with the city's human resources department. Wilkinson said that was because Blanton feared that Valerie Dilley, the city's human resources director, would interfere with the investigation into Baer.

Wilkinson also implied that Blanton and city law director Kendra Kinney feared retaliation from officers and that Blanton asked Wilkinson to help her get a gun and train her. He said he agreed to do both.

Four days later, on March 11, Wilkinson was sworn in as the city's safety director, the third person to hold the position in the last four years.

Neither Mayor Blanton nor law director Kinney returned calls. Blanton's office said that she would not be issuing a statement.

Wilkinson told Circleville council he was committed to cleaning up a dysfunctional police department that had flawed training, including in firearms use, and failed or missing standards of conduct.

Four days into his job, Wilkinson said he lacked a phone or office furnishings needed for the job. Still, he said, he met with members of the police department.

"I told the sergeants that we would no longer send emails telling officers to educate themselves. ... it was our responsibility to train (them)."

Mayor Blanton, he said, was unable to cope with his new directives.

At one point, Wilkinson said, "I watched her flee and run into the street, crying uncontrollably. This was the third time in three days I witnessed (the mayor) lose control of her emotions and cry," he said.

According to Wilkinson, Mayor Blanton eventually told him that the police were refusing to meet or work with him, and "some were refusing to come to work."

"I told the mayor that violated the law and that violated their oaths," Wilkinson said.

Since Chief Baer has been placed on leave, Deputy Chief Doug Davis was supposed to become acting chief.

Wilkinson accused Davis of misconduct, including civil rights violations and other offenses, but said those allegations have not been thoroughly investigated because Wilkinson was removed from his position.

All of the current problems stem from the July 2023 mauling of an unarmed truck driver in which Baer fired K-9 officer Ryan Speakman, whose dog attacked and mauled the driver after a traffic stop.

In a follow up to Tuesday's City Council meeting, Wilkinson issued a letter clarifying that his concerns about misconduct are directed at top police and city officials, not with regular officers.

"I do not believe the police officers are corrupt or are in any way intentionally involved. The (officers) are being influenced by a culture of bad practice, poor decisions and toxic leadership," he wrote.

dnarciso@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Circleville Mayor fires safety director days after chief suspended