Detroit Embattled Police Chief Ralph L. Godbee Jr. retired Monday amid a scandal surrounding his alleged relationship with a subordinate female police officer and an investigation into whether he used police resources to spy on her.
"It hurts me a great deal it has come to this," Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said. "I told him what my expectations were. He didn't live up to those expectations."
Bing made the remarks and vowed to implement a citywide policy barring fraternization between bosses and their employees during a Monday press conference at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. The mayor added there was no need to fire Godbee over the scandal because the chief "made the decision and that was the end of the conversation."
But Bing, joined by Interim Police Chief Chester Logan, said investigators will look into reports Godbee used a special police surveillance unit to check on Internal Affairs Officer Angelica Robinson who reportedly had been dating Godbee for about a year at her Farmington Hills home.
"We internally are not investigating," said Bing of the outside probe.
Logan added: "I don't want to say who will be investigating, but there will be an investigation."
The Rev. Jerome Warfield, chairman of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, which oversees investigations into allegations of non-criminal wrongdoing by police officers, said he has conferred with the city's Law Department about the pending investigation.
"Right now we're working with the law department, and our (Office of the Chief Investigator)," Warfield said. "We have to be very careful in this investigation. I think (Robinson) is planning to file a lawsuit against the city, so we're getting advice from the Law Department about which body looks into which allegation."
When asked whether Robinson would be investigated for any possible wrongdoing, Warfield said: "I don't want to put any names to it, but the investigation will be all-inclusive. The entire situation will be looked into."
Robinson's attorney, David Robinson, said he plans to meet with his client Tuesday, but declined further comment. He told The News Friday his client was considering suing the city.
Authorities confiscated Angelica Robinson's department-issued weapon and sent her for a mental evaluation last week because they were concerned she might harm herself. However, on Thursday, Robinson was declared fit for duty and given back her weapon, Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens said.
Robinson found out last week that Godbee had been in San Diego at a police chiefs' conference allegedly with a second woman, who is not employed with the department.
Godbee was suspended by Bing last week for his role in the alleged relationship with Robinson. Bing's office said at the time that the city's human resources department would investigate the matter. Godbee was originally placed on a 30-day paid suspension while Logan, an assistant chief, was named interim police chief by Bing.
Godbee issued a retirement letter dated Monday, saying his resignation was effective "immediately."
"It is with great honor and respect that I announce my retirement from the Detroit Police Department," Godbee wrote. "This will be effective immediately. I am thankful and forever indebted to the residents of this great city for allowing me to serve this community for over 25 years."
In the letter, Godbee called the retirement a "transition," saying he would remain active in the community.
The alleged affair is the third sex scandal to embroil the department in two years. Godbee's predecessor, Warren Evans, stepped down in 2010 after reports surfaced he was having a relationship with Lt. Monique Patterson. Then, when Godbee was named interim chief, text messages surfaced showing he also had an affair with Patterson, who currently is in charge of the police department's Sex Crimes Unit.
Mark Zausmer, an attorney who formerly represented Evans, said it was shocking when Godbee was appointed chief.
Zausmer at the time provided Saul Green with a string of sexually-charged text messages that documented the exchange between Godbee and Patterson.
"Somebody could have read those text messages and concluded that Mr. Godbee was using his office in an inappropriate way; and Warren, on the other hand, was pressured to resign when he didn't use his office in an inappropriate way," he said.
Zausmer said Evans made the administration aware of his relationship with Patterson and was given permission to continue the relationship. Later, he was forced to resign.
"Warren did nothing wrong and was forced out. Godbee did everything wrong and was promoted. It made no sense then and it makes no sense now," he said.
Godbee's departure adds insult to injury as officers are already dealing with a pay cut, new 12-hour shift configuration and "skyrocketing" crime rate, Detroit Police Officers Association President Joe Duncan said
"The scandal alone would be horrible in the best of times; irrespective of where we are today," Duncan said Monday. "Morale is at the lowest ever. We have a bad situation that gets worse every day. Out of everything going on with Detroit Police Department, and then this comes up. Seems like every other three weeks we are rocked by some other calamity."
"(Godbee) had a responsibility to the men and women that were under him. He let them down. I feel sorry for his family and his friends."
When Bing was asked Monday whether his judgment was a question for having four police chiefs in less than four years as mayor, he said: "With the candidates we've had, the time of my selection, I think I made the right decisions, but circumstances beyond my control forced me to make these decisions (to switch chiefs)."
Detroit continues to struggle with one of the nation's highest crime rates. As of Sept. 23, the latest figures available from the Police Department report 283 murders since January a 10 percent increase from the same period last year.
"We will continue to make the reduction of violent crime a top priority," Logan said at the press conference Monday.
ghunter@detnews.com
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