Detroit — Mayor Dave Bing announced Friday he signed an executive order setting rules on interoffice dating, days after a police officer sued the city alleging the former chief used his position to gain sexual favors.
In a statement, Bing said he holds "city employees to ensure a higher standard of conduct, in order to ensure a fair, conflict-free workplace." The order says the city doesn't want to "intrude upon the private lives of its employees," but some relationships "have the potential to negatively impact working conditions."
The order bans the inappropriate use of city-issued communications equipment, forbids sexual comments and requires supervisors to disclose relationships with underlings in writing to Human Resources.
The policy follows a string of sex scandals in the Police Department, and some wonder if it goes far enough. "Based on what has happened in the Police Department, it probably was a necessary move," said City Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown, a former deputy chief.
"How to enforce it is going to be another issue. Employees in leadership or supervisory capacities in city government are going to have to take responsibility for their own conduct. When they don't, having an executive order in place is kind of after the fact."
The Rev. Jerome Warfield, chairman of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, said the policy is an "excellent start." But it should also set guidelines for privately owned equipment — such as sexting or posting embarrassing city information online.
"You want to create a culture change. To do that, you have to go after the vehicles that allow people to go online," Warfield said, adding that "you can't stop relationships on the job, but you can stop the illegal activity" of demanding sex for promotions.
Commissioners still must approve the policy.
The city is still looking for a permanent police chief after Ralph Godbee Jr. resigned Oct. 8 over a relationship involving Internal Affairs Officer Angelica Robinson. She sued this week, alleging Godbee sexually harassed her and demanded sex from her and other women in exchange for a transfer.
Godbee was promoted to chief in 2010 after Warren Evans was fired for having a relationship with a lieutenant, among other things. Godbee also had a relationship with her, city officials learned around the time he got the job. At the time, commissioners were supposed to craft a fraternization policy, but did not.
In another incident, former Cmdr. James Moore, named head of Patrol Operations in June, was demoted this week to lieutenant for allegedly assaulting a subordinate. Moore is under investigation for an alleged assault in a store, captured on video, officials have told The Detroit News.
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