Ardmore Police Pass No Confidence Vote Against Chief

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

ARDMORE, Oklahoma -- Ardmore police passed a no confidence vote against the city's police chief.

Ardmore police have been talking among themselves, but Saturday the talking turned to voting.

"We are extremely short-handed. Officers are having to work overtime and work on their days off, and still we're not able to staff the shifts fully," Eric Hamblin, Ardmore Fraternal Order of Police.

Ardmore Police Chief David Leonardo said the staffing levels are the same as when he started two years ago. He said the vote is a backlash against his mandate to professionalize the force.

"Sometimes when they are asked to make difficult change, they will push back, they will resist. This is a way of resisting," Chief Leonardo said.

The city commission learned of the no confidence vote Monday night and by Tuesday, word of the vote made its way around the town.

"I could see it coming for a long time, and a lot of other people could see it coming too," said Ardmore resident Patric O'Reilly.

While some want Chief Leonardo to resign, others want a Grand Jury inquiry. But former Ardmore Police Chief John Beene has a different suggestion.

"There needs to be some sort of a civilian or citizen investigation launched on this whole ordeal," Beene said.

Chief Leonardo rejected that idea and said he will stick with his mandate and his job.

"I have no intention of resigning," Leonardo said.

The Ardmore Fraternal Order of Police said that more than three-fourths of its membership voted Saturday and passed the no confidence vote unanimously. However, there are conflicting reports about whether the officers who didn't attend the vote were ever told about the meeting.