Giles ends video inquiry

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Nov 25, 2008 by Tim Hrenchir

By Tim Hrenchir

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Topeka Fire Chief Howard Giles doesn't plan to take disciplinary action after his department recently concluded its investigation into the posting of a video that poked fun at him on YouTube, a popular video-sharing Web site.

"We found that things took place, but it did not warrant disciplinary action," Giles said.

He wouldn't reveal whether the investigation reached a conclusion as to who posted the video.

"Anything that came about resulting from an investigation would be considered a personnel matter, and I'm just not going to be able to provide any information relative to that," he said.

The Kansas Open Records Act allows public agencies to keep information about personnel matters confidential.

Capt. Kent Dederick, president of the local firefighters union, said Monday he had expected that nothing "disciplinary" would result from the probe.

Dederick stressed that when members of the union's executive board learned last month of city concerns about the video, they asked the people behind it to remove it from the site and they complied. The video was subsequently restored to YouTube by WIBW-AM Radio talk show hosts Raubin Pierce and Megan Mosack, according to their Web site .

The video features photos of a cutout caricature of Giles in a number of locations to the accompaniment of Johnny Cash singing "I've Been Everywhere." The final scene shows the cutout beside a highway with a "Leaving Kansas" sign behind it. Superimposed over the photo are the words "Hopefully for good."

Giles last month began an investigation targeted at determining who created the video and posted it on the Web site.

The fire chief said the posting of the video was among a number of complaints he had received alleging improper conduct by members of the fire department. He said the investigation was warranted because it regarded the conduct of fire department personnel in a public setting that didn't reflect positively on the city.

"Based on a complaint that was received by the department, we conducted an investigation of persons we believed involved with what was referenced in the complaint," Giles said. "That investigation has been conducted. No disciplinary actions, based on this complaint, will be taken."

Giles said that while city employees spent no off-duty time conducting the investigation, he didn't know how much the city spent in on-duty salary and benefits to conduct the probe.

"We don't have information that would be responsive to that request," he said.

Tim Hrenchir can be reached at (785) 295-1184 or tim.hrenchir@cjonline.com.