November 21, 2008

City of Corpus Christi holds media briefing. City Manager Angel Escobar tells public Corpus Christi Police Chief Bryan Smith has the weekend to decide between two fates.

Earlier in the day, a record turnout at the Corpus Christi Police Officer's Association.

The big topic of conversation at this month's meeting the Chief Bryan Smith investigation, and why the union president and a police captain were secretly tape recorded during a meeting in the chief's office

There's a first tape, an accidental recording left on a police captain's voice mail that sparked the investigation, and as if things couldn't get more complicated, we learned earlier this week yes indeed a second tape. A tape that's raised questions of trust and integrity in the police chief.

It's not a typical police union hall meeting judging by it there appears to be plenty of officers who want answers about their chief.

There were several officers who stood up and spoke including Captain Wayne Tisdale.

"At no time did I ask for any type promotion or anything like that, like the rumors were floating around," said Tisdale. "I was very very disappointed as Mike was saying that we were secretly taped.

Before the union's general meeting, we spoke to CCPOA President Mike Staff who said this whole ordeal has been very emotional because he likes Bryan Smith, but now questions his integrity after learning that he had been secretly taped.

"I shouldn't have to be thinking in the back of my mind, especially with the chief of police, I wonder if he's taping me, the rules are there in place and they're in the place for all overs to include the chief of police."

Staff doesn't believe it's a union versus chief scenario, but something that comes down to right versus wrong.

Some sources tell us, the chief decided to make the secret recording to protect himself, and it was done defensibly to prevent potential blackmail.

It's not illegal in the state of Texas to record someone with out their consent, but officers do say as police officers say are bound by certain rules and regulations, and that was the chief did was a departmental infraction.

Staff says he doesn't believe the recording was done as part of an ongoing investigation.