Alexandria City Council suspends Jeff Hall investigation, asks DA to probe administration

The tone at Alexandria City Council's special meeting Thursday bounced between accusatory to conciliatory, but members voted unanimously to suspend its investigation into Mayor Jeff Hall's administration.

The motion also seeks to have the Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office take up the inquiry, which was approved May 12 by a 4-1 vote to look into the administration's handling of public information and the alleged changing of public records.

"I don't know who's right and who's wrong, and I'm not pretending to say that I know who's right and who's wrong," said Councilman Lee Rubin, who made the motion.

"All I know is that we're making a spectacle of ourselves in the City of Alexandria, in the eyes of other cities around the state and the region. We've been there before, and I don't want to go back there."

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Council President Catherine Davidson called the special meeting last week to take testimony from Hall, Alexandria Police Chief Ronney Howard and others and receive information that had been subpoenaed related to the department.

Unlike the previous special meetings called, Hall and Howard were in attendance. But Hall, flanked by his lawyers, only spoke once to address a question from Councilwoman Cynthia Perry after the motion to suspend the investigation was awaiting a vote.

The meeting was held one day after the city announced it had filed a lawsuit against Davidson and another against the four council members who voted for the investigation.

On Friday, a city spokesman said the lawsuit against Davidson will move forward, but it would seek a stay on the lawsuit against the four council members who voted for the investigation.

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One of Hall's attorneys, Steven Oxenhandler, addressed Davidson after she opened the meeting and attempted to get the requested information. Oxenhandler called the council's investigation "a farce" and "a pretext for Ms. Davidson's own personal agenda."

He said nothing requested would be produced during the meeting, but he and fellow attorney Joshua Dara Jr. did respond to each item.

Oxenhandler said Davidson had accused the mayor and administration of committing a crime, which he said is a matter for the district attorney.

"Contrary to what Ms. Davidson said, there was no doctoring, there was no trying to misrepresent anything," he said. "That's ludicrous."

Davidson has sought from the department and administration roster sheets for specific dates in 2021 and 2022 and has repeatedly called claims that all nine of the city's zones are fully covered by officers "mathematically impossible" because the department has at least 40 vacancies.

Dara offered an explanation for additions to daily roster logs, saying it's supplemented throughout the shift as people come and go.

"When they come to work, they fill out who is on patrol. Very simple," he said, referring to shift lieutenants. "But what's not necessarily put on the shift report is who comes in after roll call."

He did say the department wasn't diligent about updating those rosters until they became the object of public scrutiny. Dara said officers now are having to "properly update" the documents to show that the zones are not understaffed.

"If we give the document, at the time, they say that the zone is short, but that's not true," he said. "What they're saying is that the city's not covered. That's not true. People are coming into work, they just may not be on the sheet. That's what's happening."

After Davidson read through all the items, Rubin submitted his motion, saying he didn't think the council was in the position to conduct an investigation. Councilman Chuck Fowler seconded it.

Perry asked, if the investigation was suspended, whether the council and administration would work together for citizens.

"I just feel like we're spinning our wheels, we're going in circles," she said. "The only way we can move this city forward is we have to come together."

She questioned how the city could keep going in the same direction so that nobody can work together. Oxenhandler agreed, saying everyone would work together if the investigation was suspended.

Perry asked Hall and Howard how they begin to work together. Hall replied, saying it's been made clear to her that they're willing to work with her even if they don't always agree.

Rubin said it's not the council's job to micromanage the police department.

Davidson said she's sent dozens of emails to the administration on various issues, but has received little response. Rubin agreed.

She again reiterated that the city's zones aren't covered.

"It's simple math. We're 47 officers down," she said, repeating her plea to ask for help from other law enforcement agencies.

"Communication? Cooperation? Your door is open? You don't respond to me," she told Hall.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Alexandria Council votes to ask DA to look into mayor's administration