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GREENSBORO - Amid accusations this summer of racial profiling within his own ranks, leaders of Greensboro's police officers association say the city's top cop made them a deal: He'd reconsider the hours officers work in exchange for their public support.

The Greensboro Police Officers Association soon distanced itself from claims that a unit dubbed the "secret police" was targeting African American officers for internal investigations.

Association officials now say Chief David Wray should live up to his end of the bargain.

If Wray does away with the current schedule of rotating shifts and creates set hours, group officials said late last week, Greensboro citizens can expect healthier patrol officers and higher morale on the force.

Wray was out of the office Friday but earlier denied that any sort of "quid pro quo" took place at the June 16 meeting. The chief, through a spokesman, declined to comment until his return to work this week.

"He said the department is always open to looking at new ways of doing things if it will address any concerns or issues within the department or the community," Greensboro police Lt. Brian James said.

The officers association told the News & Record of the agreement Friday morning, four days before a scheduled meeting with Wray to discuss rotating shifts and almost two months after the agreement was made.

Association leaders acknowledged part of their decision to come forward before Tuesday was to apply pressure on Wray.

"If there's not a change in rotating shifts, there will be a change in the vote of confidence" from the association, its attorney, William Hill, said.

Hill said Wray demonstrated a strong commitment to investigate claims of unfair discipline of African American officers by the department's Special Intelligence Section; some officers have called it the "secret police." Had the chief failed to convince the association of his sincerity, Hill said, the agreement would not have been made.

Hill would not say exactly what Wray shared June 16 that demonstrated his sincerity. Of the five group representatives at that meeting, two were African American.

One day later, Wray hosted a news conference to announce an outside investigator would examine the role of Special Intelligence to assure it was in compliance with national standards.

Special Intelligence handles many roles for the department. Its detectives investigate gang activity, monitor hate groups, provide security for city officials - and, according to Wray, will investigate criminal allegations made against city officers.

Results of any investigation have remained under wraps during the nearly two months since Wray's news conference.

A consultant was hired by the department in July, but his report has not yet been made public.

Wray, according to Hill, expressed a need for public support from the association when the spotlight fell on the Special Intelligence Section. It was caught trailing a high-profile black lieutenant in June.

Lt. James Hinson found an electronic tracker on his city vehicle June 3 while on duty. That device had been placed there by a retired detective on contract with Special Intelligence.

An attorney for Hinson, who heads the local black officers association and has led well-publicized youth and anti-crime programs, levied charges in the subsequent days that Special Intelligence was targeting black cops.

Wray defended the department by saying Hinson was under surveillance as part of a multi-agency investigation, though he would not say which other agencies were involved. Hinson since has been suspended with pay.

Racial allegations aside, getting rid of rotating schedules would mark a significant victory for the officers' association. Officers have criticized their work schedules ever since Wray implemented the shifts in January 2004.

The association claims rotating shifts affect the sleeping habits and physical health of officers because of the body's nonstop adjustment to different work hours. Officers have also said that rotating shifts make family life harder.

But rotating shifts are not something new to the region. Most North Carolina agencies use one form or another, including the Guilford County Sheriff's Office.

Tension between the association and police leadership grew so tense this spring that the group put out a survey to its 410 members to gauge opinions of Wray's leadership skills and rotating shifts.

Hill and association president Eddy Summers shared some of those results Friday. According to the two men, 161 officers responded to the survey, and all but two felt rotating shifts had a direct impact on morale and affected officer performance.

The survey itself has been criticized by the administration and city leaders as being unscientific. It was put together by Hill and Summers and city leaders have said it asked several leading questions.

The two association leaders claim other statistics bolster their arguments, including a lack of experience among the officers in the field. Not including sergeants or corporals, Summers said, just over 10 percent of patrol officers have more than 10 years of experience.

Contact Eric J.S. Townsend at 373-7008 or etownsend @news-record.com