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GREENSBORO - Former police Chief David Wray denied in a written statement Wednesday that a covert unit's "black book" constituted racial profiling.

The book, which contained 114 photos of black officers and civilians, was compiled by the unit dubbed the "secret police." Those photos are the subject of an ongoing probe into alleged racial profiling against the police themselves, City Manager Mitchell Johnson said.

"If I were a black officer, I would have been damned uncomfortable to be in that book," Johnson said Wednesday after first examining the three-ring binder.

He said Wray had one of his top commanders hide the book in the trunk of that officer's car.

Wray denied in his written statement that the "black book" had anything to do with racial profiling and defended its purpose.

He said it was put together after an informant reported being groped and sexually assaulted by a black officer during a strip search.

"The photo array was prepared as a case-specific document," Wray said in the statement. "The Special Intelligence officer who prepared and used the book did not use it on any other occasions."

Wray did not say why he claimed, according to the city manager, to have no knowledge that such a book existed. He could not be reached Wednesday to elaborate. A man who answered the door Wednesday at the former chief's home said Wray was busy.

But two Greensboro lawyers who represent officers said the photos had been shown to criminal suspects in an effort to implicate officers in exchange for leniency.

Joe Williams and Walt Jones said it was unclear whether any suspects took the Special Intelligence Section unit up on its offer.

But since the cooperation of criminals is typically sought in exchange for a reduction of prison time or pending charges, Jones said there would be a strong possibility for false accusations. He argued that the book had not been shown to law-abiding citizens.

"John Q. citizen wasn't the one making allegations against these officers," said Jones, who represents at least one veteran black officer caught up in the dragnet. "It (the book) is not going to be passed around at a church. It's sort of like leaving an alcoholic in charge of a liquor store."

What the officers did with the book is one of the issues being examined in a second report, Johnson said Wednesday.

The "secret police" story went public in June after a black police lieutenant, James Hinson, discovered a tracking device on his police cruiser by a private investigator working for Special Intelligence and doing surveillance.

The photos appear to be unrelated to the Hinson investigation. Both Johnson and Wray said separately that the lieutenant's photo was not in the lineup. Wray said in his statement the book was kept because the sexual assault case was unresolved.

Yet Johnson suggested the former chief knew the book was improper.

When Johnson confronted Wray about the book last summer, the city manager said Wray denied knowledge of it.

But Wray then ordered his right-hand man, Deputy Chief Randall Brady, to hide it, Johnson said. Brady abruptly retired the week after Thanksgiving, right after an interview with investigators.

"The thing existed; the chief knew about it and he didn't tell me. And he had it put away," Johnson said. "End of story."

Wray said in his statement that he "secured" the book.

Johnson, who continued to express deep disappointment in Wray, repeatedly pointed out this week that he was the one who led the selection committee that chose Wray in 2003.

In a Wednesday interview with News & Record editorial writers, Johnson was asked several times, "What went wrong?"

Neither Johnson nor his senior aides seemed able to answer that question after the extraordinary sequence of events of the past week.

The story escalated Friday afternoon when Johnson, even as he met with Wray in his office, had ordered the locks changed on the chief's office and his computer access denied.

The veteran police officer, a Guilford County native who had risen through the ranks, ended his career in the department Monday when he had his letter of resignation delivered. The package included his badge.

Staff writer Eric Collins contributed to this article.

Contact Lorraine Ahearn at 373-7334 or lahearn@news-record.com

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