news-record.com

GREENSBORO - Local African American clergy have renewed a push for information about the city police scandal that cost a former chief his job, and they say some investigators now looking into events may themselves be culpable.

In a Wednesday news conference, officials with the Greensboro Pulpit Forum alleged that officers reviewing records from the defunct Special Intelligence Section may be named in a critical report already submitted to city leaders in December.

Leaders offered no proof of their claims, nor did they name the officers they suspect of being involved with Special Intelligence. The group plans to meet with interim Chief Tim Bellamy in the coming weeks.

Bellamy, who was out of the office Wednesday, took over for former Chief David Wray in January. Wray resigned as city leaders asked him to explain actions by the Special Intelligence Section against officers who claimed they were internally racially profiled.

"The cloak of confidentiality which the city has placed over the information, available to city officials but undisclosed to the public, is both tainted and tattered," the Rev. Mazie Ferguson said Wednesday as she read from a statement, which was similar to the Pulpit Forum's first public request three weeks ago.

The City Council can vote to release more information from the independent report. Elected leaders took such action with part of the report in January but have not released anything since then.