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Most evidence came from patrolmen Councilman questions why past councils chose Anderson as chief   SUNNYSIDE (Monday, 12-6-99)---In a prepared statement this evening, Councilman Don Vlieger wondered why past city councils and civil service commissions allowed former Police Chief Wallace Anderson to take the helm of the Sunnyside PD.   Said the statement:   "Innuendo is a powerful technique. You see, you don't have to have any facts, you don't have to name who you are accusing, all you do is cast unsubstantiated tidbits in the direction of your victim and let people's imaginations do the rest.   "I prefer to stand on the truth and the facts, rather than feed the darker side of human nature.   "During the course of the Chief Anderson affair, several people have written the paper (Daily Sun News) with lots of innuendo--in fact the local newspaper has indulged in it also. These people leave you with the opinion that Mr. Anderson did nothing really wrong, just some minor judgment errors that did not hurt anyone.   "These people point to the 'evil' city council, who is or was conducting a witch hunt against this 'dedicated' public servant. Because of this apparently widespread belief, I feel obligated to set the record straight.   "Well, I for one am satisfied with the outcome of the investigation. If anyone wants to blame me for Mr. Anderson being gone, they can. I played a very minor role. I voted with the other six council members to appropriate the funds to pay for the investigation, and I made it clear that nothing will be covered up or swept under the carpet, as has been done in the past. I want to make it clear, Mr. Anderson fell under the weight of his own actions.   "I think it is important for the citizens of Sunnyside to now that the majority of the evidence gathered against Mr. Anderson came from his own men, the police officers of Sunnyside. I also believe it is important to look at some of the elements of this investigation and to ask some questions.   "The most disturbing issue was low police department morale.   "In Mr. Cuillier's report dated November 22, 1999 (the report the Daily Sun has chosen not to report to the public), he gives additional examples of past and present police officer statements regarding Mr. Anderson. Mr. Cuillier describes the reasons for "the animosity toward (Anderson) within his own department that some of the officers feel: e.g., 'callous treatment', 'lost his temper and frightened people, even to the extent of causing them to fear for their physical safety.'   "Think about that--police officers fearing for their personal safety from their Chief of police!   "Mr. Cuillier continues:   "'...had utilized a management style that caused some officers to feel as though they were walking on egg shells,' did not have the trust and respect of the officers; was perceived by some officers as being the type of manager who would likely retaliate through the use of his authority against any officer who spoke unfavorably of him,' 'and generally, as a summary of the bottom line, was not viewed by some officers to be a very good manager of personnel.'   "Where have we heard this before? In 1980. Quote from early 1980 Yakima Herald article reporting on Mr. Anderson's demotion civil service hearing:   "'During the three day hearing, (City Mgr. John) Bingham testified he narrowed the complaints to four major areas: point weapons inside the police department; use of abusive language in conversations and disciplining officers within the hearing of other officers; operating a police car in an unsafe manner; and use of abusive language over the police radio frequency'.   "In a March 8, 1980 Yakima Herald article regarding the civil service hearing, Charles Shoemaker, representing the city of Sunnyside, is quoted that he was surprised at a statement by Anderson that, morale was not connected to productivity. (Shoemaker) called it an indication of Anderson's basic attitude.   "The civil service commission said:   "'We recommend (Anderson) be assigned to the position of sergeant in the detective division in order to utilize his police training and skills in other than as a supervisor of personnel.'   "The commission also said:   "'Evidence showed Anderson's effectiveness as a supervisor had been diminished, the commission added there were grounds for the charges leveled against him.'   "How do you go from '...utilize his police training and skills in other than as a supervisor of personnel" to Chief of Police?   "This is a questions citizens should be asking previous city managers and council members who promoted and protected Mr. Anderson despite his documented defects.   "The issue investigated by Mr. Cuillier that posed the most danger to the most people, citizens as well as police and firefighters, was the storage of high and class C explosives at the old and new police buildings.   "Strike one:   "In June of 1992, Mr. Anderson was advised in a written report from our own fire department's Fire Marshal J.L. Stanton, that:   "'All class C explosives shall be stored in type 1,2, or 3 magazines.'   "The report goes on to say:   "'Currently there is a filing cabinet in the dispatch area that has an explosives sign on it. Chief Anderson assures me that there is a small amount of class C explosives in this cabinet. These explosives are not stored properly. All explosives shall be contained in approved magazines.'   "The report continues:   "'Should a fire of any magnitude occur in the dispatch area of the building, everyone in that areas is at risk. A fire of any magnitude in the dispatch area or the property room not only places the building at risk, it places the city employees at risk, the fire fighters at risk.'   "These are not my words buy Sunnyside's Fire Marshall J.L. Stanton's words in 1992. So, did Mr. Anderson heed this directive and act to protect the public, his men and the city's fire fighters?   "Strike two.   According to Mr. Cuillier's report of Nov. 8, 1999:   "'In early 1995, it was brought to the attention of the police department that in order to properly store high explosive material it would be necessary to invest in a secure bunker designed to contain high explosives. Shortly before the department received the copy of a complaint filed with the Dept. of Labor and Industries, the Washington State Patrol removed the explosives from the facility at the request of the police department'.   "The date of the removal of the class A high explosives by the State Patrol (four pounds of C4, 1,450 feet of detonator cord, 220 blasting caps, etc.) was Feb. 8, 1995, over two years after a directive from the fire department to store all explosives in an approved magazine. When the State Patrol bomb unit picked up the explosives their report indicates 'Chief Wallace Anderson' as the contact person.   "The original Labor and Industries complaint regarding the explosives was taken on Feb. 2, 1995, but a notification letter is not sent to Mr. Anderson until Feb. 13.   "Did he know that a complaint had been filed (Feb. 2) and then remove the explosives (Feb. 8) so he could be 'clean' when the notification letter was sent (Feb. 13)?   "If so, who told him?   "If it's OK for the police department to have explosives, why get rid of them?   "Why does he still have them in the police department building in 1995, when he was notified in 1992 that it was unsafe and put his men and the firefighters at risk?   "Strike Three.   "According to Mr. Cuillier's Nov. 8, 1999, report:   "'On Sept. 28, 1998, a letter was written to Chief Anderson by the then City Manager requesting a report because it had come to his attention that explosives beyond those normally authorized had been stored in the police facilities.'   "'On Oct. 9 and 13, 1998, the following additional military explosives (that were not considered high explosives, but rather class C explosives) were removed from storage cabinets in the arms room of the police department facility and were turned over to military representatives of the 53rd EOD: 15 parachute ground illumination signals; 14 cluster ground illumination signals; 28 hand grenade simulators; 8 trip surface flares; 13 booby trap simulators; 153 hand grenade fuses; 28 tracers; 4 artillery flash simulators ; 10 ground burst simulators; 5 CS canisters; 32 military white smoke devices.'   "How did Mr. Anderson get all of these items? And why?     "Why, if he was notified in 1992 that 'all explosives shall be contained in approved magazines.' and in not doing so...'not only places the building at risk, it places the city employees at risk, the fire fighters at risk" persist in keeping and storing class A and class C explosives in the police buildings?   "Does this demonstrate a dedication to the protection of the public? His men? Our firefighters?   "Or, does it demonstrate as Mr. Culler's report of Nov. 22, 1999, says when quoting past and present police officers describing Mr. Anderson:   "'...had an attitude of superiority; 'was perceived as believing he could do as he pleased and the opinion of others were of no value if they differed from his'?   "Do the above statements also explain the shooting of not one but three and quite possibly four birds on duty, inside city limits with police shot guns, two of which were federally protected?   "If anyone has any questions regarding the environment that existed at the police department under Mr. Anderson, I suggest you read Mr. Cuillier's two reports or speak to a few of our officers in private.   "Some have suggested that it is better to let this whole affair fade away. That it is politically 'expensive' to discuss the facts. That may be, but the facts are on my side and I am not afraid of the truth.   "I believe that the citizens of Sunnyside want good and open government and that no one is above the law."   --Councilman Don Vlieger