HSV officer slams department in letter to editor | News

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark. (KTHV) --  A Hot Springs Village police officer resigns, leaving behind a scathing "Letter to the Editor" Tuesday about the department. Some of it includes criticism on the handling of the recent Dawna Natzke missing person turned murder case.

Dale Anderson is the officer who wrote this letter to the Hot Springs Village Voice.

He declined any interviews for the story but by phone told us this story, in the big picture, is not about him. It's about exposing what he feels is a department led by bullies and now he hopes the community carries on his fight. But the chief says that there's no fight to begin with.

"By having it printed in the papers, that was the first I knew of it," A.L. Cornett said.

It was a surprise in Tuesday's Editorial Page of the Hot Springs Village Voice where the Village's Public Safety Director A.L. Cornet learned one of his officers was resigning from the force. 

"He did not come see me with any of these concerns, he never made any effort to notify me of any of this," Cornett said.

He is Officer Dale Anderson. In his letter, he questioned the department's investigation into the Dawna Natzke case. She was the village dispatcher who went missing and later turned up dead in the Jessieville-area December 31st. 

"We handled it appropriately, we handled it as quickly and efficiently as possible, there was no delay in getting the work done," Cornett said.

But Anderson writes the case "has caused many village residents to question the competency of their police department's leadership." He claims "resources that were offered or made available, were never utilized" and an apparent gag order on the case. 

"That's absolutely false," Cornett said.  

There are also allegations of a "hostile work environment" with a "If you don't like it here, go get a job somewhere else" mentality.

"My supervisors know that if an officer wants to come and talk to me about a personal issue, all they got to do is just tell them I need to go talk to the chief," Cornett said.

It's an open door policy, making these accusations a mystery to Cornett but fit to print for Anderson.

Anderson says that he officially put his resignation letter in the chief's mailbox at work Monday night. We asked him why he didn't do it in person, and he felt that would have been a waste of time. 

Anderson has worked at the Hot Springs Village Police Department for about four years. As for any issues, Cornett says that Anderson was on leave for several months on a worker's compensation problem but he wouldn't elaborate.

Anderson told us that he was injured while fighting a drunken suspect at a Wal-mart in June and had to have surgery on his arm. He says most recently he'd been working dispatch and night-time guard duty.   

Here is the message in its entirety:

To: HSV General Manager Scott Randall, All POA Board Members, Public Safety Director, Chief Cornett, Residents and Property Owners of Hot Springs Village,

I have served as a Police Officer for almost 27 years. Twenty of those years were on a larger metropolitan Police Department with a rather significant violent crime rate. After moving to the Village four years ago, I proudly began serving as a Patrol Officer with the Village's Police Department, seeking to give back to the community where I had chosen to make my new home.

Throughout these past four years, I have witnessed the offi cers of this Department deal with many frustrating, outdated and antiquated policies, procedures and administrative decisions.

These procedures and "past practices" would leave both officers and their supervisors feeling frustrated on a repeated basis.

Recommendations or suggestions made by experienced officers were rarely acknowledged, and their ideas were never considered. Any attempts to improve procedures or outdated practices were not only discouraged, but met with resistance, extreme negativity, and even hostility on occasion. The statement, "If you don't like it here, go get a job somewhere else," was heard quite often. Officers were also subjected to working within the most "hostile work environment" I've ever experienced.

As a property owner and resident of the Village, I am entitled to an opinion and have the right to express that opinion.

Unfortunately, as a POA employee that right is basically forfeited. As a direct result, I have been unable to share or expose the many issues and problems that plague your police department.

A recent incident and subsequent investigation, has caused many Village residents to question the competency of their police department's leadership. There also appears to be some type of official "gag order" surrounding this investigation. This has caused many questions to surface regarding the manner in which the current command staff handled this investigation, and why resources that were offered or made available, were never utilized. Based upon my experience and training, these concerns certainly appear justified and deserve to be addressed.

In light of this questionable investigation, and the "deafening silence" that has followed, I fear that appropriate accountability will never be sought, and that subsequent consequences will never be paid by those responsible.

As a result of this, I have decided to publicly resign from the Village Police Department. I have zero confidence in this Department's current leadership, and I am unable to feel even the slightest amount of pride in any continued service.

Therefore, I can not continue to serve under this department's current command staff, or their direction. It is my hope that this action will provide further cause for residents to demand that their questions be answered, their concerns be addressed, and that appropriate action is taken to ensure that their police department undergoes a major restructuring.

Although this letter is an expression of my personal views and opinions, I can assure you that other members of both your police, and your fire departments, have shared similar viewpoints with me. Fears of retaliation and loss of their jobs have prevented them from openly expressing these concerns previously.

If asked individually in a private environment, additional officers and fire fighters will substantiate the views expressed herein.

In closing, I realize my decision will not be without consequences of its own. Attacks against my character, and attempts to discredit me may soon be forthcoming. My family's personal finances will also suffer accordingly. I do believe however, that these personal sacrifices will be small in comparison to what the entire Village will gain by demanding change within its police department.

Respectfully Submitted
Dale E. Anderson
Hot Springs Village