COWETA, Okla. — Coweta Police Chief Mike Bell now leads an investigation into each member of Coweta City Council and City Manager Julie Casteen.
Since leaders released plans for a data center in Coweta that later got scrapped, a vocal group of citizens began speaking out against the council and against Casteen.
WATCH: INVESTIGATION: Coweta police chief Bell will investigate councilors, city manager:
During the council’s May 4 meeting, neighbors like David Seales questioned leaders' responsiveness to emails.
“Is this just an honor system, like y’all can respond if you want to, or ignore us if you choose?” Seales asked.
“If I didn’t answer at my job – I know this is only a part-time job to you – however, I probably wouldn’t have a job,” another neighbor added.
During the April 6 council meeting, several citizens called for Casteen's firing.
Those citizens accused Casteen of acting in bad faith, particularly regarding the data center.
During the May 4 meeting, the council authorized Bell to begin a formal investigation into the council and Cateen. The council outlined its expectations for Bell in a letter.
“I’ve had no citizens come into the police department to report a crime. I need somebody to come in and do that. Well, [this letter] is my way of fixing that,” Bell said.
- Previous coverage>>> Developers connected to proposed data center in Coweta withdraw from project
Bell is investigating five allegations related to each of the councilors and the city manager.
- Real estate activities and licensing compliance.
- The use of non-disclosure agreements and open records compliance.
- Bribery and/or illegal transactions.
- Misappropriating public funds.
- Conduct that could discredit the city.
Councilors struck one aspect of the investigation: possible harassment of minor children, at the request of Vice Mayor Jeremy Barnett.
“I would rather to initiate that investigation as dad or husband, not as a member of this,” Barnett said.
In a May 6 press conference, Chief Bell said his department will also coordinate as needed with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General, and the county district attorney's office.
“We look at the state statutes, we look at the elements of the crime to see whether or not a crime was committed and then we’ll turn all of the evidence that we collect over to the DA’s office,” Bell said.
To date, only one person brought evidence directly to the police department, and that was about a potential open records violation, Chief Bell said, while emphasizing that social media posts do not help in the investigation.
2 News asked the chief about his experience investigating his own town. He responded that the first instance was in June 2017, when city council ended up firing the then-city manager.
“This isn’t my first time doing something like this," Bell said. "I don’t have any problems investigating, as people out there say, my own boss. Because when it comes down to the end of the day, my boss is actually my oath of office.”
The chief said he will not comment on the investigation again until he calls for another press conference - or if there's a special council meeting - "when everything is done". To that end, Bell said there’s no clear timeline.
“Let me make one thing clear to everybody in this room: We will be transparent," he said. "We are not gonna withhold anything from the public. When I find out something, they will know the truth.”
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