Prosecutor probing 911 call, chief
Canton Repository
Thursday, April 26, 2007
By Malcolm Hall
...Canton City Prosecutor Frank Forchione is trying to determine if there may have been a domestic incident at Police Chief Martin Volkar's home when a 911 call was made... No arrest was made when police responded... Volkar reportedly was at the home with his wife, Rachel, who was a sergeant with the department at the time. "The other thing I am concerned with is missing evidence... I did meet with the mayor last week and I learned that some evidence is being held in a councilman's safe-deposit box... I don't have the 911 call (tape)... I want to know what was said and who said it... Some reports were written... I am waiting to talk to all the officers, I am waiting to see all the records... Was there domestic violence? Where is the evidence, like pictures and 911 call used to determine if charges should be filed? And was there sufficient evidence to file charges against one of the parties?"... "They called us as backup," Magnolia Police Chief Jeffrey Hagar said. "They probably should have passed it on to another (law enforcement) agency, that would be Stark County (sheriff). You can't investigate your own chief... Forchione said -- "Why is evidence not put in the police file but in a private safe-deposit box?"... Rachel Volkar has since resigned...
Officer reportedly threatened suicide
Canton Repository
Friday, April 27, 2007
By Malcolm Hall
...According to a Magnolia police report, Rachel Volkar had threatened to commit suicide during a domestic incident. How local police handled the emergency call to the chief's residence is being investigated by Canton Law Department Prosecutor Francis Forchione. "I think it is clear she put a gun to her head," said Forchione. "The report indicates she put a loaded gun to her head. Two weeks later it (the gun) was given back to her. That concerns me. She received no counseling or psychological treatment. That concerns me and it should concern the public. The bigger question is why did she remain (on the police force) for four more months? She worked from October to February"... Volkar is married to Martin Volkar, the Waynesburg police chief...
Will this story disappear? Only one paper is carrying it. I commend the reporter for including what he has included in his telling. There is almost no reason to believe anything associated with information that is released by police on this event - in light of what IS known.
A prayer is lifted for Rachel and all involved.
[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal suicde suicidal coverup cover up ohio state politics]
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=358482&Category=9&subCategoryID=0
ReplyDeleteHere is the latest... HORRIBLE PEOPLE
Waynesburg police chief's actions 'appalling,' report finds
ReplyDeleteCharges examined against Volkar, Mayor Mary Connelly
Canton Repository
UPDATE: 2:19 PM, Tuesday, June 5, 2007
...Waynesburg Lt. Bill Bath seized the gun but took no pictures of any injuries or damage to the home. Neither party was charged with domestic violence... When Bath returned to work he discovered his report and records had been deleted from the computer database, and the duty log and DVD from his cruiser were missing. The next day, [Mayor Mary] Connelly told Bath to give all his information to the chief. The mayor then ordered evidence removed from the police file and placed in a bank safe deposit box... The incomplete investigation and other factors make it impossible to successfully prosecute...
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=358400&Category=15&subCategoryID=0
Report rips Waynesburg chief, mayor
Canton Repository
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
By Malcolm Hall
...Offering a scathing review of Waynesburg's Police Department, a Canton-based prosecutor is asking Stark County officials to consider possible criminal charges against Waynesburg's mayor and police chief... The mayor, according to [Prosecuor Frank] Forchione's report, told [Waynesburg Lt. Bill] Bath to turn over reports to the police chief. Then, the mayor reportedly took Bath off the investigation of the domestic incident at the police chief's home... "I am disturbed that she puts a loaded gun to her head," Forchione said. "And two weeks later he (Chief Volkar) orchestrates a medical release, hands her the gun and puts her back on the streets to protect the public"...
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=358482&Category=9&subCategoryID=0
I have collected thousands of these stories and what I know that I know is that what we are hearing about what happens inside of the Chief's house is only HALF of the story, ANNNND the half we see isn't quite accurate.
ReplyDeleteThere's some deflection going on.
Smoke n' mirrors.
The prosecutor wants to know why the chief gave her back her gun. Dig deeper and this would not be a story about a chief that should have the POWERS to give anybody back anything. This domestic situation is starting to/leaning towards representing this as the chief-who-wants-his-"personal"-life-private
ReplyDeleteand his crazy wife.
That's not what it is.
"Disciplining" this chief?
That's as bad as not.
Waynesburg needs a clean cop at the top.
Village suspends chief of police
ReplyDeleteThe Repository
Friday, June 8, 2007
By Malcolm Hall
WAYNESBURG Village Council voted 5-1 Thursday to suspend Martin Volkar as police chief... Volkar's suspension, with pay, follows a critical report by Francis Forchione, the Canton Law Department's chief prosecutor. Forchione investigated the manner in which village officials and the police department handled a domestic situation last year at the home Volkar shares with his wife, Rachel Volkar. Forchione's investigation suggested village officials, including Mayor Mary Connelly, removed evidence from public view and prematurely halted the police investigation of the incident...
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=358891&Category=15&subCategoryID=0
Village police chief is sidelined
The-Review
Georgette Huff
June 9, 2007
Volkar was ordered to return his cruiser keys and was told to "not enter" the police station... Because of her suicide threat, Mrs. Volkar was taken to Aultman Hospital... She signed an agreement stating she would follow her patient-care plan and was released... although Mrs. Volkar [a police sgt.] did not keep her appointments, Chief Volkar faxed a letter, which had been prepared by Waynesburg Mayor Mary Connelly, to the Aultman Hospital doctor requesting a medical release for his wife. The doctor signed and backdated the release... Mrs. Volkar's weapon was returned to her, and she was allowed to return to work... Lt. Bath, one of the officers who had responded to the Sept. 29 call, realized his report had been deleted from the department's computer, and the handwritten incident report had been altered and classified instead as a 911 hang-up call... Connelly removed Bath from the investigation. Connelly met that same week with the village's former solicitor and the Safety Committee, but did not fully inform the committee... Connelly ordered the evidence be removed from the police file and placed in a safe-deposit box... Additionally, [Prosecuor Frank] Forchione states he believes "Mayor Connelly's explanation -- that she acted to preserve Mrs. Volkar's privacy -- "is plausible," and feels that no criminal charges against Connelly are warranted for initiating the removal of the records from the police department files...
http://www.the-review.com/news/article/2108041
The latest in this saga is that the village is disbanding the police dept and keeping Martin Volkar on as a consultant for two months. Why not just say what it is - severence pay!! His wife has a history of abuse - her former relationships were riddled with her violent outbursts. No matter what has happened throughout this situation he is culpable by covering for her, and the Mayor needs to be hung up by her heels. I hope this village has learned a lesson and when it comes time to vote get rid of some of their council and their mayor. If no one runs against her - then just don't vote for her! Unfortunately, while the former Chief is kept on as a consultant, all the other officers, good or bad, now loose their jobs. And when will they make the Chief move from the house he is living in - owned by the village - free of rent?
ReplyDeleteI have so many officer dv deaths in my head that as I read I think - things could be worse. I'm very sorry for Waynesburg officers and their families. I will add them - and the chief's household - to my prayers. While all have breath there is a chance for something positive to come.
ReplyDeleteIT IS REALLY PITIFUL keeping him on as a consultant instead of focusing on his criminal acts of obstruction.
And high-five to councilmember Richard Dierick in today's article. Of the mayor, he said, ""The fox is still in the hen house."
It's up to the citizens of Waynesburg. If they make noise they can force changes. If they just murmur amongst themselves the shadow will remain.
Waynesburg to dump police force
ReplyDeleteCanton Repository
By Malcolm Hall
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
With plans to dissolve the Police Department, Village Council voted Tuesday to retain former Chief Martin Volkar as a consultant on police matters for the next two months. However, two of the six council members objected, preferring to drop Volkar from the village payroll now rather than retain him as a consultant. Volkar, a central figure in an investigation into how police handled and investigated a reported domestic incident at his home, was suspended with pay Thursday. "Legally, I understand the reason behind what we did," Councilwoman Debra Sickafoose said. "I don't think we should pay anything. We had the facts, there was wrongdoing. I just don't want him affiliated with Waynesburg. I want him gone"...
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=359770&Category=9&subCategoryID=0
and here may be the rest of the story - much too coincidental to the rest of the Volkar incident:
ReplyDeleteStark's Council of Governments to assess dispatching:
Canton Repository - Wed, June 13, 2007
CANTON Waynesburg's police officers and firefighters leave from the same address on E. Lisbon Street.
But the calls telling them where help is needed are routed through two separate dispatch centers 20 miles apart.
A call for a Waynesburg police officer passes through the Regional Emergency Dispatch Center in Jackson Township. Calls for the village's fire department are dispatched by Valley Communications in Waynesburg.
One other village and five townships also depend on two centers for dispatching services.
It's a system the Stark County Council of Governments - a body composed of a representatives from each political subdivision - wants to re-evaluate.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire a consultant to assess the region's eight dispatching centers and the Stark County 911 Center. It also created a seven-member subcommittee that will select the consultant.
Questions the consultant will be expected to answer include: Should 911 and dispatch services be combined into one center? How many dispatch centers are needed? Where should they be located? And does the county have enough equipment?
The assessment is expected to be completed by February. Any recommendations by the consultant would return to the SCOG board for approval, said board member and Canton city Law Director Joe Martuccio.
Existing Dispatch Centers
Alliance City
Canton City
Regional Emergency Dispatch Center
Stark County Sheriff
Stark Complete Dispatch (Nimishillen)
Valley Communications
Carroll Com - Carroll County dispatch
State Highway Patrol
Source: Request for Proposal for Regional 911, Dispatch, Radio Study and Recommendation for Stark County Council of Governments
So mrs.collar is back being a police officer and in a Sgt status in portage county. Will she make the same mistakes? Will she put her child out on a busy street along in a car seat and walk away like she has done. Does she even know how to do the job without her husband picking up the prices is this really a person people what to be protected by? It is a shame that no one was charged because there is still all the evidence out there. Not all of it was locked in the safe. There is videos and hard copy reports and statements from that night. She never should be a cop and neither should mr collar be a cop. Someone need to keep digging. The officer that were there did there job but the mayor and chief collar put a stop to it and tied their had and thought they distorted every thing. But they dis not! Just look in the right places and you just may find everything to finally charge them and keep them from being cops
ReplyDeleteI almost didn't post your comment because your allegation about the child, but the rest of what you had to say sounds very important. The child thing is important if it's true too, I just am uneasy posting unsubstantiated allegations from anonymous commenters. But saying the info is out there is important. The question is who wants to hide it and who wants to find it. See if you can get a reporter to dig.
ReplyDeleteI have had the honor of meeting Officer Rachel and she is one of the nicest people you would ever meet. She is a Christian Woman and an excellent mother and when it comes to law enforcement she is highly educated. Before you cast a stone at this Officer, Mother, and Corrections Officer make sure you don't live in a glass house.I sure wish someone would take the time to listen to her and get to know her like I do.Rachel keep being you and someday these haters might need the lady dressed in blue to help them.
ReplyDeleteChristian woman?
ReplyDeleteObviously your meeting her other personality.