Documents reveal rift between Bluffton’s new and old police chiefs that led to firing request
Before Bluffton’s new police chief left the town’s police department in 2021, his predecessor didn’t just want him demoted, she wanted him fired.
Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show that new Chief Joe Babkiewicz was disciplined, in part, for what his then-boss felt was a failure to appropriately respond after the 2021 death of Bluffton High School student Dwon Fields. Chief Stephenie Price, who left the Bluffton Police Department earlier this year, sent a request for the termination of Babkiewicz, a captain at the time.
“His judgment and decision-making abilities are questionable, he has displayed resistance in managing those under his direct command,” Price wrote in her recommendation for termination. “I am requesting Captain Babkiewicz be relieved of his command and be terminated from the employ of the Bluffton Police Department due to his pattern of inadequate and unacceptable performance as a member of this department.”
But the request for termination was ultimately denied. Instead, Babkiewicz was demoted two ranks from captain to sergeant, which translated into a nearly $13,000 pay cut, from $87,862 to $74,146, and he eventually resigned.
Termination requests must go through the town manager, and Scott Marshall, the interim town manager at the time, confirmed he rejected the termination request but OK’d the demotion.
“We had a police officer who had contributed to his community above and beyond what was expected for years and years. I took into account the totality of what he’s contributed as a long-standing, reputable member of the police department and member of the community,” Marshall told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Thursday.
“My determination was that the reason he was being disciplined was not quite egregious enough to warrant ending his career as a police officer.”
Questions have lingered about what transpired during Price’s tenure as chief and why Bluffton turned around and hired someone who Price wanted fired for its top position because town leaders and those involved have not been open with the public.
Current town manager Stephen Steese has refused to directly address the conflict between the old and new chiefs, saying he wasn’t the town manager at the time. Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka has spoken only in generalities and has not responded to a request for comment for this story. Babkiewicz has previously declined to discuss his demotion or issues with Price, and the newspapers have been unable to reach Price since her departure.
Marshall, who is soon to be city manager for the city of Beaufort, is confident that the town’s process for selecting its new head of the police department resulted in the best candidate getting the job.
“I don’t have a single bad thing to say about Joe,” said Marshall “He’s completely committed to that town and as far as I can tell, always has been.”
Marshall also defended Price, calling her a competent chief. Asked whether the town’s selection of Babkiewicz was a reflection on how it viewed Price’s judgment, Marshall said, “I don’t know that it sends any message at all. I think the message will be revealed in due time, and whether this chief works out or not.”
Four reasons given for firing request
Four incidents were listed as reasons in Price’s request, dated April 12, 2021, for approval to terminate Babkiewicz:
▪ Price accused Babkiewicz, who at the time was in charge of the Uniform Patrol division and the Criminal Investigations Division, of failing to appropriately notify command staff of a homicide in the March 5, 2021, murder of 18-year-old Dwon “D.J.” Fields.
The crime happened at 11:30 p.m. and Babkiewicz sent a text to Price about it at 11:55. However, Price did not see the text until the following morning at nearly 6:45 a.m.
“The seriousness of the crime and the detailed investigation required Captain Babkiewicz to respond to the scene, properly notify the Chief of Police and/or alert an alternate executive commander of his inability to direct the investigation,” Price wrote.
In a written rebuttal to Price, Babkiewicz noted that he was off duty and not on-call when the incident was reported, and that when he was notified, he instructed the on-scene officer to call the on-call commander. He said he did not go to the scene himself because he had a migraine and had had a “few drinks” that evening. He also noted that he had notified Price by text, which he said was the chief’s preferred mode of communication after hours, of the incident.
Babkiewicz, according to his rebuttal, also got to work at 9 a.m. the following morning, worked on the case until 3 a.m., then came back to work again at 7 a.m.
▪ Price was unhappy Babkiewicz cursed in front of subordinates when referring to the actions of another subordinate. On March 4, 2021, a phone call with a subordinate led Babkiewicz to report that officer for insubordination. Reports from other officers who witnessed the call were included in the report.
One officer’s report noted that Babkiewicz said, “Did he just f***ing hang up on me?” and “Go f ***ing get him before I …”
“I asked him [Babkiewicz] if he thought it was appropriate to recommend discipline on an officer who was disrespectful when he himself had violated policy” by his reaction to the initial incident, Price wrote.
The incident concluded with both Babkiewicz and the officer he reported receiving counseling.
Babkiewicz did not rebut this issue.
▪ Price said Babkiewicz refused her directions to move patrol lieutenant shifts to later in the night, saying “nothing happens at that time.” In his rebuttal, Babkiewicz chalked the issue up to miscommunication and said he later made the change as requested.
▪ Price was upset the Criminal Investigations Division was allowed to go home during a severe weather event while the rest of the police department remained on duty. In his rebuttal, Babkiewicz said he felt it OK to let the officers go as long as they stayed on-call.
Babkiewicz joined the Bluffton police in 2008, working his way to rank of captain by 2021. He left the department in November 2021, only to come back a little over a year later to take over as the town’s police chief.
