Ralph Godbee retired, so why is he still getting paid?

By Charlie LeDuff
Fox 2 News

DETROIT (WJBK) -- With Detroit struggling to pay its bills, the Fox 2 Problem Solvers uncover some payments that will have you shaking your head.  This is a story of more money being wasted.

You remember Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee caught up last October loving, leaving and breaking the hearts of his female subordinates?  And then he got canned by Mayor Bing, who allowed him to retire.

"Chief Godbee has submitted a letter announcing his retirement effective immediately," Bing said in October of last year.

Well then how come Godbee is still getting paid by a city that can't pay its cops, can't pay its firefighters and can't pay its bills?

"I'd love to know where's the money that is being paid to him.  I'd love to know where's the money that we have to give to all these people to do restructuring 65 times.  What do you do?  What am I supposed to do?  And I have to scrub toilets and work side jobs to make my bills," says a Detroit police officer.

Now nobody has seen Godbee around the place doing any work, but according to payroll stubs obtained by Fox 2 News, Godbee still gets regular pay and holiday pay.  He earns vacation days and sick leave.  Now sometimes he fills out his check with banked time from when he was not supposedly retired.

"Right now he is not being paid by the police and fire retirement system, and according to the reports that I have in front of me here, it's obvious that he is still being carried on the books," says Mark Diaz, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association.

But the mayor said "effective immediately".

"I don't understand how we're paying for two police chiefs," says Jerome Warfield, chairman of the Detroit Police Commission.

Should they just kick him to the curb?

"Again, that's the mayor and his staff, and I think he will be better able to answer that question."

Bing's press guy had no comment.

Now current chief or former chief or co-chief or whatever Godbee is isn't the only horn dog drawing a public check in Detroit.

Nude texter and Third Circuit Court Judge Wade McCree got into his own hot water in December after we revealed that the buff barrister had impregnated a young woman who had a child support case before him.

He made a fool of himself and the court, but even though the court is broke, they are still paying the judge $12,000 a month.

Now that made the Judicial Tenure Commission so mad that we found out they asked the Michigan Supreme Court to suspend McCree without pay while they investigate.  Highly unusual.

Now let me say this loud and clear.  Good governance starts from the top, and if you want to get things fixed, you know where to look.