There's true turmoil within the Fayetteville city government, but it extends beyond the much-publicized troubles at the police department headlined in this paper for the past three weeks.

The police department is wracked with allegations of secret and not-so-secret taping of officers, multiple firings and demotions of veteran officers over the past decade, and suggestions of an overbearing chief with kingdom-building aspirations, out of touch with his officers, out of reach of aggrieved citizens, and unaccountable to a (willfully?) ignorant city council.

In addition, the city faces federal racial and job discrimination charges filed by a fired police major. It could cost city taxpayers a bundle to settle the claims.

The Fayetteville City Council, instead of stepping up to the public plate and telling the citizens of Fayetteville what is happening inside their police department, has retreated behind a wall of silence.

While rumors sweep the county about Chief Johnny Roberts and his remaining major, Steve Ledbetter, having being handed their walking papers, the council has gone mute.

Chief Roberts is still in charge, the official city line goes. No changes, the official city line goes. A secret "executive" session last week ends with no announcement about anything, and so the official city line goes.

The council seems to be acting to assuage its lawyers' fears of public disclosure of so-called "personnel matters."

But the voters of Fayetteville elected the council and mayor for just such moments as these. The lawyers weren't elected by anybody.

After three weeks of silence, the council must start talking to the people of Fayetteville about what is happening in the public safety sector of city government.

Questions must be answered. Here are some:

What is the actual status of the top two officers in the department, Roberts and Ledbetter? Is anybody "retiring" and is anybody being fired?

Who is running the public safety department right now? What are the council's plans to deal with the turmoil within the department?

What is the council going to do in the aftermath of the extraordinary staff meeting involving the city manager and many officers?

In that meeting, we hear, officers described an unhealthy management atmosphere centered on Roberts and Ledbetter. The council must share with the public what is happening inside the main city department charged with the duty to protect and serve the citizens of Fayetteville.

We hear both Roberts and Ledbetter are on the way out, but everybody at City Hall and the Police Department have suddenly become very shy. Nobody is saying anything. This shyness and silence is a big mistake.

It seems the two remaining top officers of Fayetteville's police department are under a dark, very public, cloud and city leaders have gone dumb.

The department's top command structure seems to have been wiped out, and the city council is saying nothing.

Is it because the council and City Manager Joe Morton are embarrassed about this snafu at the police department?

It's hard for council and Morton to assert that all this personnel trouble is a big surprise to them, because they had warnings years ago.

In a Citizen news article from Dec. 19, 2001, an individual voiced her concerns about Roberts' rules during an accreditation hearing. Read the public warning from four years ago:

"But Rebecca Raymer, a Fayette County citizen, voiced several claims, including:

"That the department's K-9 program was suspended as retribution against the actions of one of the city's former K-9 officers, who had attempted to file a grievance against the department. That officer has since resigned from the department, she said;

"That several officers had holiday and year-end bonus checks withheld from them for several days as retribution for not attending a city holiday party;

"That over half of the city's patrol officers are actively seeking other employment because of their dissatisfaction with the department's management;

"That the city's procedures for handling employee grievances are flawed, largely because Roberts also serves as the assistant city manager;

"That officers did not receive required salary increases for cost of living;

"That vacation time earned by some officers was taken away from them for disciplinary reasons.

"Raymer urged the accreditation assessment team to investigate her claims before making a decision on whether the department is worthy of accreditation.... She also noted that one city councilman and the mayor have been made aware of her claims that Roberts abused his power."

That was nearly four years ago.

The case can be made that the city manager and the mayor and city council either knew or reasonably should have known that Roberts' rule was a troubled reign.

The Fayetteville officials either knew or should have known that the turnover rate at the Fayetteville department was excessive.

They either knew or should have known of all the details of the demotion and later firing of the department's only black major.

They should have heard the warnings.

And now they must explain themselves and reassure the people of this city that their police department is being managed well with leaders who have the support and confidence of their officers.

The city council must lead the department and the city through this uncomfortable episode. The first step will be for the council to unstop their mouths and start telling the truth to the public.