Belleville city clerk may face charges of filing false police report

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly is reviewing a criminal case against Belleville City Clerk Dallas Cook for allegedly filing a false police report in connection with a dispute with a constituent.

Belleville police presented its criminal investigation against Cook to Kelly’s office on Tuesday following a May 26 exchange at a city council meeting where Belleville resident Rose Wilson complained about the way Cook allowed his friends into his office.

Latest on this story: Brendan Kelly won't press charges

Belleville police were called on May 27 for a report of a possible theft and trespass by Wilson. Cook claimed he saw Wilson enter the alderman’s closet next to the public counter and remove paperwork, according to a letter written by Belleville Police Chief William Clay III on June 23. But Cook said Tuesday that he never said he saw Wilson enter the closet but inferred she may have.

“Ms. Wilson asked the Belleville PD to review her complaint against Mr. Cook for false reporting, and Mr. Cook asked the Belleville PD to review his complaint against Ms. Wilson for trespassing,” Kelly said on Tuesday. “Since Mr. Cook is a Belleville elected official, they asked our office to conduct an independent review.

“I am reviewing the case and will decide whether criminal charges are in order.”

Cook denied making a false report to the police. He gave his account of the incident to police at their request after Wilson went to police.

“I am shocked that the police department would engage in this kind of behavior,” Cook said.

In the June 23 letter, Clay references Cook’s written statement given to police that stated:

▪  On or about 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, I witnessed Rose Wilson enter City Hall. Upon her entry, she did not have any paperwork in her possession ... Shortly after seeing Ms. Wilson walk by, I heard the door to the alderman’s closet close. At that time, I turned around and saw Ms. Wilson standing in front of the alderman’s closet door now with a stack of paper in her hands. Clearly, it would be extremely inappropriate for a member of the public to remove information from the alderman’s mailboxes.

▪  Alderman Roger Wigginton witnessed the incident.

▪  Cook believed Wilson should be questioned about what Wilson was doing in the closet and what she took.

Clay directed a review of the relevant video.

“The video clearly captures Ms. Wilson walking to the counter and picking up some paperwork from the public side of the counter,” Clay wrote in his letter. “At no time did Ms. Wilson enter or attempt to enter the alderman’s closet.”

Det. Sgt. Mark Heffernan met with Wigginton, who denied seeing Wilson enter the closet.

“I find that Ms. R. Wilson did not enter or attempt to enter the alderman’s closet,” Clay wrote. “The paperwork she collected was from the information placed on the counter made available to the general public. Video evidence clearly supports this finding. Alderman Wigginton’s statements support this finding. Mr. Cook’s allegations were not factual and no further action will be taken by this department.”

The video was released after Wilson requested a copy under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Wilson also requested emails sent by Cook to Michael Hagberg. Cook wanted to name Hagberg as his assistant, but Hagberg was not a union member. The day Hagberg showed up for work, a human resources assistant called police to report that a non-employee was behind the counter in the clerk’s office. Five officers responded.

The city’s union filed a grievance against Cook. The grievance was dropped when Cook agreed to hire Jennifer Starnes as his assistant.

Cook and Wilson are political foes. Wilson has attended city council meetings for nearly 30 years, including when Cook’s father, Roger, was the mayor in the 1990s.

The investigation is all political, said Cook, 29, who was elected as city clerk in April 2013.

“This is all happening to me because Chief Clay doesn’t like me. The mayor doesn’t like me,” Cook said. “All I have tried to do is what is right and do right by the people who elected me to serve.”

Wilson denied the incident was personal or political.

“I don’t hate him,” she said. “I just want accountability.”

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Belleville city clerk may face charges of filing false police report."