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Harvey Police Chief Calls Sheriff Dart "Bully" For Criticism Of Department

(CBS) -- Officials in Harvey say Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's accusations that the police department isn't up to par are baseless and they're suggesting he's trying to take over the department and the city.

Harvey Police Chief Denard Eaves stood with about 50 Harvey residents, including police officers, elected officials, city employees and citizens during a news conference at the police department, saying "I'm fed up with it. It's time for it to stop. I'm fed up with Mr. Dart. It's like the fly in the room that won't go away. But we're going to get a fly-swatter."

He said Dart is being a bully and said. "I've ran into bullies before and I know that if you don't address a bully they'll keep coming, so today we're addressing a bully."

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Dart said in a letter to the Justice Department, asking that it investigate Harvey PD practices, "sadly, your agency would be hard pressed to find a more fitting case for intervention."

To that, the police chief asked, "was he speaking of his office?"

Alderman Keith Price suggested Dart is working with "unseen political hands" to take over the town.

"They want our water, they want our rail spurs. This is nothing but a takeover, as we've seen many people do before. We've seen it done to the Indians, we've seen it done to the Africans."

Price says what's really happening is a bloc of aldermen on the Harvey City Council, who are behind a failed effort to bring Dart in as the city's Inspector General, are blocking a tax hike, without which there will be police layoffs and that would open the door to Dart coming into Harvey as he's done in other neighboring communities.

Price, the alderman, suggested that Dart's department needs to be investigated.

The chief said he would welcome a Justice Department review of policies and practices.

Sheriff Dart says he agrees with Harvey on one important point: "The Department of Justice should re-enter Harvey so as to ensure the people of this village are receiving the level of justice that they deserve. Otherwise, the findings from our assessment of Harvey PD speak for themselves."

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