Internal communications within the Grapevine Police Department (GPD) obtained by The Dallas Express reveal what led the law enforcement agency to reject a gift from an area business and how local elected officials seemingly exerted political pressure and influence over that decision.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, GPD publicly refused a donation of a $1,500 gift card for pizza from Patriot Mobile, a local business that proclaims to be “America’s only Christian conservative wireless service provider.”
After initially accepting the donation on January 12, GPD tweeted a thank you message to Patriot Mobile, remarking how “blessed” the department was to have the company’s “support and encouragement.”
However, the appreciation soon turned to remorse, with GPD posting a long missive two days later on social media apologizing for accepting the donation and vowing “to do better moving forward.”
“One of our values, Dignity, ensures that we recognize the inherent worth of all persons and compels us to act toward them within a manner that conveys our understanding of that truth. It is about being respectful to ALL,” GPD wrote in its public apology.
Now, emails, texts, and other internal communications secured under state public information law give a window into what exactly happened over those two days.
First, a review of the text message correspondence between GPD staff revealed a sense of anxiety around some of the responses that the department’s initial post touting the donation had received.
Much of the discussion revolved around ways to silence the online discourse. Chief Mike Hamlin and staff exhaustively discussed everything from turning off the ability for the public to comment to removing the post about the donation to even deleting the GPD Facebook page altogether.
Amanda McNew, media manager for GPD, recommended against terminating the ability to comment or deleting the entire page, citing the likelihood of future litigation against the department on First Amendment grounds since it is a government entity.
She went further to comment, “Shutting down the pages would also stop our communication with the public, most of whom are supportive. The majority of the negative posts are from other states, countries and even bots.”
Even with McNew’s assessment that the vast majority of negative comments were not from Grapevine residents, Hamlin and others continued to weigh their options.
At one point, McNew even claimed she reached out to Judy Pal, a “crisis comm instructor” with the FBI, for guidance on navigating the pizza donation issue.
Local elected officials also weighed in with Grapevine city staff and Hamlin.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Trustee Becky St. John texted Grapevine City Manager Bruno Rumbelow complaining about the Patriot Mobile donation and calling the integrity of GPD officers into question.
St. John accused GPD of failing to investigate alleged complaints against Patriot Mobile and insinuated that the pizza donation was to blame.
“I know several complaints were filed; it looks rather obvious now why none got attention from the DA,” St. John texted. “This is terrible, Bruno.”
She went on to lament, “I have extremely high regard for Chief Hamlin. But I’m now very concerned about other people in that building.”
Rumbelow replied, thanking St. John and letting her know they were “working on it.”
Grapevine Mayor Pro Tem Darlene Freed texted Hamlin directly to bring attention to the negative reactions online, claiming that the city council was also “getting calls and texts” on the matter.
In these communications, Hamlin discussed openly with staff exactly what to do with the pizza donation. At times he suggested giving it back to Patriot Mobile, but there was also significant discussion about giving it to another organization.
In one such exchange, after it was suggested that the donation be re-donated to another group, Hamlin asked, “to whom?”
A staff member responded, “VAST,” — a local after-school program — “Or an lgbtq+ group.”
Hamlin replied, “That’s an idea.”
As the internal debate on how to respond continued, in one text exchange, a GPD employee said to Assistant Chief of Police Tim Hall that the department had “aligned ourselves with a hate group” and called for a change in their donation policy.
Hall did not challenge the claim but responded by asking if the United States government had formally recognized Patriot Mobile as a hate group.
“Fair. Not that I know of,” the employee responded.
And while Hamlin and his senior team agonized over how to handle the situation, rank-and-file officers also made their feelings known.
One email to Hamlin from Pedro Soltero, a GPD patrol sergeant, was extremely pointed.
Noting “several officers” were apparently uncomfortable with the donation, Soltero claimed the Christian company “has been associated with numerous organizations that do not share the same values that [GPD] does.”
“Patriot Mobile has been known as an anti-women, anti-LBGQT+, and anti-minority organization,” Soltero wrote.
“Our organization should provide an inclusive and comfortable atmosphere to all our employees and the diverse community we serve regardless of political views, the color of our skin, or sexual orientation,” he continued.
As GPD ambled towards its desired response and course of action, City Manager Rumbelow shared GPD’s proposed apology with Mayor Pro Tem Freed.
Freed later reached out to express her approval of its contents and appreciation for the approach.
GCISD Trustee Shannon Braun commented on what the information revealed:
“I am disappointed that a member of our GCISD board, Becky St. John, would use her position to put political pressure on the City Manager and make accusations against our police officers and District Attorney — all over a pizza donation. This is not the first time that Trustee St. John has acted in a unprofessional manner.”
Tammie Grantham, a 35-year Grapevine resident and member of GCISD Parents, made the public information request on this issue and spoke to The Dallas Express on her reading of its contents.
“It was obvious that there was more to the story than we were told by the Grapevine PD. The open records request I filed revealed a shocking contempt for local business owners and Christians who wanted to honor the police that sacrificially serve our community,” Grantham said.
“City staff labeled a Christian company a ‘hate group’ and talked about passing the gift along to an LGBTQ+ group as some sort of sad joke at Patriot Mobile’s expense,” she continued.
Grantham also expressed surprise that a local school board trustee, Becky St. John, would insert herself into the situation by reaching out to the city manager directly and making accusations against the integrity of GPD, its officers, and the district attorney.
In conclusion, Grantham said, “City staff shouldn’t be conspiring against our community — that’s what this looks like to me.”
The Dallas Express reached out to Chief Hamlin, Mayor Pro Tem Freed, and Trustee St. John for comment, but as of the writing of this article, none had responded.
Note: This article was updated on February 10 at 9 a.m. to include comment from Braun.
Police departments must stop caving to a woke mob that wants to defund them. Wokeists somehow convinced weak GPD leadership that funds from Patriot Mobile were too tainted to benefit their own department, but the money would be cleansed if it was sent to an LGBTQ+ organization.
In this upside down world, GPD doesn’t bite the hand that feeds them. They feed the hand that bites them.
Or had GPD kept the money, “to lick the boot that kicks you”
As a retired LEO from the DFW area I am very disappointed in GPD. Notice the article stated that no one in Grapevine complained at first! The criticism came from other States and even bots! I guess San Francisco runs their Department! Sad, sad day for America!
Looks like the city leaders in Grapevine are inverting good and evil. Brainwashing complete, now they need time to rehab in the unemployment line. Time for the citizens of Grapevine to clean house of these feckless stooges.
This is just another example of the downward spiral of our society. So some people complained, so what?
Caving in to the woke mob is ridiculous. They do not represent society as whole.
This country is moving away from its founding principles and will be paying the price sooner rather than later.
Its more than apparent that folks like Becky St. John, and Pedro Soltero and others had an agenda here. They should be ashamed!
Did anyone bother to ask the question as to exactly what did Patriot Mobile do to deserve to be labeled a hate group. Not just accuse them of being anti-this or anti-that, but an actual action or position they had taken to deserve to have their donation turned down? All anyone has to do anymore is just be accused of anything, no matter how false it may be and you’re ruined for life. These are the same tactics used to establish places like North Korea and Red China not to mention the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
Let’s examine the possibility of what the LGBTG+ group they wanted to re-gift the donation to thinks is uplifting and moral. Its more than likely they support the genital mutilation of pre-teen and children’s sexual organs with out their parents approval. I can’t think of a more hateful action than ruining a young person’s life with un-scientific experimental surgeries that will make them sterile and disfigured for life.
If these are the values the Grapevine officials support, then I’ll never step foot in that town again because I am a Patriot Mobil customer and being so just might get me thrown in jail.
Please keep shedding light on these morally corrupt city leaders that are secretly forcing their disgusting values on the rest of us.
Maybe it was the political flyers that omitted key details and misled voters (George Santos-like?); maybe it was the Rambo Trump cardboard cut-out, holding a machine gun advertising P-Mobile like some kind of Putin-wannabe, or the company’s political alignment at CPAC; maybe it’s the book banning or the word “patriot”, or the GPDs policy of accepting gifts.
It’s a good thing mistakes were made; it sheds light on how DX news uses ‘Hate’ to spread hate; and it also sheds light on the selective ignorance and rabid reflex of their audience…among other things.
Disgusting values; you mean like legal addictions to cigarettes, illicit drugs and alcohol; and buckets of fried chicken overflowing on every street corner? It’s no secret.
Enjoy P-Mobile. You have been assimilated; resistance is futile.
Perhaps GPD should not accept tax dollars from non LGBQO+ Grapevine citizens as well since the thought of receiving money from them makes them uncomfortable.
Now there’s a thought! Excuse non-woke citizens from paying taxes because their money is somehow tainted. Woke folks should embrace this means of telling the world how woke Grapevine is.
Patriot Mobile; touted by Bannon and Trump Jr at the CPAC last year; spent $600k to buy four public school boards in the FW suburbs in order to push their conservative political agenda; they also gave pizza to the GPD.
The GPD realized their mistake in taking the gift and have become the villain, as have many others who question anything Trump.
Thanks DX, for that “fact-based, non-partisan news”….twist.
Go away Trump hater!! Your opinion is hateful! Nobody’s business who they wish to donate to. The audacity of city staff person to suggest giving it to lgbtq instead. Say whut?!?!
I am one of those damn Dems and proud of it.. I make sure I pay my taxes. I agree give your social security, Medicare and any other money you have to Trump and Bannon who cruise around the seas and steal your money. Then go to the fund bank and pay your utilities. Don’t complain just roll over in your woke spirit.
Don’t care what you do with your coins 🪙.
Also nobody’s business whether the GPD choose to accept it or not. And they ALSO have the right to give it to whomever they want to.
Thanks for shedding light on what’s behind Patriot Mobile. Amazing how many Trumpers overuse the “woke” word they keep hearing from their right wing media.
Pizza-Gate has erupted inside the Grapevine Police Department! Patriot Mobile, a Christian conservative wireless provider, gave a $1500 pizza gift certificate to the Grapevine PD to thank them for their ongoing service to the community. That seemingly innocuous appreciation for our First Responders caused some people’s heads to explode, and they demanded that GPD return the donation, or donate it to…., wait for it,… an LGBTQ group.
Pizza-Gate has erupted inside the Grapevine Police Department! Patriot Mobile, a Christian conservative wireless provider, gave a $1500 pizza gift certificate to the Grapevine PD to thank them for their ongoing service to the community. That seemingly innocuous appreciation for our First Responders caused some people’s heads to explode, and they demanded that GPD return the donation, or donate it to…., wait for it,… an LGBTQ group.
A pizza certificate and we are going to make this a political issue.
Buy pizza cards and give them to the homeless. Or just shred the card. God is not pleased with our behavior.🙏❤️
These communist are having a field day, divide and conquer.
Anna – good suggestion, do you happen to know what pizza company was on the gift? I guess the only donation that could have been ‘worse’ is if it was for Chik-Fil-A. (see the brouhaha at our airport for that one)
I could careless what kind of card it was, if a person is hungry give them a card. Your WOKE brain has just got a brain freeze.
Who cares about what Chik-Fil- A thinks, that the problem, you need a chicken to think for you! 🐓🐣
Why would a police department accept a public donation from a ‘company’ that is actually a political action committee? By accepting this donation, the police department would be expressing an acceptance of the extremist views taken by this so-called company. The city government of Grapevine made the right call in turning down the donation, but it’s disappointing that they needed to be shamed online into doing the right thing.
Seems to me that the word ‘Patriot’ in the company’s name is triggering the woke residents of Grapevine.
And the clown show continues!
Halalujeih!
Definitely a trigger word for ALL Americans, not just the ones you make fun of. Woke is a keeper, too.
I’d like to see this “evidence”
Patriot Mobile has been known as an anti-women, anti-LBGQT+, and anti-minority organization,” Soltero wrote.
Talk about much ado about nothing! Either the department accepts gifts or it doesn’t. Bullet-Proof vests? Gas masks? Pizza’s? The Police are sworn and paid to protect ALL citizens! Why discriminate? The gesture was presumed innocent enough at first and because of WHO donated it was not “pure” enough. How screwed up is that!
Oh my, grapevine is now on the national /international news all because of pizza donation? Those in power and everyone that had a say on this are so childish and immature.
Trying to connect with Eric Geist