When Godfrey realized it was an officer, he called Greiner to tell him he believed members of OPBA were behind the roving van with its messages — something critical because the mayor had been assured earlier that the association had nothing to do with it.

"My purpose was solely to let the chief know what was happening," Godfrey said.

The mayor said he never called the chief wanting to know who the vehicle belonged to, or told the chief to take any action.

"He (Greiner) asked if I could provide a license plate (number) and so I did," Godfrey said.

When asked by media about the ethics of using the system to identify the owner of a vehicle for non-police purposes, Godfrey simply replied he does "not pretend to be a lawyer."

"From an ethical standpoint I think it is appropriate for a police chief to verify that his people are being honest with him, as a general statement," he said.

Within two hours of Godfrey's "sighting," Jones was put on administrative leave, a move some skeptics say is too coincidental not to be related.

"It seems like Greiner and the mayor are trying to intimidate the officers," said Brian Barnard, a Salt Lake civil rights attorney. "Anything is possible. We're just left to guess. But there are enough people in this world with a cynical bone in their body."

Police and firefighters remain disgruntled over raises being linked to a higher performance standard in a city they say already struggles to retain quality public safety employees because of inequities in pay.

"We don't have a problem doing it, we just don't feel this is the right way to go about it," said an Ogden police officer about the new evaluation system.

In the past two years, 32 firefighters have left Ogden to find other, higher paying jobs, said EMT Dick Youngberg. One firefighter left this week for a job in West Jordan that will pay nearly $12,000 more per year.

"We're losing people at an alarming rate," he said. "We are one of the busiest (fire departments) in the state, and we do it with less people."

While officers and firefighters wait for dialogue to open about performance evaluations, Godfrey feels that the system in place is totally appropriate.

"I think the way he (Greiner) evaluates his guys makes sense," Godfrey said. "I think it's a rational, reasonable thing. I think it's a good thing for Ogden to have."

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