Bellevue reviewing city's past investigation of police chief Elbert

Under new leadership, Bellevue city administrators have been reviewing the controversial investigation of the city’s chief of police.

Mayor Rusty Hike said his office is in the process of fulfilling his campaign promise that he would examine Bellevue's investigation of its police chief, Mark Elbert. That review is in its second week, the mayor said Wednesday.

“We have to... We have to get it taken care of,” said Hike, who took office Dec. 10. “What happened. Why it happened. What we did during the process, and if those decisions were correct in our opinion.”

Chief Elbert was reinstated after a year-long

.

During his absence, the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office conducted an investigation into

The City of

after reviewing the county's findings.

and from

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"Why, how we ended up here, what caused it — that was not put out in the public," Hike said. "The city council wasn't really informed on it."

Mayor Hike, elected right after Elbert was reinstated, said city administration at the time was not transparent about an issue that was not only

,

.

"Almost like there is a cloud of smoke around it," Hike said. YYou couldn't really see what the real issues were."

He said his staff is now working to uncover details from the former administration and Chief Elbert himself.

"When you've got the information on one side, you can't make an opinion when you don't have the information on the other side," Hike said. "The other side is what we're getting now."

The mayor is just now learning the details of the investigation.

"(Elbert) could lose his job. He could keep his job. Everything is on the table, right now," Hike said. "That's what we have to fix."

Hike said he expected to have a public announcement about Elbert within 30 days. When asked whether he thought the issue would be corrected by the end of the review process, Hike said: "It will be fixed."

The mayor acknowledges there's a rift inside the department between officers and the commanding staff. In September,

against police union president Jim Maguire and the union's attorney, Gary Young.

6 News has reached out to Chief Elbert's attorney for comment.