An audio recording captures some Pelham police officers making fun of students at the Linda Nolen Learning Center, which is a school that serves special-needs children.

PELHAM, Alabama -- The driving force behind Carly's Law temporarily halted planning of a special-needs playground in Pelham over concerns that involved an audio recording of city police officers mocking disabled children.

Dustin Chandler, a Pelham police officer who said he ultimately submitted his resignation this week over issues at the department, sent a message on Twitter on Saturday that stated, "Carly's Clubhouse is going to be placed on hold due to unfortunate circumstances of insensitivity @CityofPelham departments."

When contacted Saturday, Chandler said he was upset about the audio recording he had heard several months earlier that involved some Pelham police officers making fun of children attending the Linda Nolen Learning Center in the city.

Chandler, who has a 3-year-old special-needs daughter, said he was disturbed by the joking among his fellow police officers during a roll call meeting captured on the recording, as well as the lack of attention given the matter in the months since the dialogue happened. Chandler said he reported the matter but has not seen any change at the department concerning the issue.

"I am a guy that takes my daughter very seriously, her situation," he said Saturday, adding he is defending the special-needs population. "You've got to be their voice and when they're being made fun of at their expense, you're making fun of my daughter."

He added, "Somebody has to stand up and defend the defenseless."

Chandler, who has deleted his tweet, said Monday the project is back on track and he does not want the issue to interfere with development of the playground known as Carly's Clubhouse, named after his daughter, that will accommodate children of all physical capabilities.

"There is no way I can let the actions of a few dictate the future of many, and that is something I have to deal within myself, and I can do that. And making statements like we're going to put it on hold, I made a mistake in saying that before I assessed my beliefs. And I believe that is God letting me learn from my weakness and teaching me a lesson," Chandler said.

The issue on the recording represents an ongoing concern involving personnel and behavior at the police department, according to some familiar with the agency. "This is not a new problem," Pelham Mayor Gary Waters said. "This is just a symptom of a larger problem."

Chandler is supportive of Waters in the matter and critical of administration at the agency. "There is a culture at our police department that has grown that is allowed to do that. I am not part of that culture," he said.

The audio recording, which was provided to Chandler by someone, has generated concerns among city leadership.

"I heard the recording. I'm disturbed by the recording and what I heard," Waters said in an interview Monday, noting he listened to the audio on Sunday. "I don't know who recorded it. I don't know the context of the conversation. But what I heard, it does bother me, but it doesn't cause me to come in off vacation and lop off heads."

When asked about the audio recording and the officers' banter, Pelham Deputy Police Chief Larry Palmer said Monday, "First of all, my mouth just hit the floor because I've heard nothing of this."

"I have no idea what in the heck you are talking about, but I will go find out and I will see what's going on. I would be so, so shocked if any of my guys were making fun of anyone. They're going to have to play the recording to me and I'm going to have to hear it. I have no reply to that. I have no idea what's going on," Palmer said.

He pointed to the several charitable efforts involving the police department and its officers including the Special Olympics, the Polar Plunge at Oak Mountain State Park and the recent No-Shave November fundraiser. "I'm going to find out what's going on. ... It shocks me," Palmer said.

According to a copy of the audio recording obtained by Alabama Media Group, various Pelham police officers including supervisors during a roll call meeting at the start of a shift in mid-August start talking about the Linda Nolen Learning Center, which is a special-needs school operated by the Shelby County Board of Education in Pelham.

An officer is heard asking about another: "Does that big ol' joker still go to school at Linda Nolen? Does anybody know?"

Other officers respond at once, saying, "No," before another is heard saying, "No, he graduated."

An officer adds, "His picture's on the wall."

One of the officers says, "And they realize that they're no longer, they're not part of the Pelham school system, and they are just ecstatic that we still walk in there. They really like us. Really like us."

The joking about the school begins to build at this point.

"Every time I walk in there," an officer says, just before a brief groan can be heard that supposedly mocks a person with special needs.

"Yeah, they don't talk to me," an officer says. "I guess it's the old age. They say," his voice trails off as laughter erupts.

Although not evident on the recording, at least one officer mimics movements and hand gestures of a physically disabled child, according to the recording's source.

Laughter is again heard, and an officer says, "Are you talking about the teachers or are you talking about the students?"

"I'm talking about the students," one of the officers says.

"Which one are you looking at? Are you looking at the teachers or at the students?" another says, with loud laughter in the background. "Which one's happy to see you?"

"Did you just get what he said? You did?" an officer is heard saying.

The conversation with laughter continues for a couple of seconds, when an officer says, "They just start rocking in their chairs and throwing [expletive] everywhere."

"They were so happy to see Al they offered him Crayons," another officer says, as laughter continues.

"My God. The sensitivity in this room," an officer says.

Waters said personnel issues exist at the police department that need to be addressed. "I've known for quite some time there are some performance and behavior problems in the police department, and I've been taking steps over time to repair those," he said.

Waters cited a fraternization policy created specifically for the police department in the last year or so to address some problems in the agency. He said other issues such as those presented on the audio recording remain to be resolved.

"The investigation regarding that and other things are ongoing. I've been working closely with several people ever since I've been in office to change the culture of the organization, but it takes time," Waters said.

Pelham City Councilman Maurice Mercer said in an email Monday he spoke with Chandler about the issue on Saturday. "At this time, I have not heard the recording. I feel the comments of a couple do not represent the city's views. The appropriate channels have been alerted and we will soon see their findings, actions, and recommendations," he said.

Before giving his resignation this week, Chandler had been taking a voluntary leave of absence from his job since earlier in December. "That's to focus on Carly's Clubhouse and to reassess where I'm at, and ... I've been praying a lot and trying to find out what direction in life I want to go and, honestly, if the police department is the right place for me," he said Monday.