Post by WaTcHeR on Sept 28, 2006 13:23:25 GMT -5
09.28.2006 - Edwardsville - “We hoped for the best, but we expected it. We will just have to see them in court.”
Terry Hammontree, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 42.
City leaders fired four members of the Edwardsville Police Department, a move union officials claimed was retaliation for cooperating in an investigation into alleged DUI ticket-fixing.
The firings were the latest development since news of the investigation broke in April. A police major was fired in May and the police chief and a council member were charged in Wyandotte County District Court in July.
City officials denied that this week’s firings had anything to do with the ticket-fixing investigation.
Council members met in private Monday to discuss personnel and legal matters. After returning to public session, they voted to fire Maj. Alvin Doty, Officers Erik Sage and Robert Rome and secretary Melynda Harbour.
The vote was unanimous for Doty and Sage, while it was 4-1 in the case of Rome and 3-1 on Harbour.
Councilman Patrick Isenhour cast the dissenting votes.
Councilman Bob Lane, who faces felony charges stemming from the ticket-fixing investigation, voted to fire the three police officers. He abstained on Harbour.
No reasons were given for the dismissals.
Terry Hammontree, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 42, said the firings didn’t surprise him or union members.
“We expected it,” he said. “We hoped for the best, but we expected it. We will just have to see them in court.”
The union says it complained to the council in January that it had discovered evidence that some elected leaders and members of the Police Department had been fixing tickets.
When the city didn’t respond to its letters, the union filed complaints with Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline’s office in February.
Interim Chief Lloyd Beth on Tuesday denied the union’s allegations that the firings were a form of retaliation.
“This was not retaliation to anybody for anything (regarding the investigation),” Beth said. “I have given as much or more information for the investigation as anybody involved. That had no bearing at all on any of the terminations.”
Beth said he could not comment on the reason he recommended the firings, saying it involved personnel issues.
The recent firings leave the department with 16 officers, Beth said. The firings will not affect the department’s ability to protect residents of Edwardsville, he said.
Jeff Cheek was the police major fired in May and his attorney alleged that it was done to intimidate him and other city employees from cooperating with the attorney general’s investigation.
Cheek has since filed a federal lawsuit, claiming he was fired for his role in the investigation.
Kline charged Police Chief Steve Vaughan with two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit misconduct.
Kline also charged Lane with felony counts of bribery and aggravated intimidation of a witness, as well as misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit official misconduct and compounding of a crime.
Lane, a veteran Kansas City, Kan., police officer, remains on unpaid leave, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department said Tuesday.
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/15616186.htm
Terry Hammontree, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 42.
City leaders fired four members of the Edwardsville Police Department, a move union officials claimed was retaliation for cooperating in an investigation into alleged DUI ticket-fixing.
The firings were the latest development since news of the investigation broke in April. A police major was fired in May and the police chief and a council member were charged in Wyandotte County District Court in July.
City officials denied that this week’s firings had anything to do with the ticket-fixing investigation.
Council members met in private Monday to discuss personnel and legal matters. After returning to public session, they voted to fire Maj. Alvin Doty, Officers Erik Sage and Robert Rome and secretary Melynda Harbour.
The vote was unanimous for Doty and Sage, while it was 4-1 in the case of Rome and 3-1 on Harbour.
Councilman Patrick Isenhour cast the dissenting votes.
Councilman Bob Lane, who faces felony charges stemming from the ticket-fixing investigation, voted to fire the three police officers. He abstained on Harbour.
No reasons were given for the dismissals.
Terry Hammontree, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 42, said the firings didn’t surprise him or union members.
“We expected it,” he said. “We hoped for the best, but we expected it. We will just have to see them in court.”
The union says it complained to the council in January that it had discovered evidence that some elected leaders and members of the Police Department had been fixing tickets.
When the city didn’t respond to its letters, the union filed complaints with Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline’s office in February.
Interim Chief Lloyd Beth on Tuesday denied the union’s allegations that the firings were a form of retaliation.
“This was not retaliation to anybody for anything (regarding the investigation),” Beth said. “I have given as much or more information for the investigation as anybody involved. That had no bearing at all on any of the terminations.”
Beth said he could not comment on the reason he recommended the firings, saying it involved personnel issues.
The recent firings leave the department with 16 officers, Beth said. The firings will not affect the department’s ability to protect residents of Edwardsville, he said.
Jeff Cheek was the police major fired in May and his attorney alleged that it was done to intimidate him and other city employees from cooperating with the attorney general’s investigation.
Cheek has since filed a federal lawsuit, claiming he was fired for his role in the investigation.
Kline charged Police Chief Steve Vaughan with two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit misconduct.
Kline also charged Lane with felony counts of bribery and aggravated intimidation of a witness, as well as misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit official misconduct and compounding of a crime.
Lane, a veteran Kansas City, Kan., police officer, remains on unpaid leave, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department said Tuesday.
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/15616186.htm