Post by WaTcHeR on Jan 4, 2007 12:47:32 GMT -5
01.04.2007 - LARGO – Former Police Sgt. Joan Short, a 23-year veteran, returned to patrolling city streets Jan. 2, reinstated after having been fired a year ago over an off-duty birthday party in which she was allegedly sexually mistreated by other partiers.
Short was given her job back after a mediator determined that her punishment wasn’t justified. When she was fired last January, deputy police Chief John Carroll said he had decided to fire the officer because she had shown no remorse and had a previous record of misconduct.
In complying with the mediator’s recommendations, the city gave her a six-month suspension and a reduction in rank to police officer. Short was to receive six-month’s pay as an officer, at about $60,000, rather than the higher sergeant’s pay of about $65,000, according to Sgt. Steven Slaughter.
The incident that led to her termination took place in a St. Petersburg nightclub in October 2005. Police Officer Melinda “Mindy” DeKyle had invited several friends to celebrate her birthday, according to official records. She was going to be 30-years-old.
During the party, DeKyle was given a gift basket that contained liquor, a sexual device, a “Spanish Fly” and a can of chocolate whipped cream. Short said she was startled when DeKyle sprayed the cream on her chest, then licked it off. A short time later, witnesses said, DeKyle sprayed Short’s chest a second time and DeKyle’s friend then licked the cream away and fondled Short’s breasts.
All of this was documented by photographs taken by one of the partiers and obtained by an internal affairs detective and by local television stations.
DeKyle was suspended as a result of the internal affairs probe and Short was fired. In January 2006, Carroll recommended Short also be suspended.
Chief Lester Aradi, however, chose to fire her, pointing to her prior record that included a 1982 careless driving incident, an improper high-speed chase in 1997 and an ethics violation and insubordination incident in 2001. She had also been punished for excessive absenteeism and had received poor performance reviews in 2003.
In 2004 she was suspended for six days after three complaints saying she had shown disrespect to supervisors.
www.tbnweekly.com/content_articles/010407_lle-02.txt
Short was given her job back after a mediator determined that her punishment wasn’t justified. When she was fired last January, deputy police Chief John Carroll said he had decided to fire the officer because she had shown no remorse and had a previous record of misconduct.
In complying with the mediator’s recommendations, the city gave her a six-month suspension and a reduction in rank to police officer. Short was to receive six-month’s pay as an officer, at about $60,000, rather than the higher sergeant’s pay of about $65,000, according to Sgt. Steven Slaughter.
The incident that led to her termination took place in a St. Petersburg nightclub in October 2005. Police Officer Melinda “Mindy” DeKyle had invited several friends to celebrate her birthday, according to official records. She was going to be 30-years-old.
During the party, DeKyle was given a gift basket that contained liquor, a sexual device, a “Spanish Fly” and a can of chocolate whipped cream. Short said she was startled when DeKyle sprayed the cream on her chest, then licked it off. A short time later, witnesses said, DeKyle sprayed Short’s chest a second time and DeKyle’s friend then licked the cream away and fondled Short’s breasts.
All of this was documented by photographs taken by one of the partiers and obtained by an internal affairs detective and by local television stations.
DeKyle was suspended as a result of the internal affairs probe and Short was fired. In January 2006, Carroll recommended Short also be suspended.
Chief Lester Aradi, however, chose to fire her, pointing to her prior record that included a 1982 careless driving incident, an improper high-speed chase in 1997 and an ethics violation and insubordination incident in 2001. She had also been punished for excessive absenteeism and had received poor performance reviews in 2003.
In 2004 she was suspended for six days after three complaints saying she had shown disrespect to supervisors.
www.tbnweekly.com/content_articles/010407_lle-02.txt