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The Grand Rapids Press - MLive
15 September 2007

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Grand Rapids Police Department

Sleaze, misconduct

Grand Rapids Police Department employees who engaged in sexual relations while on duty should be fired. City Manager Kurt Kimball has to act decisively and quickly if city employees have been using the city's public facilities like a brothel. The alleged actions are appalling and intolerable.

Handled in the wrong way, the public will lose trust and confidence in city management as well as the police department. A strong message has to be sent to those who think this type of behavior on the public dime is acceptable. The majority of the men and women in the department serve with integrity. If tolerated, the attitudes and behaviors of a few bad employees can ruin the level of professionalism throughout the department.

A female dispatcher recently resigned following investigations into allegations she had engaged in sex with up to 10 employees. Encounters with four employees allegedly occurred outside of work hours but only those that took place on duty are of concern.

Former Police Chief Harry Dolan has recommended firing those involved. E-mail messages were reportedly retrieved. Dolan confirmed on Aug. 28 that six staffers were on "unpaid leave pending discharge." The six male employees -- five police officers and a dispatcher -- allegedly had sex in a department third-floor bathroom, when they should have been working.

While the location just addsto the sleaziness, the centralpoint is that the alleged incidents occurred on the job and therefore a workplace violation. This was not criminal in nature and did not involve any member of the public.

But just because it was "in-house" doesn't change the fact that the alleged participants' actions show poor judgment, a lack of self-discipline and a deficit of basic common sense. Taxpayers can certainly do without public servants with those characteristics.

If left employed, one has to wonder what other shady things they're capable of doing -- on the job. Whoever takes over as the city's new police chief doesn't need the headache of having these men in the ranks.

Mr. Kimball is awaiting the full report from the Internal Affairs Department. Getting this investigation closed and firing those proven to have behaved inappropriately on duty should be a top priority. The scandal would then need to be examined as it relates to issues of leadership, accountability and organizational culture.

There should be zero tolerance for misconduct and bad seeds must be promptly tossed out when their true colors are credibly revealed.

The public and good police employees --the vast majority -- deserve for that to happen.

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Article sourced from

The Grand Rapids Press - MLive15 September 2007

Sleaze, misconduct

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The Grand Rapids Press - MLive
15 September 2007