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| NEWS > 05 October 2007 |
Other related articles:
Unit questions top detective
A SENIOR police officer was kept in a cell overnight by the Anti-Corruption Unit before he was questioned over "certain allegations" made against him.
The details of allegations made against Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Josaia Rasiga were sketchy but the unit's chief investigator Superintendent Nasir Ali said they were "of corruption". He said ACP Rasiga was interviewed under caution. He could not reveal any more details.
ACP Rasiga slept in a cell at the Central Police Station on Tuesday night and was taken to the unit's headquarters at the Government Buildi... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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WOOD-TV - Grand Rapids,MI,USA
05 October 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Grand Rapids Police Department
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7 out in GRPD sex scandal
GRAND RAPIDS -- Seven members of the Grand Rapids police force are no longer with the department, after City Manager Kurt Kimball fired three and four resigned for their roles in an on-duty sex scandal.
Among the seven are Phillip Anderson, James Fannon, Tom Stasiak and Dan Wells, along with dispatcher Erin Boone. The other names are forthcoming.
Kimball announced the firings Thursday morning at GRPD headquarters, and also confirmed two emergency dispatchers and two officers resigned before their termination hearings last week.
Allegations that officers and dispatchers were having sex at Police Headquarters while on duty first surfaced in late August.
A lawyer for Erin Boone, who resigned early on, defended her publicly. Names of the other dispatchers and the officers were not immediately released. 24 Hour News 8 used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the names.
Kimball held closed-door discharge hearings last week.
"Since then, I have carefully considered all of the information that was presented to me from the Internal Affairs Unit investigation, the officers themselves, and others who appeared at their discharge hearings. Additionally, I have consulted with other ethics, spiritual, criminal justice, and law enforcement professionals in search of perspective for my most difficult decision on the just consequences for the officers against whom complaints were sustained," Kimball said in a statement.
Former Police Chief Harry Dolan, now Chief in Raleigh North Carolina, recommended the firings. Acting Police Chief Kevin Belk agreed with the decision. But Kimball had the final say.
"This is a tragic consequence for all concerned. I reached this conclusion with a very heavy heart," Kimball said, adding the discharged officers "all had clean personnel files with good performance evaluations and letters of appreciation and commendation for good work throughout their careers with the GRPD."
The police officers took responsibility for their actions during their discharge hearings according to Kimball.
He acknowledged officers and their families have already suffered greatly.
"However, in the end, these officers fell victim to their own egregious errors of judgment. Their self-centered actions embarrassed themselves and their fellow officers. Together, they succeeded in tarnishing the image of the GRPD and, by extension, the City of Grand Rapids. In addition, their reckless behavior exposed the City to a significant risk of potential liability," said Kimball's statement.
Union leaders have said any firing would be appealed.
The fired employees have two options:
They can take their case to the Civil Service Board. The decision by the board is final, and cannot be reviewed by the courts, according to the City Charter.
The second, more likely option, would be a request for binding arbitration. Those cases usually take a year or more to decide.
Dave Leonard, the president of the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association, said all of the officers had clean records. While he acknowledged the officers made mistakes, Leonard said the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
"I do think there is a higher standard of ethical conduct for police officers," said Leonard. "Again, the question is not whether or not this activity is OK. Clearly it is not. The union does not believe this conduct should be tolerated. We just do not believe the seriousness of it rises to the level of termination. "
Of the officers involved, three were 10-year veterans, one had seven years, the other three.
Files obtained by 24 Hour News 8 reveal, up until now, the officers' files were packed with good evaluations, awards and merits, as well as and notes from community members to the chief praising their service.
Some of those notes included such statements as " ... exemplified a police officer's mission to protect and serve" ... "went above and beyond duty" ... "made a very unpleasant and frightening situation much easier to bear...thank you."
Leonard expressed concern over the loss of the officers, and the burden it might place on the department.
Kimball said he wanted to send a message to employees and the public that reinforces the standards the city has set for officers.
"Public trust in the Grand Rapids Police Department is priceless. Once the general perception and belief in the integrity of the organization is compromised, and general respect for our law enforcement professionals is eroded, the effectiveness of the department is correspondingly diminished," said Kimball.
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