WAFE's Lisa Miller has been doing her home work today looking at the 17 CMPD officers who have be charged with crimes over the past two years.
Charlotte City Council tonight will inspect and decide whether to release the personnel file of fired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Marcus Jackson.
It would be an extraordinary move, but state laws allow it if it's essential to maintaining public confidence in the administration of city services.
Jackson is among 17 CMPD officers charged with crimes over the past two years.
In this report, WFAE's Lisa Miller examines what that says about the department.
In 2008 and 2009, the seventeen CMPD officers were charged with crimes that include DWIs, public intoxication, assault on a female and conspiracy to sell and distribute cocaine.
But the case of Marcus Jackson has received the most attention. He's accused of sexually assaulting five women he pulled over on traffic stops and one woman who called 911 to get protection from her boyfriend.
This is what Police Chief Rodney Monroe had to say about Jackson's plight on December 30th when the first charges were filed against him.
"To have one of our own involved in such a disgraceful activity is not only a violation of the public's trust and the misuse of authority as an officer, but a complete dishonor to this department and the officers who proudly uphold the integrity and honor that goes along with this badge," said Monroe.
Yes, integrity and honor is what's expected of police officers. But lapses happen in police departments across the country. So what's the extent of the problem within the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department?
Major Tim Danchess oversees CMPD's Internal Affairs department.
"We're really talking about a very small percentage of actual employees involved in these offenses," says Danchess. "So while it's not acceptable and it looks horrible we do need to keep it in perspective."
Danchess says CMPD has about 1,700 sworn officers. Of the seventeen charged with crimes in the past two years, about a third have been found guilty, 1 not guilty, and three cases are still pending. The rest have had the charges against them dropped - most of these are charges dealing with assault on a female.
"It's hard to compare department to department unless you're looking at specific sized departments in like areas with like laws," says Danchess.
Neither the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, nor the International Association of Chiefs of Police track police misconduct numbers at a national level and many police departments don't release their figures.
"So we turn to media reports of misconduct to try to find that information," says Seattle resident David Packman.
Packman runs what he calls the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project for the website http://www.injusticeeverywhere.com/. He searches and filters these reports to document and try to understand police misconduct. The search engines have been rolling since April of last year. He cautions that his data is far from complete, but from what he can tell at this point:
"Charlotte seems average in matter of transparency and in a matter of how much police misconduct we're seeing," says Packman.
Raleigh's police department, roughly half the size of Charlotte's, has had three officers charged with crimes over the past two years. But Packman cautions not to judge a department solely by the high numbers of officers that go through the criminal justice system.
"Sometimes it can be a good thing because that means the officials in that area take police misconduct a bit more seriously and are a bit more aggressive in dealing with police misconduct than in an area where they keep all their disciplinary and investigative processes secret internally," says Packman.
Tonight city council will decide whether to let the public in on that process regarding former officer Marcus Jackson.
But the City Attorney says City Manager Curt Walton has the final say and can still decide not to release the records. Walton has said several times it doesn't make sense to open them.
Could this be a cover up? Ya Think? Well, Jeff Taylor at The Meck Deck thinks the "fix is in" offers up his own thinking on this mess with City Manager or.... City BOSS?
I'm going repeat what someone posted early today. With DSS, Harry Jones, CMUD billing errors, Parks Helms, RoMo, Mackey, CMPD and Curt Walton just how crooked is Charlotte Mecklenburg?
7 comments:
Once again, City Council hired Curt Walton, Curt Walton hired Rodney Monroe..........follow?
Of course Curt Walton would say it does not make sense to open the files, but WHY wouldn't it make sense if it could restore some confidence in the CMPD.
Would it be because it would DESTROY confidence in rodney monroe and curt walton?
This is a no brainer, supposing the files have NOT BEEN CLEANSED OR REDACTED IN ANY WAY, the public needs to see these files.
They need to know about the two suspensions, the need to know the character and judgment of a chief that would actually lower the suspension in at least one of them.
Jackson was on probationary status, this should also figure into whether to make his files public or not. He was not yet a permanent city employee with civil service protection.
Curt Walton and Rodney Monroe need to own up to what is going on, and not cover it up. They need to take responsibility for this, especially Rodney Monroe.
Rodney Monroe needs to think how he has dishonored and continues to dishonor this once well respected police department.
Starting with lying about his college degree......and Curt Walton has got to take the responsibility for this.
Before Rodney Monroe, the requirements for being Chief of Police in Charlotte were an undergraduate degree AND A MASTERS DEGREE.
Okay, so Curt waived the MASTERS DEGREE, and as it turned out, WAIVED THE UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AS WELL.
From day one, when the question of his bogus degree became an issue, and he didn't own up to it, he should have been shown the door.
His lack of integrity and ethics started there and has only gone down hill...and Curt Walton's right there with him, folks.
Just read the "Surveys" and comments, read the things Cedar has listed........and there are many more that aren't quite so public, from what I am told.
Wake Up Charlotte!!!!!
Demand to see the files, demand to see demographics of promotions and lateral moves, demand SPECIFIC Answers to these and many more question.
He needs to go!!
I've been keeping quiet. I like my job and so what if the Chief is a shank I have two kids and I'm married to a stay at home mom. I do my job, put in my time, make plenty off duty and have been off the street for 4 years. But the media is missing the point, its not about the screening process its about how the CMPD is run by Rodney Monroe.
The City Attorney is an idiot. If the City Manager says NO and won't release the files then if I was a citizen I'd suspect a major cover up is in place.
But let me tell you there is a major cover up in place. Unless RoMo has some outbreak of conscience and comes clean to City Council by confessing that he personally gave Jackson a free pass because he thought the guy was all right then it will be the biggest snow job in Charlotte since the 60’s
Frankly Curt the Clown needs to go.
At this point it looks like all of Charlotte is shady, DSS, Harry Jones, Curt Walton, Parks Helms, CMUD, CMPD and they all are protecting each other.
What a freaking mess!
CMPD Blue,
I wondered what happened to you, glad to see you back on here. I think as many people as can need to speak up.
I know many, including me, can't do it publicly because of Rodneys vindictiveness. And I do think he would follow you to the ends of the earth to exact his revenge.
Many people have families and careers and retirements to think of, and rodney has let it be known that anyone he suspects of telling the truth, especially to the media, will be subject to a polygraph.
BUT, there have been several people who have left/retired that KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, yet they don't speak up. I don't understand that.
But CMPD Blue, you are correct in all you said....and the thing is, EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON, everyone but Mayor Foxx and City Council, that is.
This has the potential to be an epic cover up, epic.
And all to protect rodney monroe and curt walton.
They DO NOT DESERVE ANY KIND OF PROTECTION....THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THEM, AND ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON AT CMPD.
Demand Accountability and Answers, Honesty and Integrity. That is the only way you will get it, demand it by your votes and your voice!!
http://charlotte.johnlocke.org/blog/
I know for a fact there are more than 17! One was fired for having sex w3ith prositutes while on duty! Another was "allowed" to resign for RAPING women on the streets (but because they were pristitutes nobody cared!) He was allowed to resign and was charged with ONE count of solictation! While on duty in "another" division he would come to West side pick up women, cuff them and take them behind Kmarts on Freedom! But this never made the news ya know because women on the streets aren't human and don't matter right? he now works/owns some towing company??
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