Monday, March 4, 2013

In Case You Missed It - Observer Reporter Blogs About Chuck Adkins Case

Fired officer's case provides inside look at how CMPD disciplines officers

A rare public view of a fired officer's attempt to keep his job may motivate other officers in trouble to open their appeal hearings, according to the president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg fraternal order of police.

Last week, the Charlotte Civil Service Board upheld the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's decision to fire Chuck Adkins, a former captain who had worked in Internal Affairs, Communications and in the watch commander's office.

Stories about the appeal hearing were broadcast on TV and written about in the paper, and watched closely by the department's nearly 1,800 sworn officers.

The department said Adkins broke CMPD policy by failing to immediately alert law enforcement officers about his Sept. 19 conversation with a woman who came to his home while he was in his garage, with his marked CMPD cruiser parked outside.

Adkins took the unusual step of asking that his Civil Service Board hearing be open to the public. He also notified several media outlets, including the Observer, about the hearing. (Officers who are disciplined by the department can appeal to the civil service board. Disciplined officers can also request that their hearings be open to the public, though most don't.)

In an e-mail to the Observer, Adkins said "I hope members of the media will attend as several CMPD employees who feel they were unjustly 'targeted' in the past plan on attending part or all of this hearing."

Adkins wasn't a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, which sometimes helps pay the legal costs of officers accused of wrongdoing by the department.

But Todd Walther, a CMPD sergeant and the president of the FOP, said Adkins' case could motivate other officers to elect to have open hearings.

"It allows the community to see them as a real human being instead of just a uniform," Walther said. "It's not a secret. We make mistakes just like anyone. I think in an open forum, it could be positive to show that we're not just a badge and a gun." -- Cleve R. Wootson Jr.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Again an officer loses his case to the csb. It appears the city of charlotte has such a corrupt police administration that it has influenced the csb into beleiving everything it presents to them. I think this was such an injustice to the officer. I dont see where the news media influenced anyone one way or the other. I think the defense lawyer went down the wrong road when bringing into evidence alcohol and a sleeping drug. I never would have entered that into evidence as a defense.
But irregardless of evidence one way or the other officers need to be very leary of going in front of these people. They need to wake up and smell the roses. Look beyond what they are being led to beleive.
But, alas its over. cmpd happy and adkins is destroyed. What will happen to him? They dont care so why bother to ask them.
You may not like adkins for whatever the reason, but what you need to realize is what just happened. This gives the appearance of vengeance.

So now the chief can announce he is retiring from charlotte and moving on to washington for bigger and brighter things. Woe be to those for whence he comes.

Anonymous said...

His defense lawyer, from what i am told, took the wrong defense.

Adkins never had any screwups until he was
unceremoniously exiled to the Watch Commander's.

The vindictive transfer and it's consequences really
weighed on his mind from someone that knows him has said.

That and the hours and the mind numbing "job" along with no chance for promotion seems could totally demoralize you. And that would be a viable defense.

Anonymous said...

it's probably also the reason he needed sleeping pills to help him live his life, too. Surprised that wasn't brought up. Appeal?

Anonymous said...

Hope so!

Anonymous said...

So the FOP just stood by while this guy was railroaded?

I understand he wasn't paying any FOP dues but not so much as a word in support of Adkins even after he was fired?

I think the words spinless? or maybe impotent?

Anonymous said...

FOP is s waste of bleeping money. They have done nothing but keep taking officers dues. The board is a group of ass kissers.

Anonymous said...

I hope Chuck Adkins is watching what is happening with Rutledge.