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Or something. Police Chief says they "aren't thieves."
8 police officers suspended in ticket case
By Bill Bryan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/04/2007
UPDATE:
Eight city police officers who used World Series tickets seized from scalpers were suspended without pay for 14 days and may lose up to $20,000 each in wages from reduced rank, Chief Joe Mokwa announced this afternoon.
He said what they did was "intolerable" but added that they are "not thieves" and "can be redeemed."
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Mokwa also said the circumstances would be reviewed by Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, and he did not rule out the possibility she would file criminal charges.
The eight were not publicly named. All have admitted providing tickets from evidence for use by friends or relatives, officials said. Mokwa said he will ask the police board to reduce them a grade in rank for at least a year. That would demote some or all to probationary officer, with a pay loss of perhaps $20,000, the chief explained.
In addition, seven supervisors, including a lieutenant and three sergeants, will receive unspecified lesser discipline for lax oversight, he said.
There was no evidence to support rumors that high-ranking officers may have used some of the 30 rickets at issue from last October's world championship at Busch Stadium, Mokwa said earlier.
A scalper who overheard police talking about using his ticket blew the whistle, officials said. Scalping means selling a ticket at over face value, which is illegal under St. Louis ordinance.
The Police Officers Association publicly expressed fears Tuesday that the officers would be fired, and vowed to fight to save their jobs. Sgt. Kevin Ahlbrand, president of the POA, issued a statement this afternoon saying Mokwa's "discipline in this situation was fair and just."
----------------
Our earlier story:
Fearing that St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa will seek to fire eight police officers for misusing World Series tickets that were taken from scalpers last October, the St. Louis Police Officers Association is digging in for a battle.
The association's executive board, in an emergency meeting Tuesday, voted to hire noted criminal lawyer Scott Rosenblum to take over the handling of the ticket matter for the eight officers, said Sgt. Kevin Ahlbrand, president of the association.
"If the chief wants to terminate the officers, we think that's a ridiculously harsh punishment," Ahlbrand told the Post-Dispatch.
Mokwa told the newspaper that he will hold a press conference today to announce his decision over the fate of the eight officers, who were members of the vice-narcotics squad assigned to a scalping detail last October. The eight have admitted in sworn statements to giving some 30 tickets that had been seized from scalpers to family members or friends to use to attend games. After the tickets were used, they were placed into evidence for future court use.
Mokwa has alluded that he considered the officers' actions a serious ethical problem for the department and egregious enough that he would seek to have them fired. But he stopped short on Tuesday of confirming what decision he has reached and what he will announce today.
"It would not be appropriate for the officers to have to read about in the newspaper," Mokwa told the Post-Dispatch.
"I will say that tomorrow (Wednesday) I can reassure the public that the investigation is pretty much complete as to the eight officers."
Ahlbrand acknowledged that he has heard that Mokwa has requested the officers' resignations, or face the alternative of suspension and termination proceedings beginning.
"We're supporting our members," Ahlbrand said. "If (Mokwa's) recommendation is termination, that's too harsh for allegations of mishandling evidence in a city court case."
Ahlbrand acknowledged that last fall when the investigation began, the officers in question readily admitted their actions to internal affairs investigators because the matter was not deemed that serious at the time. One of the officers was even promoted to sergeant in February.
But recently a University City officer who was working with the vice-narcotics detectives on the detail was forced to resign by his department, and news of the investigation became public.
Mokwa said Tuesday that six additional officers, including a lieutenant and three sergeants, are also facing disciplinary action in connection with the investigation, although "not as severe" as the eight.
"This whole thing has been very anxiety-provoking for everyone, and it will be resolved to a degree" today, Mokwa said.
[email protected]
314-340-8950
8 police officers suspended in ticket case
By Bill Bryan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/04/2007
UPDATE:
Eight city police officers who used World Series tickets seized from scalpers were suspended without pay for 14 days and may lose up to $20,000 each in wages from reduced rank, Chief Joe Mokwa announced this afternoon.
He said what they did was "intolerable" but added that they are "not thieves" and "can be redeemed."
Advertisement
Mokwa also said the circumstances would be reviewed by Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, and he did not rule out the possibility she would file criminal charges.
The eight were not publicly named. All have admitted providing tickets from evidence for use by friends or relatives, officials said. Mokwa said he will ask the police board to reduce them a grade in rank for at least a year. That would demote some or all to probationary officer, with a pay loss of perhaps $20,000, the chief explained.
In addition, seven supervisors, including a lieutenant and three sergeants, will receive unspecified lesser discipline for lax oversight, he said.
There was no evidence to support rumors that high-ranking officers may have used some of the 30 rickets at issue from last October's world championship at Busch Stadium, Mokwa said earlier.
A scalper who overheard police talking about using his ticket blew the whistle, officials said. Scalping means selling a ticket at over face value, which is illegal under St. Louis ordinance.
The Police Officers Association publicly expressed fears Tuesday that the officers would be fired, and vowed to fight to save their jobs. Sgt. Kevin Ahlbrand, president of the POA, issued a statement this afternoon saying Mokwa's "discipline in this situation was fair and just."
----------------
Our earlier story:
Fearing that St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa will seek to fire eight police officers for misusing World Series tickets that were taken from scalpers last October, the St. Louis Police Officers Association is digging in for a battle.
The association's executive board, in an emergency meeting Tuesday, voted to hire noted criminal lawyer Scott Rosenblum to take over the handling of the ticket matter for the eight officers, said Sgt. Kevin Ahlbrand, president of the association.
"If the chief wants to terminate the officers, we think that's a ridiculously harsh punishment," Ahlbrand told the Post-Dispatch.
Mokwa told the newspaper that he will hold a press conference today to announce his decision over the fate of the eight officers, who were members of the vice-narcotics squad assigned to a scalping detail last October. The eight have admitted in sworn statements to giving some 30 tickets that had been seized from scalpers to family members or friends to use to attend games. After the tickets were used, they were placed into evidence for future court use.
Mokwa has alluded that he considered the officers' actions a serious ethical problem for the department and egregious enough that he would seek to have them fired. But he stopped short on Tuesday of confirming what decision he has reached and what he will announce today.
"It would not be appropriate for the officers to have to read about in the newspaper," Mokwa told the Post-Dispatch.
"I will say that tomorrow (Wednesday) I can reassure the public that the investigation is pretty much complete as to the eight officers."
Ahlbrand acknowledged that he has heard that Mokwa has requested the officers' resignations, or face the alternative of suspension and termination proceedings beginning.
"We're supporting our members," Ahlbrand said. "If (Mokwa's) recommendation is termination, that's too harsh for allegations of mishandling evidence in a city court case."
Ahlbrand acknowledged that last fall when the investigation began, the officers in question readily admitted their actions to internal affairs investigators because the matter was not deemed that serious at the time. One of the officers was even promoted to sergeant in February.
But recently a University City officer who was working with the vice-narcotics detectives on the detail was forced to resign by his department, and news of the investigation became public.
Mokwa said Tuesday that six additional officers, including a lieutenant and three sergeants, are also facing disciplinary action in connection with the investigation, although "not as severe" as the eight.
"This whole thing has been very anxiety-provoking for everyone, and it will be resolved to a degree" today, Mokwa said.
[email protected]
314-340-8950
I must be seeing this in some sort of ignorant, misguided way, or the media is exaggerating again. Someone fill me in.