Toledo Sgt suspended WITHOUT pay for allegedly stealing popcorn ??

[willbird]

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/26693129/toledo-officer-accused-of-stealing-popcorn-from-oregon-gas-station

There has to be more to the story than a guy going to the register with two bags of popcorn and a drink, and only paying for one bag of popcorn and a drink ??

Bill

[Sooner2000]

"Holding the two bags tightly together" doesn't really clarify anything.

[GangGreen712]

If he indeed tried to conceal the 2nd bag of popcorn then, yeah, breach of integrity. That's police integrity 101 there; they give you questions like that at the oral board.

However, if there's not more to the story, the place where this happened might just have an axe to grind with the PD, or someone in the department wants him gone and is looking for a reason. Accidents happen; you're in a hurry, the cashier forgets to scan one of the things you're buying and, especially with minor things like convenience store snacks, it doesn't click with you that there's a price discrepancy, and you leave with both you and the store having no idea that you didn't pay for an item. Yeah, maybe you and the cashier could have both been a little more careful, but nothing intentionally dishonest was happening. If this was a simple mistake, I'm disappointed that the department isn't giving the officer the benefit of the doubt.

[kermit315]

If he indeed tried to conceal the 2nd bag of popcorn then, yeah, breach of integrity. That's police integrity 101 there; they give you questions like that at the oral board.

However, if there's not more to the story, the place where this happened might just have an axe to grind with the PD, or someone in the department wants him gone and is looking for a reason. Accidents happen; you're in a hurry, the cashier forgets to scan one of the things you're buying and, especially with minor things like convenience store snacks, it doesn't click with you that there's a price discrepancy, and you leave with both you and the store having no idea that you didn't pay for an item. Yeah, maybe you and the cashier could have both been a little more careful, but nothing intentionally dishonest was happening. If this was a simple mistake, I'm disappointed that the department isn't giving the officer the benefit of the doubt.

I don't see a Sgt. throwing away a career (or even tempting it) over a bag of caramel corn. It just doesn't add up. My thought is either the clerk missed it and this is the cop out (no pun intended) or they don't like this Sgt for some reason and this is a chance to play 'gotcha'.

[L-1]

Apparently the clerk saw he had two bags when he walked up to the counter, so why didn't she ring up two bags instead of ringing up one and alleging theft of the other?

Something smells here.

[retired]

I don't see a Sgt. throwing away a career (or even tempting it) over a bag of caramel corn. It just doesn't add up. My thought is either the clerk missed it and this is the cop out (no pun intended) or they don't like this Sgt for some reason and this is a chance to play 'gotcha'.

I have seen a higher rank throw away a career for nickels from a coffee fund at the station, or officers pocketing $2 fees for fingerprinting.

[Aerohead]

As a former loss prevention officer - I've seen stranger things.

I had an OR nurse steal a tube of $5 lipstick when she was purchasing over $100 worth of merchandise. Her husband who showed up to yell about it was a surgeon. Combined income was probably close to $300k.

Some people just do dumb things for no reason.

[Iowa #1603]

I have seen a higher rank throw away a career for nickels from a coffee fund at the station, or officers pocketing $2 fees for fingerprinting.

Oh yes...............................

[kermit315]

I am not a police officer, so I simply cannot comment on the likelihood of Sgt. Whitman's suspension was motivated by internal politics, but it is possible that the his suspension was a public relationship move by the Chief.

If the police chief would not have suspended Sgt. Whitman, it is possible that the paper would read: “A cop steals from a gas station; police chief condones it!”. This way, a reader of the article would say “It is just a bag of popcorn – who cares? But it is great that the chief takes it so seriously and cleans his own house."

The suspension is, I am sure, by policy. It has nothing to do with PR, it has to do with sticking to established policies. I don't know of too many agencies that would let somebody stay on a beat when being investigated for a crime allegedly committed on that beat. I know mine sure as hell wouldn't.

The underlying story is where my problem lies.

[kermit315]

I am not a police officer, so I simply cannot comment on the likelihood of Sgt. Whitman's suspension was motivated by internal politics, but it is possible that the his suspension was a public relationship move by the Chief.

If the police chief would not have suspended Sgt. Whitman, it is possible that the paper would read: “A cop steals from a gas station; police chief condones it!”. This way, a reader of the article would say “It is just a bag of popcorn – who cares? But it is great that the chief takes it so seriously and cleans his own house."

The suspension is, I am sure, by policy. It has nothing to do with PR, it has to do with sticking to established policies. I don't know of too many agencies that would let somebody stay on a beat when being investigated for a crime allegedly committed on that beat. I know mine sure as hell wouldn't.

The underlying story is where my problem lies.

Just for grins, I emailed the reporter that did the story with some questions. It will be interesting to see if I get a response. I am not holding my breath though.

http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/2...on-gas-station

Hello Mr. Jackson,

Reading your story, I am left with questions. My first would be that if it is known that the Sergeant went and got another bag of popcorn, why did the clerk simply not charge for the additional bag? Has anybody talked to the clerk or the gas station about this? My next question would be if the clerk somehow missed that the Sergeant had another bag of popcorn, how was it discovered later that he had walked out with one more bag than he had paid for? The article says he had the popcorn in one hand, and a drink in another. How did he pay? Most people have a wallet in their pocket, which means he would have had to set down the contents of at least one of his hands, retrieve his wallet, and either get a card or cash out, and pay. Regardless of where the wallet was, or if there was no wallet at all, the point that he would have had to empty the contents of at least one hand to pay stands. Were any of these questions brought up, and if so, what were the answers, because it was not included in the article linked above.

I would like to see more on this story, preferably with the above questions answered, because they offer much to the context of the situation. Is there a follow up planned for this story? If not, would it be possible to get an email response with either a yes/no as to whether or not the questions I posed above were asked to anyone?

Thank you,

K315

[Iowa #1603]

The suspension is, I am sure, by policy. It has nothing to do with PR, it has to do with sticking to established policies. I don't know of too many agencies that would let somebody stay on a beat when being investigated for a crime allegedly committed on that beat. I know mine sure as hell wouldn't.
.

Several years ago a LONG TIME deputy was caught shoplifting in a county near me. He was off duty at the time of the incident. He was a co-worker of mine back in the day & a good guy.

The value of the item was immaterial------the deputy admitted that he was shoplifting the item and was terminated.


I would expect nothing less.

A few yrs ago another long time deputy in that agency was accused of stealing money from a cash drawer WHILE ON DUTY. He was terminated when charges were filed by the Attorney Generals Office.

A jury trial exonerated the ex deputy . He retired from the agency at the end of the trial rather than finishing out his 30 yrs.

Both incidents were handled appropriately and similar to the way they would have been in most agencies.

[Aerohead]

There was a Deputy at the department I used to work for who was in his 29th year - 25 years plus 4+ years on the DROP Plan. He was within months of retiring with a very hefty monthly pension check and a DROP payment in the 6 figures. He worked his a** off for 3 years to bring his final average up - working 80 hours (or more) per week. Working doubles for OT on his scheduled vacation days.

He was fired for falsifying the Breathalyzer results for a stripper he was banging who was on probation. Lost it all. AND was brought up on charges.

Some people's children....

[Rush817]

There was a Deputy at the department I used to work for who was in his 29th year - 25 years plus 4+ years on the DROP Plan. He was within months of retiring with a very hefty monthly pension check and a DROP payment in the 6 figures. He worked his a** off for 3 years to bring his final average up - working 80 hours (or more) per week. Working doubles for OT on his scheduled vacation days.

He was fired for falsifying the Breathalyzer results for a stripper he was banging who was on probation. Lost it all. AND was brought up on charges.

Some people's children....

He must have forgot day 1 of rookie school....The badge will get the P but the P will get the badge. That's crazy!

[BNWS]

We had an officer arrested and fired for boosting(shoplifting) in Disney World. Sometime later my partner and I run into him in a shopping mall while enroute to a call. So after exchanging greetings he tells us he's got a new job and is doing ok. After that bit of small talk my partner says "So what are you doing here?" " Boosting?" I burst out laughing as the former cop just smiled and shook his head and said "Man that aint right." Wished him Good bye and good luck.
We had another cop who used to come into work with red bloodshot eyes. The same partner used to say to him "Man what kind of **** are you smoking." Months later he was fired after testing positive for Marijuana.
We had another cop who the cops in his squad suspected him of stealing their unattended equipment. He was later arrested for shoplifting.
Another cop fired for stealing a candy bar.
2 for soliciting minors.
3 for drug use.
1 for child abuse.
1 for fabricating an elaborate story about being abducted and sexually assaulted. ( A male by the way)

These were just the guys I personally knew in one precinct. There's more, just got tired of typing.

[Michigan]