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| NEWS > 06 November 2006 |
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UK: Credit card inquiry into 3
More than 300 Metropolitan Police (Met) detectives have been investigated on suspicion of misusing corporate credit cards, following an audit of the force.
Of these, 46 cases have become criminal investigations overseen by the police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The audit had been commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Authority which discussed its findings on Monday.
A spokesman said the force had no comment to make.
The Metropolitan Police gave 3,533 American Express credit cards to its officers and staff in 2003, in an... Read more
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CBS 4 - Miami,FL,USA
06 November 2006
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Friends And Family On The MDPD
DORAL The county manager has ordered an investigation on into nepotism and other alleged ethical improprieties at the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The allegations are coming to light in anonymous letters sent to county hall in the last few weeks and to CBS4’s Brian Andrews. Anonymous letters sent to two county commissioners say nepotism is rampant at the police department. The allegations pertain to the department’s training bureau, earning the unit the nickname ‘Friends and Family’.
"I brought it to the attention of the county manager who's in charge of personnel," said Commission Chairman Joe Martinez.
The other commissioner who received the complaint was Rebeca Sosa.
"And we're going to have an answer very soon and I hope we're going to have a complete investigation of the issue," said Sosa.
One of the letters also refers to the unit as the ‘Friends and Family’ training bureau, because a number of employees assigned there who are related to higher-ups in the department and the county.
"Quite frankly, I think that's a silly reference,” said Commander Linda O’Brien. “These people are qualified to do what they're doing there. There are people all over the department and all over the county [with friends and family]."
CBS4 has confirmed the following people in the bureau’s staff: Lt. Veronica Parker, wife of Police Director Bobby Parker; R. Lewis Parker Jr., the director’s son; Lt. Evelyn Fernandez, girlfriend of Mayor Carlos Alvarez; Michael Alvarez, the mayor’s son; Ana Taylor, wife of former Police Director Fred Taylor; Carol Patterson, wife of Assistant Director J.D. Patterson; Sgt. Vanessa Atherly, daughter of Assistant Director Robert Holden; and Alexis Smith, daughter of Division Chief Ricky Smith.
ANDREWS: "Is there favoritism at the Miami-Dade Police Department?"
COMMISSIONER MARTINEZ: "Uhm, it is.. uhm.. there has been yes, there's been a lot of favoritism, but it's the culture."
"Anybody can have the opinion that somebody got a job because of who they know,” said O’Brien. “It doesn't mean its reality. Anybody who has a position on this department, they're in that position because of their qualifications, their experience, of their benefit to the department."
The department, which we were not allowed to videotape from the ground, is run by Major Bernie Gonzalez, who the letter alleges is a close friend of Mayor Carlos Alvarez.
"I was in the police department for 17 years. Is it proper? No, but that's just how it is," said Martinez.
"This department has a lot of relatives, as relatives work in other parts of the county,” said O'Brien. "There's thousands and thousands and thousands of people who work....Everyone who works in the training bureau has an important function. These people have training. They are qualified for their jobs. They are doing nothing wrong."
The department is looking into allegations in the letters at the request of the county manager.
"We are going to look into each and every one of them, but quite frankly, I think this is really just rubbish," said O'Brien.
Commissioner Martinez wants a thorough investigation.
"I do hope the manager looks into this from a professional standpoint and point of view, that he's not responsible to the 13 Commissioners and the Mayor alone, but to the 2.5 million residents of Miami-Dade County and I think he has duty to all of us to go ahead and investigate it," he said.
The mayor’s spokesperson issued this statement: "The Mayor welcomes an investigation of the anonymous allegations."
Commander O’Brien said she the department is concerned no one wants to put their name to the letter.
"I think if somebody had so much concern about this, that they would put their name to it, take advantage of any whistle blower protection that exists out there,” she said.
"I can understand why he or she has not done that,” said Martinez. “Their career might be over, who knows what could happen, but the fact that it's an allegation, and if it’s born out to be true, that it was friends and family, then it merits an investigation regardless of who sent that issue."
The county manager has set up a special committee of non-police personnel to review all of the allegations contained in the letters and issue a report on its finding in 30 days. Meanwhile, MDPD insists there is no nepotism at the training bureau because there are at least two levels of supervision separating the employees here from their friends and family.
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