NEWS > 06 January 2007

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Charlotte Observer - Charlotte
06 January 2007

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Police: Officer padded hours

A veteran Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer, who resigned last month, was arrested on a felony charge Friday in connection with allegations that he lied on his timecards for an off-duty security job.

Larry Alan McGraw, 48, was charged with felony obtaining property by false pretenses. He was booked into the Mecklenburg County jail and then released on $1,500 bond.

The charges stem from a part-time job working security at Derita Creek Park, a 24-acre park in northeast Charlotte. Mike Cozza, a spokesman for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, said McGraw worked there from April until mid-December and is accused of filing time reports for hours that he didn't work.

Cozza said he did not know how many hours McGraw is accused of lying about. The Observer was unable to reach McGraw on Friday.

Mecklenburg County pays police officers $24 an hour to patrol parks while they are off-duty. The officers fill out a timesheet but do not punch a clock. At some parks the officers check in with staff, but Cozza said McGraw worked alone.

"He was kind of monitoring himself. There was nobody to check in with," Cozza said. "You expect somebody to fill out a time sheet fairly, especially when it's a police officer."

McGraw earned $15,926 from the parks department during the nearly nine months he worked at Derita Creek, records show. He was paid for about 663 hours.

McGraw typically reported working the part-time job one, two or three days a week. Payroll records show he reported working six days a week for two weeks in November and seven days a week during two other weeks that month, county officials said.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are not limited in how many days a week they can work off-duty jobs, but they are not allowed to work more than 14 hours in a day including on- and off-duty work.

McGraw, who'd been a police officer for 25 years, resigned from the department Dec. 27 after investigators confronted him with evidence against him, police said. He'd worked as a patrol officer in the Independence Division.

"Few situations are more difficult than bringing charges against one of your own," Chief Darrel Stephens said in a statement. "It is disappointing for me personally and for all of the professional and hardworking men and women who serve this community every day.

"But nothing is more important to this department and this community than ensuring our officers act with integrity, are truthful and trustworthy. Fortunately, our system of controls and the integrity of fellow officers enabled us to uncover this case and pursue the appropriate administrative and legal actions."

Police would not say what led to the investigation, except that it was initiated by the unit that manages off-duty work. Cozza said he did not know. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are continuing their investigation.

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Article sourced from

Charlotte Observer - Charlotte06 January 2007

Police: Officer padded hours

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Charlotte Observer - Charlotte
06 January 2007