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| NEWS > 03 January 2008 |
Other related articles:
Officer Resigns After Drug Cha
A Pulaski police officer has resigned after being charged with numerous drug and firearm offenses in Wythe County and Carroll County, where he currently resides.
Christopher Franklin Bond, 31, was charged June 15 with one count of possession of a Schedule II Drug (suspected methamphetamine) and one count of possession of a Schedule II Drug with a firearm, both felonies.
Sgt. Michael Conroy, a spokesman for the Virginia State Police, said the charges were the result of an ongoing drug investigation. Conroy said a suspected meth pipe and seven firearms (rifles, shotguns and pis... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Kitsap Sun - WA, United States
03 January 2008
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Poulsbo Police Department, WA
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Poulsbo Police Detective Resig
A longtime Poulsbo police detective has resigned amid allegations that he repeatedly lied, used police computer databases for personal use, and harassed women.
An internal investigation of Grant Romaine by Bremerton police began Sept. 17, and the city of Poulsbo released the results on Thursday. Romaine, who has been with the Poulsbo Police Department since 1989, resigned effective Dec. 11. He has not been charged with any criminal offense.
On Thursday, Romaine referred all questions to his attorney, Randy Loun, who was not immediately available for comment.
A detailed 61-page report of the investigation, obtained after a Kitsap Sun public records request, recounts dozens of examples of Romaine allegedly using confidential police databases for personal uses — including for searches of women. The documents show that several police officers and at least one attorney questioned Romaine's truthfulness.
The issue of the alleged lying could factor into pending and resolved criminal cases.
The investigation came at the request of interim Police Chief Jake Evans in September, when he learned that Romaine might have been using his computer for personal purposes, according to the report.
"When we dug further into this, we discovered a widespread belief among law enforcement officers in the North Kitsap area that Romaine does not always tell the truth and that he pursues women in an unprofessional manner," the report reads.
Some of the alleged misconduct dates back a decade, including the alleged harassment of a woman in which Romaine is believed to have had a romantic interest.
"She is a woman who was victimized by Romaine simply because she was attractive. His illegal personal 'traffic stops' traumatized and embarrassed (the woman, whose name is redacted), causing her to fear all police officers to this day, a decade after the events," the report states.
Poulsbo Mayor Kathryn Quade said she couldn't comment on any issues from the report that predate her tenure as mayor, which began in 2006. She said the city acted on the current allegations as soon as they came to light.
"We took steps to rectify the situation," she said. "We have a high standard we want to maintain."
It remains a question whether Romaine could be employed by another police department. The Poulsbo Police Department has recommended the Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien not allow Romaine to continue police work. The state agency will make its own ruling on the issue.
The investigation began as an inquiry into Romaine's alleged improper use of the police computer databases LInX and I/LEADS, which allow police to view records from other police departments in the state and county.
Other allegations of improper computer use are more innocuous, and common in any workplace, such as frequently checking personal e-mail accounts, playing games and shopping.
The report names dozens of people who were the subjects of alleged unauthorized searches — some of which Romaine made from home, the report said. The collection of names includes more than a dozen current and former Poulsbo officers, officers from other departments, family members, and an ex-girlfriend and people associated with her.
According to interview excerpts in the report, Romaine told investigators that some of the searches were work-related, which the investigators dispute.
In addition, the report summarized several claims that Romaine used the computer services to search for information about women he was attracted to. It also alleged that he used overbearing tactics in pursuing them.
In one instance, a woman who used to work at a restaurant that Romaine frequented in the late 90s told investigators that Romaine sent her unwanted bouquets — as many as five in one day — and seemed to appear around town wherever she went. The report doesn't provide a date, but the woman told investigators that she obtained a restraining order against him and never heard from him again.
Another woman told investigators that she became fearful after Romaine's "illegal personal traffic stops," alleging that she was pulled over so that he could chat or give gifts to her children, the report said.
The report questioned Romaine's honesty in responding to accusations involving the databases and pursuit of women as well as his honesty in dealing with criminal cases, the report said.
Given current legal precedent, findings in two previous investigations of his conduct would have resulted in his termination, according to the report.
The apparent untruthfulness could also affect pending criminal cases, appeals or those awaiting sentencing, Port Orchard-based defense attorney Tim Kelly said.
The circumstances would have to be narrowly defined, such as a dispute over what a suspect said. The evidence would also hinge on what degree to which Romaine was involved in the case, he said.
"You would need to connect it to the case," he said.
Romaine is the second Poulsbo police officer in five years to resign amid allegations of misconduct.
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