NewsHound
11-03-2011, 02:08 AM
Police Chief Talks Department Issues With Commissioners
From WPBF.com
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- The Boynton Beach police chief addressed questions from commissioners at a City Hall meeting Tuesday night.
Chief Matt Immler was busy answering questions about his hiring and training policies after five officers faced criminal charges this year.
"I think you look upon this incident as a validation of our systems as a way that the police department draws the line when it comes to certain behavior," Immler said.
After the meeting, Mayor Jose Rodriguez said there can't be that many bad apples in a department.
"We can't accept that there are going to be bad apples," Rodriguez said. "There's always going to be an opportunity to get better."
Rodriguez asked the chief to answer a handful of questions at the meeting, addressing issues from management to training. Commissioners also asked if there should stricter hiring requirements like higher education.
"If we can raise the level of education, is that going to give us a better police officer? I think it will," Rodriguez said.
Immler doesn't seem so sure.
"The studies that are out there, and they go both ways, essentially can't make a correlation between an education level and a good police officer," Immler said.
Moving forward, commissioners said the city manager will draw up a comprehensive plan to look at how the department can improve and then present that to the mayor and commissioners.
5 Boynton Beach Police Officers Have Been Arrested Since July
Immler's questioning comes after five Boynton Beach police officers have been arrested since July.
Alex Lindsey is among the recently arrested officers. State prosecutors said the 28-year-old lied in his police report and sworn probable cause affidavit about finding a gun hidden on a suspect during a December 2010 arrest.
Michael Arco and Michael Mulcahy were also charged with official misconduct. Prosecutors said they falsified their police reports about how they gained entry into a fugitive's motel room while serving an arrest warrant in November 2010.
In July, David Britto was indicted on drug charges. Federal prosecutors said the 28-year-old officer conspired to obtain more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Britto, who was honored as the 2010 Boynton Beach police officer of the year after he saved a toddler from drowning, has been on the run since August, when he cut off his ankle-monitoring bracelet and flew to Brazil. His mother pleaded guilty to helping her son flee the country.
A fifth officer, Kenneth Magielski, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies said he crashed his car through a gate in Palm City.
Read more: http://www.wpbf.com/news/29652057/detai ... z1cbW8JuCY (http://www.wpbf.com/news/29652057/detail.html#ixzz1cbW8JuCY)
From WPBF.com
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- The Boynton Beach police chief addressed questions from commissioners at a City Hall meeting Tuesday night.
Chief Matt Immler was busy answering questions about his hiring and training policies after five officers faced criminal charges this year.
"I think you look upon this incident as a validation of our systems as a way that the police department draws the line when it comes to certain behavior," Immler said.
After the meeting, Mayor Jose Rodriguez said there can't be that many bad apples in a department.
"We can't accept that there are going to be bad apples," Rodriguez said. "There's always going to be an opportunity to get better."
Rodriguez asked the chief to answer a handful of questions at the meeting, addressing issues from management to training. Commissioners also asked if there should stricter hiring requirements like higher education.
"If we can raise the level of education, is that going to give us a better police officer? I think it will," Rodriguez said.
Immler doesn't seem so sure.
"The studies that are out there, and they go both ways, essentially can't make a correlation between an education level and a good police officer," Immler said.
Moving forward, commissioners said the city manager will draw up a comprehensive plan to look at how the department can improve and then present that to the mayor and commissioners.
5 Boynton Beach Police Officers Have Been Arrested Since July
Immler's questioning comes after five Boynton Beach police officers have been arrested since July.
Alex Lindsey is among the recently arrested officers. State prosecutors said the 28-year-old lied in his police report and sworn probable cause affidavit about finding a gun hidden on a suspect during a December 2010 arrest.
Michael Arco and Michael Mulcahy were also charged with official misconduct. Prosecutors said they falsified their police reports about how they gained entry into a fugitive's motel room while serving an arrest warrant in November 2010.
In July, David Britto was indicted on drug charges. Federal prosecutors said the 28-year-old officer conspired to obtain more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Britto, who was honored as the 2010 Boynton Beach police officer of the year after he saved a toddler from drowning, has been on the run since August, when he cut off his ankle-monitoring bracelet and flew to Brazil. His mother pleaded guilty to helping her son flee the country.
A fifth officer, Kenneth Magielski, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies said he crashed his car through a gate in Palm City.
Read more: http://www.wpbf.com/news/29652057/detai ... z1cbW8JuCY (http://www.wpbf.com/news/29652057/detail.html#ixzz1cbW8JuCY)