07-15-2008, 01:50 AM
By Joe Seelig | Highlands Today
SEBRING - Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton fired road patrol deputy John Stock Friday after an internal investigation into a citizen complaint revealed he used a mobile computer in his patrol vehicle to run driver's license information of people for non-law enforcement reasons.
The complainant alleged Stock had complained about him to the Florida Department of Children and Families and Highlands County Animal Control.
The Department of Children and Families told Sheriff's Internal Investigator Gus Garcia that its complaint files were confidential, but did not list Stock as reporting any complaints. Animal control reported one anonymous grievance about pit bulls belonging to the complainant.
The complainant, a neighbor of Stock, further alleged that Stock had showed him a photo from his driver's license on a piece of paper.
Garcia obtained an 818-page report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which contained all of the driver's license inquires made by Stock from May 20, 2007 to May 21, 2008.
Garcia found that Stock had made at least 75 inquiries on employees and former employees of the sheriff's office. Payroll records revealed that 10 of those searches were made while off duty and four while working an extra duty detail, Garcia wrote in his report.
Stock also searched records of some employees' spouses and a "local sport and television celebrity," Garcia reported.
The report also stated that on Dec. 27, Stock made a driver's license inquiry on the complainant.
Stock reportedly told Garcia he looked at the driver's license pictures of members' wives "because he was curious and he has a 'fascination' for beautiful women," Garcia wrote. "Deputy Stock also compared looking at the driver's license pictures to other men looking at Playboy or Hustler magazines."
Sheriff's Maj. Mark Schrader said in a memo that Stock had violated the sheriff's office computer system procedures, his oath of office and canon of ethics, his user agreement with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles use of the driver and vehicle information database and a memorandum by the sheriff on such computer use issued in 2007.
Benton terminated Stock July 11.
"The findings of the Internal Investigation as outlined in the attached recommendation from the Law Enforcement Bureau leave no question that it is in the best interest of the people of Highlands County and our agency to terminate your status as a deputy sheriff," Benton wrote in a memo to Stock.
Stock had been with the sheriff's office for just more than five years. He was hired directly out of the Public Service Academy, according to sheriff's human resources.
SEBRING - Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton fired road patrol deputy John Stock Friday after an internal investigation into a citizen complaint revealed he used a mobile computer in his patrol vehicle to run driver's license information of people for non-law enforcement reasons.
The complainant alleged Stock had complained about him to the Florida Department of Children and Families and Highlands County Animal Control.
The Department of Children and Families told Sheriff's Internal Investigator Gus Garcia that its complaint files were confidential, but did not list Stock as reporting any complaints. Animal control reported one anonymous grievance about pit bulls belonging to the complainant.
The complainant, a neighbor of Stock, further alleged that Stock had showed him a photo from his driver's license on a piece of paper.
Garcia obtained an 818-page report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which contained all of the driver's license inquires made by Stock from May 20, 2007 to May 21, 2008.
Garcia found that Stock had made at least 75 inquiries on employees and former employees of the sheriff's office. Payroll records revealed that 10 of those searches were made while off duty and four while working an extra duty detail, Garcia wrote in his report.
Stock also searched records of some employees' spouses and a "local sport and television celebrity," Garcia reported.
The report also stated that on Dec. 27, Stock made a driver's license inquiry on the complainant.
Stock reportedly told Garcia he looked at the driver's license pictures of members' wives "because he was curious and he has a 'fascination' for beautiful women," Garcia wrote. "Deputy Stock also compared looking at the driver's license pictures to other men looking at Playboy or Hustler magazines."
Sheriff's Maj. Mark Schrader said in a memo that Stock had violated the sheriff's office computer system procedures, his oath of office and canon of ethics, his user agreement with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles use of the driver and vehicle information database and a memorandum by the sheriff on such computer use issued in 2007.
Benton terminated Stock July 11.
"The findings of the Internal Investigation as outlined in the attached recommendation from the Law Enforcement Bureau leave no question that it is in the best interest of the people of Highlands County and our agency to terminate your status as a deputy sheriff," Benton wrote in a memo to Stock.
Stock had been with the sheriff's office for just more than five years. He was hired directly out of the Public Service Academy, according to sheriff's human resources.