11-01-2012, 02:15 PM
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FORT MYERS - Fighting for his job! A fired Fort Myers police officer is back on the force tonight at your expense! For the second time in two months, an officer has fought and won a wrongful termination case.
Four in your Corner's Mike Mason is explaining how the drawn out process is costing you thousands of dollars. After being fired more than a year ago, officer Mark Edwards reported to work today. That's because an arbitrator ruled the city was wrong to fire him in the first place.
Documents show officer Edwards was fired for a few reasons. According to the city, in 2010, "While on duty in his patrol vehicle, on 37 occasions (officer Edwards) reported to dispatch that he was in a location other than where he actually was....he was outside of the City of Fort Myers where he should not have been without approval of his superior."
But records show, "The arbitrator finds that there was no just cause for (the city) disciplining Edwards…(the city) has not demonstrated this his deviations were for anything other than breaks."
And the city claimed, "Officer Edwards falsely indicated in his monthly activity report....that he attended a neighborhood watch meeting although GPS records show he was at a different location."
The arbitrator found the city did have grounds to discipline Edwards for this but stated, "His dismissal is an excessive penalty."
As a result, Edwards was reinstated as a police officer but he won't receive compensation for the time he was out of work. That doesn't mean it won't cost you in the long run.
Cecil Pendergrass: "The investigation, the police department staff, his time out of work. My estimate will probably be around $100,000."
Former PBA president Cecil Pendergrass represented Edwards during the arbitration.
Cecil Pendergrass: "I think the arbitrator saw it as excessive punishment and the lack of fair treatment across the board to all their employees."
Two months ago, another fired Fort Myers police officer was reinstated. O'Neil Kerr was terminated last year after being charged with domestic violence; charges which were later dropped. But Chief Doug Baker fired him anyway, forcing Kerr to hire an attorney to get his job back.
O' Neil Kerr: "I withdrew all of my pension to pay for my legal bills because I wanted to prove, I at least wanted to show that what was done to me was wrong.
Mike Mason: "So you paid thousands of dollars?"
O' Neil Kerr: "Thousands of dollars."
Kerr was reinstated and taxpayers had to pay him 18-thousand dollars in back pay and foot the bill for his arbitration.
Pendergrass says these two cases have cost the city thousands and if nothing is done soon, taxpayers could be on the hook for more down the line.
Cecil Pendergrass: "I think city council should be looking into why is this occurring, why do we have these types of incidents occurring where bad decisions are being made and whoever has made these decisions should be held accountable."
Records show this was the first time officer Edwards had ever been disciplined by the department and he was on the force for nine years. We asked the Fort Myers Police Department to comment but have not heard back
FORT MYERS - Fighting for his job! A fired Fort Myers police officer is back on the force tonight at your expense! For the second time in two months, an officer has fought and won a wrongful termination case.
Four in your Corner's Mike Mason is explaining how the drawn out process is costing you thousands of dollars. After being fired more than a year ago, officer Mark Edwards reported to work today. That's because an arbitrator ruled the city was wrong to fire him in the first place.
Documents show officer Edwards was fired for a few reasons. According to the city, in 2010, "While on duty in his patrol vehicle, on 37 occasions (officer Edwards) reported to dispatch that he was in a location other than where he actually was....he was outside of the City of Fort Myers where he should not have been without approval of his superior."
But records show, "The arbitrator finds that there was no just cause for (the city) disciplining Edwards…(the city) has not demonstrated this his deviations were for anything other than breaks."
And the city claimed, "Officer Edwards falsely indicated in his monthly activity report....that he attended a neighborhood watch meeting although GPS records show he was at a different location."
The arbitrator found the city did have grounds to discipline Edwards for this but stated, "His dismissal is an excessive penalty."
As a result, Edwards was reinstated as a police officer but he won't receive compensation for the time he was out of work. That doesn't mean it won't cost you in the long run.
Cecil Pendergrass: "The investigation, the police department staff, his time out of work. My estimate will probably be around $100,000."
Former PBA president Cecil Pendergrass represented Edwards during the arbitration.
Cecil Pendergrass: "I think the arbitrator saw it as excessive punishment and the lack of fair treatment across the board to all their employees."
Two months ago, another fired Fort Myers police officer was reinstated. O'Neil Kerr was terminated last year after being charged with domestic violence; charges which were later dropped. But Chief Doug Baker fired him anyway, forcing Kerr to hire an attorney to get his job back.
O' Neil Kerr: "I withdrew all of my pension to pay for my legal bills because I wanted to prove, I at least wanted to show that what was done to me was wrong.
Mike Mason: "So you paid thousands of dollars?"
O' Neil Kerr: "Thousands of dollars."
Kerr was reinstated and taxpayers had to pay him 18-thousand dollars in back pay and foot the bill for his arbitration.
Pendergrass says these two cases have cost the city thousands and if nothing is done soon, taxpayers could be on the hook for more down the line.
Cecil Pendergrass: "I think city council should be looking into why is this occurring, why do we have these types of incidents occurring where bad decisions are being made and whoever has made these decisions should be held accountable."
Records show this was the first time officer Edwards had ever been disciplined by the department and he was on the force for nine years. We asked the Fort Myers Police Department to comment but have not heard back