ST. GEORGE, UT A record number of cops lost their badges in Utah last year, perhaps as a result of tougher guidelines being pushed by the agency that certifies and disciplines police officers.
The Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council conducted 124 investigations into allegations of officer misconduct in 2008, agency officials said Monday. Of those, 23 police officers had their certifications revoked, another 30 were suspended, and the rest had some level of discipline on their record. "It's reflective of holding people accountable," said Utah Department of Corrections executive director Tom Patterson, who is a member of the council. At Monday's POST Council meeting at Dixie State College, another 22 officers faced discipline for conduct ranging from sexual misconduct, either on- or off-duty, to drug use, DUI, domestic violence and malfeasance. Some officers had their badges revoked, while others had suspensions lasting anywhere from one to four years, effectively ending their careers in law enforcement. The spike in disciplinary action could also be tied to a guideline matrix adopted by the POST Council that includes automatic revocations for violations like certain types of drug use, custodial sexual misconduct and commission of any crime that could have resulted in felony charges. "The guidelines that they approved give us, as investigators, parameters so that we know what POST Council is thinking," said POST executive director Scott Stephenson. The guidelines have faced some criticism from police chiefs and sheriffs, who question if they are too Draconian. Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder went to the council last year to ask them to consider an agency's input. "It's always up for scrutiny and review. It's not like it's in a stone tablet," Stephenson said. The standards that officers are held to is something still being debated by the council itself. During Monday's council meeting, some members raised questions about how far the council can reach into a police officer's life ? even off-duty. "On-duty encounters are not pick-up opportunities," Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds proclaimed as the council considered the case of an officer accused of carrying on a sexual relationship off-duty with a woman whose husband he previously had arrested. "I met my wife on duty," Layton Police Chief Terry Keefe, a member of the council, said, noting that in some cases, on-duty encounters are harmless. "Respectfully, chief, you were single at the time," Edmunds replied. Stephenson said POST is wary of intruding on officers' private lives, but they are held to higher standards. "Don't use the law enforcement influence to get dates. It's not appropriate," he said. In the end, the council voted to reject a one-year suspension for the officer in favor of a two-year suspension.
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