Sunday, July 26, 2009

Falsifying jail records punished inconsistently by Nueces Sherff

Not every case of falsifying government documents is created equal, apparently. According to an investigation by the Corpus Christi Caller Times ("Sheriff's deputies disciplined," July 26):
Four guards were discovered to have falsified logs at the Nueces County Jail on Sept. 2 of last year. They were reprimanded. Two guards accused of the same offense in a different incident five days earlier were fired.
Only two of six guards who allegedly falsified jail logs were fired and prosecuted. For the others, though, "Letters of reprimand, the punishment meted out to the four deputies in the Sept. 2, 2008, incident, is among the mildest of disciplinary measures for jail guards."

This case shows why departments need a uniform disciplinary matrix to mete out punishments in a more predictable fashion instead of according to the whim of the Sheriff or supervisors. Why should four officers receive only a letter of reprimand while others who did the same thing are fired and prosecuted? Seems like the backstory behind those decisions might be worthy of further investigation by the Caller-Times. I'm not sure anybody caught falsifying jail records should be employed as a peace officer.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good morning Grit's,
An off subject comment and I hope you'll run with it because it's been a topic of conversation since the story broke. Bastrop, Texas 10 year old charged with arson for starting while playing with matches with his friends.

While the child should be disciplined for his actions, being charged with a felony seems completely out of line. Especially when one considers the child is only ten. Texas seems to have no problem turning children into felons, but can't seem to be bothered to charge LE and government officials who commit felonies.

doran said...

Here is what I find fascinating about the inconsistent punishment: The upper levels of the Sheriff's dept. apparently applies the same kind of capricious, erratic, perhaps frivolous decision making to its own officers, as officers frequently apply to civilians.

Officer Crowley arrests Gates because the latter insulted the former. That was a perfect non-rational and capricious decision.

Somewhere else, a cop decides to harass a citizen and perhaps make "an attitude adjustment" arrest.

In Corpus, the Sheriff lets 4 guys walk and punishes two others for the same offense. Maybe those two, in the humble opinion of the Sheriff, needed an attitude adjustment.

Law enforcement just can't help themselves, it seems, when it comes to acting irrationally.
They will act that way toward each other with the same alacrity they bring to cop/citizen encounters.

Anonymous said...

"Law enforcement just can't help themselves, it seems, when it comes to acting irrationally.

Neither can the human race. Perfection in an imperfect world? Never.

Anonymous said...

first, I totally agree that Texas herds children into being felons. Now, the meat of this - I was convicted...IN TEXAs for welfare fraud...in otherwords, fraud to government documents because I allegedly didn't report income. However, by certified mail and testimony of evidence....I did. However, Texas and the employees covered it up....signed other documentation and testified to the contrary...I took a plea because of other family issues and now I am a felon. If the system is so slanted with injustice and it is obvious that this case is FRAUD BY DECEPTION...IN OTHERWORDS - SIGNING AND SECURING DOCUMENTS BY DECEPTION...then why am I the felon when the evidence clearly pointed at the worker and systems failure of recording and they are reprimanded? Then those high and mighty voted in politicians wonder why people are so angry.

Hook Em Horns said...

The level of dishonesty in this state is absolutely mind-boggling. It wears me out. I am becoming convinced that it will NEVER be fixed or right because in reality, I am but one of only a few voices that care. The vast majority of Texans like things just the way they are.