Thursday, December 02, 2010

Florida Officer, Who Broke Man's Neck... Cleared (by wftc.com Oct. 16, 2010)

Fla. Officer Who Broke Man's Neck Cleared

Posted: October 16th, 2010 09:44 AM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. --

An Orlando police officer slammed an 84-year-old man to the ground so hard he broke his neck, but Friday the department said Officer Travis Lamont did not break any rules.

Daniel Daley is still in the hospital in intensive care. His attorney, Mark NeJame, told WFTV he's not surprised the Orlando Police Department cleared its officer but said it wasn't right.

NeJame was appalled that the "use of force" investigation points out that Daley is six inches taller than Officer Travis Lamont.

"Six inches, 60 years, um, there is a 60-year age difference. Come on, everybody knows, you got an 84-year-old person. Who cares how tall they are?" NeJame said.

NeJame says Daley is slowly getting better. He is out of a medically-induced coma and he is starting to speak.

His neck was broken during his arrest in September in the Lake Ivanhoe area after his car was about to be towed.

Police said he was drunk and belligerent. The Orlando police "use of force" investigation concludes Officer Lamont was justified in using what police call a hard take down to arrest Daley. The investigation also concluded that he used the technique correctly even though Lamont and the other officer made conflicting statements.

Lamont said Daley grabbed his neck with one hand and pulled back to punch him with the other.The other officer says Daley tried to choke him with both hands

Police chief Val Demings put out a statement Friday saying, "We have begun the process of reviewing the use of force policy and will make appropriate modifications."

"How would you expect them to admit wrongdoing when in fact such an admission would be tantamount to them admitting damages which would be massive in a matter such as this. So it's completely expected but completely wrong," NeJame said.

Daley's medical bills are already in the hundreds of thousands. His recovery could take years.

Daley has given the Orlando Police Department notice that he plans to sue.

According to the report, the officer's sergeant questioned Daley at the hospital after his arrest.

Sgt. Jonathan Bigelow wrote, "I asked the subject, 'How come you did not listen to the officer when he told you not to touch him?' The subject replied, 'I was wrong. I guess I went a little too far.'"

"That is custodial interrogation and it violates a constitutional right to question him without having given him his Miranda warnings," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said.

Sheaffer says the police are relying on Daley's alleged statement, even though they say Daley was too drunk to drive.

Copyright 2010 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Printable version may be for personal use only. Content may not be duplicated, re-used or otherwise replicated without expressed, written consent from Officer.com and/or the original author/source.

N.J. City Plans to Lay Off Half of Police Force (by Matt Katz, The Philadelphia Inquirer) December 1, 2010

N.J. City Plans to Lay Off Half of Police Force
Posted: December 1st, 2010 01:03 PM EDT
BY MATT KATZ
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Camden will lay off nearly half of its police officers and a third of its firefighters while eliminating positions in every city office, according to a layoff plan approved Tuesday by the state.
The 383 total layoffs represent about a quarter of the city's work force, and touch all corners of city government, from 15 positions in the municipal court to 20 police dispatchers.
The City Council will meet to consider the plan on Thursday, and those affected will be notified by Friday. The layoffs, including 180 police officers, would take effect Jan. 18.
Camden's long economic meltdown began with the loss of its industrial base more than a half-century ago. The city is so lacking in taxable property that its revenue only covers about a quarter of the city budget. Cuts in state aid this year compounded the problem.
Last week, Camden was named the second most dangerous city in the country by a national survey.
The number of layoffs could be softened by retirements, or, less likely, concessions from the unions, all of which are in the midst of contract negotiations.
Al Ashley, the president of the union representing officers in the fire department, said the union was not given any guarantee that concessions would reduce the number of layoffs.
Ashley said because Camden does not have the tax base to sustain itself, the situation will only continue to get worse.
"Unless they're going to throw up casinos starting tomorrow and they're finished in six months, we're not going to have any more revenue [in fiscal year 2012] than we did this year," he said. "Where does it end? It breaks my heart."
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Printable version may be for personal use only. Content may not be duplicated, re-used or otherwise replicated without expressed, written consent from Officer.com and/or the original author/source.

N.J. City Plans to Lay Off Half of Police Force (by Matt Katz, The Philadelphia Inquirer) December 1, 2010

N.J. City Plans to Lay Off Half of Police Force
Posted: December 1st, 2010 01:03 PM EDT
BY MATT KATZ

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Camden will lay off nearly half of its police officers and a third of its firefighters while eliminating positions in every city office, according to a layoff plan approved Tuesday by the state.
The 383 total layoffs represent about a quarter of the city's work force, and touch all corners of city government, from 15 positions in the municipal court to 20 police dispatchers.
The City Council will meet to consider the plan on Thursday, and those affected will be notified by Friday. The layoffs, including 180 police officers, would take effect Jan. 18.
Camden's long economic meltdown began with the loss of its industrial base more than a half-century ago. The city is so lacking in taxable property that its revenue only covers about a quarter of the city budget. Cuts in state aid this year compounded the problem.
Last week, Camden was named the second most dangerous city in the country by a national survey.
The number of layoffs could be softened by retirements, or, less likely, concessions from the unions, all of which are in the midst of contract negotiations.
Al Ashley, the president of the union representing officers in the fire department, said the union was not given any guarantee that concessions would reduce the number of layoffs.
Ashley said because Camden does not have the tax base to sustain itself, the situation will only continue to get worse.
"Unless they're going to throw up casinos starting tomorrow and they're finished in six months, we're not going to have any more revenue [in fiscal year 2012] than we did this year," he said. "Where does it end? It breaks my heart."
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Printable version may be for personal use only. Content may not be duplicated, re-used or otherwise replicated without expressed, written consent from Officer.com and/or the original author/source.