CLEVELAND -- Cleveland's safety director says GPS tracking units on patrol cars will be used more effectively as a result of the actions of two officers.
On Tuesday, Officer Matthew Prince and David Muniz pleaded no contest to departmental charges including failure to patrol their assigned area and making false reports about their patrol duties.
On April 5, the officers were dispatched to reports of a dead body on I-90. The officers drove past the body but did not stop. They reported to dispatch that the body was a deer.
The body turned out to be that of 28-year-old murder victim Angel Bradley Crockett, a mother of three small children.
The GPS tracking unit on the officers' car revealed the pair sat in a cemetery most of the night, and that they left but didn't slow in the highway to properly inspect the body. The GPS also revealed that they went back and sat at the cemetery for the remainder of their shift.
"All police officers have assigned patrol areas and when you're not in your area and falsify reports and say you were clearly it's relinquishing your responsibilities to the criminal element rather than assuming your responsibilities and meeting the needs and expectations of the citizens," Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask said.
Flask suspended the officers for six months without pay. When they return they will undergo more training and the police chief can reassign them.
Flask says fire trucks, EMS, and 200 police patrol cars are equipped with GPS tracking, and there will be new procedures in place to make sure incidents like this don't happen again.
Flask says dispatchers can see where every car is located, and now that system will be used more effectively.
"Clearly if we have a car that has been idle for 30 minutes the dispatcher will be aware and communication with the officer and supervisor will take place and our integrity control section will do some routine audits to make sure this activity doesn't happen in the future," Flask said.
Angel Bradley Crockett's family is considering legal action against the city and the officer. In a statement the family indicated the suspensions show the city is taking the incident seriously.
On Tuesday, Officer Matthew Prince and David Muniz pleaded no contest to departmental charges including failure to patrol their assigned area and making false reports about their patrol duties.
On April 5, the officers were dispatched to reports of a dead body on I-90. The officers drove past the body but did not stop. They reported to dispatch that the body was a deer.
The body turned out to be that of 28-year-old murder victim Angel Bradley Crockett, a mother of three small children.
The GPS tracking unit on the officers' car revealed the pair sat in a cemetery most of the night, and that they left but didn't slow in the highway to properly inspect the body. The GPS also revealed that they went back and sat at the cemetery for the remainder of their shift.
"All police officers have assigned patrol areas and when you're not in your area and falsify reports and say you were clearly it's relinquishing your responsibilities to the criminal element rather than assuming your responsibilities and meeting the needs and expectations of the citizens," Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask said.
Flask suspended the officers for six months without pay. When they return they will undergo more training and the police chief can reassign them.
Flask says fire trucks, EMS, and 200 police patrol cars are equipped with GPS tracking, and there will be new procedures in place to make sure incidents like this don't happen again.
Flask says dispatchers can see where every car is located, and now that system will be used more effectively.
"Clearly if we have a car that has been idle for 30 minutes the dispatcher will be aware and communication with the officer and supervisor will take place and our integrity control section will do some routine audits to make sure this activity doesn't happen in the future," Flask said.
Angel Bradley Crockett's family is considering legal action against the city and the officer. In a statement the family indicated the suspensions show the city is taking the incident seriously.
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