Police officers punished

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jun 15, 2007 | by Ben Winslow Deseret Morning News

SANDY -- His co-workers claimed Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Ryan Atack showed up for work agitated and unable to focus on one thought at a time.

Later during his shift on July 19, 2006, the head of the police department's narcotics squad didn't respond to a detail. His supervisor called him in.

"He was asked to take a urinalysis and tested positive for amphetamines," Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training counsel Rick Wyss recounted during a disciplinary hearing Thursday. "He did admit he had been addicted to controlled substances for some time."

Atack resigned from the police force and signed a form, consenting to have his peace officer certification revoked. In a unanimous vote, the Utah POST Council ended Atack's 14-year career in law enforcement.

Atack was among a dozen cops punished on Thursday for various misconduct. The disciplinary actions came the same day that the Utah POST Council approved a series of changes in how it decides what level of discipline an officer will face.

The guidelines break offenses down into categories. An officer who commits a felony crime or abuses drugs like cocaine or meth would fall into "category A," and could lead to an automatic revocation of their certification. Sexual misconduct while off duty that becomes disruptive to a police agency could get an officer a one-year suspension, since it's a "category E" offense.

The council still has discretion to rule against the guidelines, as some members did while reviewing the disciplinary recommendations Thursday.

In considering the case of former Salt Lake City Police Officer Marcus Barrett, council members rejected a three-year suspension of his peace officer certification.

The POST Council said Barrett got into a fight during a basketball game at a Gold's Gym in West Valley City last year. The fight continued into the parking lot, where Barrett is accused of retrieving a shotgun from the trunk of his police car and racking it.

Barrett pleaded guilty to class C misdemeanor disorderly conduct and was sentenced to a year's probation and ordered to pay a $200 fine. He quit the Salt Lake Police force and signed an agreement with POST for a three-year suspension.

It was not good enough for POST Council member Larry Gillett. He pushed for a revocation.

"You've got an officer that's totally out of control," Gillett said. "I wouldn't want him on the streets again."

A Rich County sheriff's deputy accused of billing $1,800 for work he didn't do also divided the council. POST investigators said David Schirado would watch movies during his shift.

"Deputy Schirado indicated he did this because he was not busy in his employment," Wyss said. "That was his rationale. He was apologetic."

Schirado resigned and agreed to a four-year suspension, but Gillett said he wanted a revocation.

"To be consistent, he could have been charged with a felony," he said.

In the end, two members of the council opposed the suspension in favor of a harsher punishment.

Among the other officers disciplined:

-- Officer Matthew Jones, who became the subject of a high- profile dispute with Ogden's mayor. POST said the Ogden patrol officer was accused of pulling over Hispanic drivers and taking the money from their wallets. He was also accused of having a sexual relationship with a dispatcher. Jones told POST he had no interest in being a police officer and signed a form consenting to revoking his certification.

-- A Rich County Sheriff's dispatcher had her certification revoked after she was caught on videotape engaging in sexual encounters while at the office, POST said.

-- West Valley City police officer Steven Ward had his certification revoked stemming from allegations of illegal steroid use. POST said the allegations emerged from an investigation into a shooting involving Ward.

-- A Daggett County Sheriff's deputy had her certification revoked after it was discovered that she used a county credit card to purchase $1,500 in cigarettes. POST said she contacted them and requested to voluntarily sign a revocation agreement.

-- A Draper police officer had been on the police force for only nine months until he quit when it was revealed he had a consensual relationship with a 16-year-old boy, who originally claimed to be 18. His peace officer certification was revoked.

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com