In a classic Godfreyesque style, Boss Godfrey and his loyal underlings will be meting out "discipline" just in time for Christmas, says Assistant Police Chief Tarwater, who has been handling the investigation. Whereas we had all been hoping for the expression of an act of charity or contrition on the part of the Emerald City administration during this holiday season, Boss Godfrey and his underlings, the penultimate holiday "grinches," intend instead to recommend punishment for Officer Jones within the next few days, "ranging from suspension without pay to [outright] "termination."
This is all happening within a context wherein Weber County Attorney Attorney Decaria has essentially exonerated everyone involved in the matter, of course, including officer Jones, as Ace Reporter Schwebke accurately reports:
"Decaria concluded in a report released last month there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Jones for any crime."The continuing disciplinary action turns on allegations that officer Jones, in the company of other OPD officers, lifted a couple of wallets during traffic stops, reporter Schwebke adds. These were of course among the allegations we thought had been resolved by Mr. Decaria investigation. In that connection we have obtained a hard-copy version of the investigative report of Mr. Decaria's own investigators, which will convert to electronic form, upload and post here as an update later today, time permitting, so that our gentle readers can draw their own conclusions as to the nature of the "charges" still pending against Officer Jones.
As an aside, we'll also make note of a misreporting of facts in this morning's story, whereby Mr. Schwebke refers to a "...sliding evaluation scale that included the number of tickets issued among 18 factors in awarding merit raises to police." For some odd reason the Standard-Examiner is reluctant to label it for what it is -- a ticket quota.
Our intrepid Ace Reporter then continues with this outright mis-statement: "The sliding evaluation scale has since been rescinded by the City Council."
As regular Weber County Forum readers are well aware, the above statement is untrue. While the council DID alter the pay plan for public safety officers, (to put them on par with other city employees,) a traffic citation quota still exists in Emerald City. Emerald City police officers' pay still depends, at least in part, on the number of traffic citations they write. Emerald City's Finest are still being mis-used as Emerald City revenue agents, to feed Boss Godfrey's Justice Court cash cow. This is not a minor point, we believe. Nor is it a point we'll have forgotten in November 2007, when Boss Godfrey stands for re-election to a third mayoral term.
Okay, gentle readers -- many of you have been clamoring for a Matt Jones update.
Now that you have it, what will you do with it?
Don't let the cat get your tongues.
19 comments:
I had watched on the tv. I think it was Rod Decker, that interviewed Rep. Hansen, about the ticket quota bill, if the city does not have a quota system in place, as the Mayor declared in the story, then My guess is that the administration will jump on board and support this bill. Any guesses that that won't happen?
I reserve comment until we learn if the punishment matches the crime (or lack there of)
Anon:
Exactly right.
In the Christmas Carol, which this sordid situation clearly isn't...Old Scrooge shows up at Cratchitt's (Jones') home with a goose and STAYS for dinner!
In this Emerald City version...Jones is the goose and he's cooked!
What will termination do to Matt regarding future employment? Knowing the FACTS as DiCaria reported, will another city hire Matt?
That would be a good thing, and surely he'd have a raise in pay.
When Godfrey campaigns again, THIS caper will do him in...if all the other misdeeds, lies, backroom 'dealings', and other corrupt actions are put before the public..'disciplining' or TERMINATING this officer AT CHRISTMASTIME will show Godfrey's true stripes.
I ask again: Where oh where is the person will run, win and be sworn in as our honest and good mayor????
Dian's funeral is at noon tomorrow at Larkin Mortuary.
We owe it to Dian to continue to fight for clean, open, honest government in Ogden.
Rudy,
Where is the report that you were going to add on?
Comment promoted to the front page, pursuant to WCF Great Comments Rescue Policy, along with relevent responding comments.
re: 12:49 anon-
The City Council, in my mind, is to blame in addition to the other mentioned people. I respect their effort and the time they put into their work as councilmen, but they need to start asking more and better questions and start having a real vision for Ogden. Haven't there been a number of iffy staff reports and recommendations lately? If the residents of Ogden can see right through a lot of the BS, they certainly should too.
An additional consequence, per Scott Schwebke
"proceeds from the sale are to be used to fund parking garage and plaza improvements at The Junction being built downtown."
It feels like this house of cards is beginning to crumble. Unfortunately, it's OUR house that WE will be stuck paying for.
By the time these types of transactions get to the City Council they should have already been vetted. It is not the City Council job to micro-manage. Since the people that are to do the vetting all report directly or indirectly to the mayor, that is where the responsibility lies.
Sooooo...the City Council is one big rubber stamp? Makes sense.
That's not what the first ananymous was saying and you know better. If the administrations did the job it was supposed to do or hired people more interested in taking care of business than just staying in lock step with the mayor then this wouldn't be happening.
Do you thinks Curt Geiger looks over the shoulder of the child laborer that sewing his winter leasure suits, i doubt it but he better be watching his sales force or else he'll be out a job. To say that the board od directors of descente is looking at Curt is wrong to, they look to the pres of descente to watch Curt. Same with the city council vs. the mayor.
Humble Servant and Public Servant
what do you know about Matt Jones?
Tell what you can, please
Curious, you can take this to the bank -- Matt will be fired. The deck has been stacked against him from the first -- Godfrey's creed: If anyone, who is an employee of the city, embarrasses him, they're gone; others are called into his office so he can rant and rave, belittle and harrass them. It's really laughable that Greiner is trying to make it look like it wasn't a pre-determined decision.
How are the Jones'family doing for Christmas?
Does Matt have something else lined up?
Will the children have a Santa Christmas?
Rudiznik,
Why don't you put out the infomation on the investigation that you spoke of? I would assume that you would want your readers to have ALL of the information.
Ahem. Rudi is in the process of HAND-TYPING the hard-copy document into digital format, and WILL post it as soon as it is finished. Patience is a cherished virtue at Weber County Forum, and our gentle anonymous reader is gently urged to "cool his or her jets."
Patience is a virtue and information is power. Political pundants use information, by releasing it or not releasing it, to enhance their own political agenda. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Don't get paranoid on us, anonymous.
It's fifteen single-spaced pages; and Rudi is by no means a speed-typist.
It'll be posted here when it's done.
Now go pour yourself a nice Christmas egg-nog or something, uncle scrooge.
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