Two EMA officers dismissed

By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune staff writer

January 13, 2009 11:23 pm

— Two Howard County Emergency Management Agency officers have been dismissed after taking a patrol car to Muncie where it was photographed outside an adult novelty shop by a passer-by.
When shown the photographs of the cars parked in front of the After Dark store, the officer involved admitted his wrongdoing and told EMA Director Larry Smith another officer was with him at the time.
Smith said Tuesday the identity of the reserve officer who checked out the car was discovered through a discrepancy in the vehicle’s mileage. Smith declined to identify the officers who were terminated.
Smith explained the reserve officer picked up the vehicle at the EMA facility on Berkley Road for a detail on Thursday night and kept it overnight on Friday because of additional duties. The officer said he took the vehicle to Muncie to drop off some paperwork.
Smith said both reserve officers were dismissed from EMA on Monday. All the equipment assigned to the two officers was returned to EMA.
Effective Tuesday, EMA has implemented a new policy on the use of vehicles.
Smith said once an officer is done with a detail, the car is to be returned to the Berkley Road facility regardless of any other details later in the day.
“The cars have got to be returned after each detail,” Smith said.
On Monday, Smith said EMA vehicles are not allowed to leave Howard County without authorization from him or a staff officer.
Any EMA officer would have had access to the ignition key of any of the patrol cars, he said.
Smith said mileage logs are maintained for each car, but not always kept up-to-date.