KPD officers on paid leave

By SCOTT SMITH and MIKE FLETCHER
Tribune staff writers

Sat, May 17 2008

— Two high-ranking Kokomo police officers are on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Mayor Greg Goodnight confirmed Wednesday.
Major Greg Davis, who headed the criminal investigations unit, and Lt. Jeff Kirk, who was recently reassigned to the drug interdiction unit, are required to stay at home during regular work hours and do not have access to their department office spaces.
Goodnight would neither confirm nor deny the internal investigation stemmed from Davis and Kirk presenting allegations on possible KPD misconduct to the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
“I don’t know if that has anything to do with it,” Goodnight said. “It’s just an investigation for violating KPD policies. It’s an internal investigation, and it’s just over police policies and procedures. It’s nothing criminal.”
Wendy Osborne, with the FBI office in Indianapolis, would not confirm nor deny that anyone from the Kokomo Police Department contacted the FBI regarding an investigation.
“What we’re looking at is: Did [Kirk and Davis] follow department policies?” Goodnight said when asked directly if the officers had taken allegations to the FBI.
“I haven’t talked to anybody in the FBI, so I can’t say if they did or didn’t,” Goodnight continued.
Kokomo Police Chief Rob Baker referred all questions on the matter to the mayor Wednesday. Goodnight said Baker would not be made available for comment, “at least not right now.”
“It’s just so we can make sure all the information is correct. I feel I have as much information as anybody,” Goodnight added.
Davis, who had served as Baker’s second-in-command since Baker became chief in January, was officially demoted to his previous rank of captain Wednesday. Goodnight confirmed Davis was locked out of his office at the department Easter Sunday. Kirk learned of his suspension the same day.
Davis’ demotion, requested by a Goodnight letter and approved by the Kokomo Board of Public Works & Safety Wednesday, was made retroactive to Monday.
In his place, Goodnight and Baker appointed KPD Officer Jim Calabro as the department’s new major, also effective Monday.
Goodnight said he would not comment on details of the allegations until the completion of an investigation, which is expected to last two to three weeks.
The command structure at the KPD Drug Interdiction Unit, which Kirk headed briefly after Sgt. Mark Miller accepted a demotion March 19, appears to be in flux. No reason was given for Miller’s demotion, other than Baker telling the Board of Works the demotion was “voluntary.”
After a phone call to Baker Wednesday, Goodnight said Sgt. Jeff McKay may be placed in the drug interdiction unit “around April 15.”
The decision to promote Calabro, a patrol officer, instead of a higher ranking officer was made at Goodnight’s request, he said, in consultation with Baker and Maj. Tony Arnett.
Last year, Arnett and Calabro were both patrol officers, and were respectively president and vice president of the local Fraternal Order of Police union at a time when the union was calling for the ouster of then-KPD Chief Russell Ricks.
Baker was also a patrol officer before being named chief.
“I don’t think experience is always the best qualifier for competence, integrity and responsibility,” Goodnight said of Calabro’s promotion.
How did it start?
Without providing details of specific allegations, several corroborating sources Tuesday and Wednesday said the chain of events was set in motion after Miller made allegations about the department during former Mayor Matt McKillip’s administration.
While sources say Miller’s allegations weren’t acted upon, information later came to light that Miller had been tape-recorded discussing the issues.
That conversation then became the basis of the allegations Davis and Kirk reportedly took to the FBI.
Wednesday, Goodnight said it was his understanding Sgt. Dave Mitchell, head of the KPD professional standards unit, had Miller’s original report and the tape recording as evidence in the investigation of Kirk and Davis.
Asked what sort of allegations Miller originally made, Goodnight declined to elaborate.
“I don’t want to say anything that will compromise the investigation,” he said. “If something was done wrong, we’ll address it. If there’s nothing there, life goes on.”