Double Standards: Captain Drew Techner

Philadelphia Police Captain Drew Techner was yanked off the streets and assigned to the Auto Pound because of an allegation involving a family matter.  It is not uncommon for various family members to make allegations against their relatives that may not be true.

However; recent information received indicates that Techner may have bigger problems and could be arrested.  The issues he had with DHS concerning his minor daughter could happen to anyone who has an out of control teenager.  Any relative or child can make up a lie and get an investigation started.   However; rumor has it that during the investigation, something more sinister showed up.

Rumor has it that a search warrant was obtained for Techners’ cell phone and photos containing what is described as extremely disturbing involving a toddler was discovered on his cell phone.  If this is true, Techner has a problem.

This is especially disconcerting considering Techner is also a military veteran as well as a Police Officer.  Techner allegedly hasn’t been back to work since he was detailed to the Auto Pound and tried to throw his weight around.  This is the same Captain that was bounced from the 18th District for his reckless tirade.  

Techner was quickly reminded he was under investigation and while he would be treated with the respect the rank deserves, he was under investigation for a serious crime.

Stay tuned.

 

#MeToo Lt. Richard Frank: Demoted

Lieutenant Richard Frank of the 14th District was demoted to the rank of Sergeant after a PBI (Police Board of Inquiry) hearing.  Lt. Frank was supposed to report to the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC) after his misdeed, but was quickly re-assigned after the relative of one of his victims happened to be already detailed there.

Sergeant Frank (formerly Lt. Frank) wasn’t able to concentrate on a conversation that a police officer was having with him.  The Sergeant (former Lieutenant) allegedly told the female police officer that he was unable to concentrate because he couldn’t “stop staring” at her “tits”.

Apparently, Frank believes it is still alright to engage in this type of behavior despite the #MeToo movement.  Despite the litany of lawsuits the Philadelphia Police Department has paid in the last couple of years because of the bad behavior of Chief Inspector Carl Holmes.  Despite the fact that there has bee a reckoning in America that has sprung up overnight.  #MeToo movement.

Time honored the “Silence Breakers” which consists of a group of women who bought down Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.  The Philadelphia Police Department had their “Silence Breakers” in Officer Christa Hayburn and Detective Michele Vandegrift.

The sitting Judge in Vandegrift’s lawsuit concluded that there is “a well-settled custom of sexual harassment” pervades the police force.   The City paid out millions because of the misconduct of Holmes.

Click to access 17D0024P.pdf

Chief Inspector Carl Holmes was accused of “digitally penetrating” one officer and assaulting an officer in his police car.  Yet Internal Affairs did not sustain the job even after finding semen in his police car.  Holmes claimed the semen was the result of consensual sex with a civilian police employee in the police car.  Even Holmes back-up story is terrible.  When your back-up story is just as vile as the allegation, that’s a HUGE problem.  Yet IAD failed to sustain the allegation against Holmes.  Then-Commissioner Charles Ramsey wasn’t buying it.  While Ramsey did demote Holmes also, he was re-promoted and is currently a Chief Inspector.

NEWSFLASH:  Cops have had it with the embarrassment of bosses behaving badly.  Women have had it with bosses and co-workers who behave badly, who are habitual line crossers and would don’t know, that they don’t know.  People are fed up with the fear of retaliation, of being harassed, blackballed and fired from a job they love.  Enough of this “blue code of silence” and going along to get along.  It’s not okay to stick your finger into holes where they don’t belong.

Sergeant Richard Frank allegedly has new disciplinary action pending.  The new disciplinary action should result in his termination.  When folks start getting fired for their boundary pushing, lusty conversations and lewd and lascivious behavior, along with the loss of their pension (which is what happens when the misconduct happens in the course of employment),  folks will begin to be act in a professional manner and live up to the standards that are expected when one is a member of law enforcement.

 

Michele  Vandegrift

 

 

 

C/I Anthony Boyle accused of battering Capt. Laverne Vann

It has been reported that Chief Inspector Anthony Boyle allegedly assaulted Captain Laverne Vann.  The incident allegedly occurred over the arrest of a white female.  As of this writing, Vann is en-route to the hospital.

Our headline shows the ridiculous “versus” because it is ridiculous.  Vann was allegedly assaulted by Boyle.  Vann is a woman, Boyle is a man.  Both are police supervisors.  The alleged assault was witnessed by police officers on the scene.  Did any male officers intervene?  Who stopped the assault?  Where did Boyle flee after the battery?  Was there a scene held?

Witnesses said Boyle had his “Irish up” because he has not been pleased about the lawsuit and has been pissed with Vann and another female supervisor, Staff Inspector Debra Frazier.

Vann and three other police officers recently filed a lawsuit against Boyle and Inspector Ray Evers.  The lawsuit alleges retaliation against the officers for refusing to follow illegal orders and discrimination based on race and creating a hostile work environment.

Chief Inspector Boyle allegedly assaulted Vann and physically obstructed her from making the arrest.  This has to be the ultimate form of retaliation.

Boyle who has 42 years with the Philadelphia Police Department and retired with 35 years of service with the United States Air Force, should know better.  Boyle’s most recent dereliction of duty may be the climax in an increasingly hostile environment.

As a Chief, we hold our superior officers, actually, to a higher standard of accountability and self-discipline.  If it is proven Boyle assaulted Captain Vann, he should be criminally charged.

Policing, like the military are old institutions and the more things change the more they stay the same.  The fact is that this abhorrent behavior cannot be tolerated.  Especially in this #MeToo movement environment.  Enough is enough.

Americans are more divided than ever, gridlocked over social issues, race and gender.  Many people are anxious about how divided the country is and cops worry about its impact on policing.  When it becomes acceptable for a man, who happens to be a white man, to commit an unlawful touching (battery) on a woman, who happens to be a black woman, the issue grows exponentially.

This illuminates the fact that Captain Jerry Levins got away with physically assaulting then Police Officer Theresa Brooks.  The charges against him miraculously disappeared.  Sure, he was forced to retire, but he suffered no real consequence.  Meanwhile, Corporal Brooks has to live with the memory and reality that she was assaulted by a man, who suffered no punishment.

This should not be allowed to occur again with Captain Vann.  There should be an independent investigation of the altercation.  And truth be told, with 42 years with the department, Boyle is working for free at this point in his career.  Even if he does “retire” with 100% of his current salary, he must be held accountable for his lack of self-discipline and criminal conduct.

Boyle showed poor judgment and a lack of leadership skills when he decided that it appropriate to physically touch Vann in any manner.  The larger issue is that he did so, like Captain Levins, because they lack respect and tend to objectify women (or people) of color.

Can you imagine the outrage if Deputy Commissioner Myron Patterson physically assaulted a female officer, much less a white female officer.  The FOP would be calling for the guillotine.

We’re certain the Guardian Civic League will get involved in this one.  The question becomes, where will the Fraternal Order of Police and John McNesby stand on this one?  This case is another argument why the union for various ranks should be separate as they are in New York.

Let’s see what Larry Krasners’ office does with this one.

Philly PPD Ex-Sergeant Goes Back To Jail

Bryan McGraw, a former Sergeant in the Philadelphia Police Department, was sentenced to 2 years in prison after pleading guilty to sending hundreds of threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend earlier this week in federal court.  The ex-girlfriend, former Philadelphia Police Sergeant, current Missouri City, Texas Police Lieutenant, Geneane Merritt of McGraw, is at the middle of his latest crime spree.

Merritt, who was a controversial figure in the Missouri City Police Department after then, Missouri City, Texas Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald hired to the rank of Captain, then requested and received a demotion to the rank of Lieutenant, after an incident in which she was accused of misusing funeral time and a city vehicle.  There is a subsequent lawsuit against current Fort Worth Police Chief Fitzgerald regarding the controversial appointment in Missouri City by a Police Officer who did not get the rank of Captain.

McGraw, who was acquitted of 1,086 felony counts and 1,086 misdemeanor counts of insurance fraud, along with current Philadelphia Police Sergeant Michael Kennedy (currently on desk duty after being caught on a Nanny Cam apparently stealing money while serving a warrant) was fired again after a love triangle involving the same woman.

That case involved then Sergeant Geneane Merritt, then of the Philadelphia Police Department and another Philadelphia Police Officer Darryl Braxton.  McGraw was convicted in 2008 and served three years in state prison for Aggravated Assault, Discharge of Firearms into an Occupied Structure and a litany of other offenses after McGraw told an elaborate tale about his romantic rival attempting to shoot him outside the residence of Geneane Merritt.

When McGraw was released from prison in 2014, he began to text threatening messages to the Missouri City, Texas police officer who is currently the alleged boyfriend of Merritt.

Federal prosecutors alleged that McGraw, using a phone disguising app called MaskMyNumber and Mathrawk, to threaten and intimidate the new boyfriend of Merritt.  In one of the text, he challenges his victim by asking if his child being fatherless “was worth the p***y.”  One has to wonder if it was worth it for McGraw.

McGraw pleaded guilty on May 9, 2018.  After pleading guilty, McGraw will surrender himself in October to begin serving his two year prison sentence.

Merritt is picture below 2nd from the left.

#Me Too Chief Inspector Carl Holmes

The City of Philadelphia decided to pay $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit by a woman who claimed “a veteran police commander sexually assaulted her when she was an officer in a department in which she said sexual harassment was pervasive.”  (http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/tns-philadelphia-police-harassment.html)  Former officer Christa Hayburn alleged that Chief Inspector Carl Holmes forced her into a sex act inside his police car.

Hayburn has recently joined a 20 member unit formed by District Attorney Larry Krasner who will be tasked with making recommendations to the Victim and Witness Services Unit about “empowering witnesses, supporting the victims of crime, and eliminating the trauma felt by crime victims and witnesses.” (Philadelphia DAO).  Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson is also a member of this unit.

Here’s the bio on Hayburn as part of the Unit “Christa Hayburn is a former Philadelphia Police Officer. She wanted to join the CVAC to provide valuable insight to the Committee from a victim’s, a police officer’s, and a sexual violence advocate’s perspective. As a survivor of sexual violence at the hands of a fellow police officer, she knows what it is like to be the victim, what the reporting process looks and feels like, and how traumatizing it all can be. She is married and has three children who are being raised to be advocates for the voiceless. Hayburn resides in the Pine Valley section of the city.”

Still scratching my head why the DA’s office would need another unit to tell their own Victim and Witness Services Unit how to interact with victims of crime.  Funny though, the Police Department has failed to protect future victims from Carl Holmes.

This isn’t the first time at the rodeo for Holmes.  As previously reported, another officer, Michelle Vandegrift made a complaint when she accused Holmes of digitally penetrating her and tasting his finger.

Vandegrift alleged in her complaint that Holmes “wanted to know how wet she was” and that he inserted his finger into her vagina.  The complaint also alleges that he pulled his hand out, tasted his finger, and remarked “it tasted good”.  This allegedly happened in his office while they were both working.  The complaint then goes on to name 24th District officers and Southwest Detectives, both places where Vandegrift worked, who engaged in highly inappropriate, and in some cases, criminal sexual behavior.

The complaint is a salacious and disgusting account of what became a nightmare for Michele Vandegrift.  Read Complaint Here.

As a result of Holmes malfeasance, Vandegrift received $650,000.00 in compensatory damages, $500,000.00 in attorney’s fees, and $100,000.00 in back and front pay.  Additionally, she had to agree to a non-disclosure agreement, and agree not to seek employment within the City Departments of Prisons, Police, Sheriff or Fire Departments.  She signed off on the terms of the agreement on March 13, 2017.  vandergrift-settlement-agreement (1).

Commissioner Ross signed off on the settlement as well.

With Christa Hayburn advocating for victims for the District Attorney’s Office now, this validates her ordeal at the hands of Holmes.  While it can be argued, that since he has been demoted, he was punished.  However; why is he still in a position within the department where he can engage in the same type of behavior again and place other female Police Officers at risk?  He has been described as a serial predator.  The question becomes why isn’t he hidden somewhere within the department which will limit his interactions with female officers.

And no, the School District of Philadelphia was another poor choice where he was once assigned.  It was reported, after questioning the decision to  install him as head of security in the School District of Philadelphia that the brass defended the decision.

“Chief Inspector Carl Holmes, who is on loan from the city’s police department, has been investigated twice by the Internal Affairs Department. Top brass dismissed previous incidents that were brought to light, saying those matters were closed after an investigation.” as reported at the time.  Again, a failure on Internal Affairs part.  The article went on to report that “Chief Holmes is more than qualified to lead this position, and Commissioner Ramsey has the utmost confidence in his ability in working to keep our kids safe. Furthermore, none of those issues involved children in any way, shape, or form,” Lt. John Stanford, a police spokesman, said in an email response.”  (http://www.phillytrib.com/news/carl-holmes-installed-as-chief-of-school-security/article_360c837a-aec0-59cb-af87-f6f72d1c3f6e.html).

The same Commissioner Ramsey who demoted Holmes and refused to promote him.

However; Holmes private actions belie his defenders public statements.  If the Police Department can’t change its ways in the wake of the highly publicized #MeToo movement, combined with the huge payouts of taxpayer funds, there will be more scandals in the future.

It’s fortunate that Christa Hayburn will be there to lend a helping hand.

 

 

 

 

Philly Cop Shoots Husband In Domestic Dispute In Bucks County

A Philadelphia Police Officer shot her husband in an alleged domestic dispute in the county.  The couple lived in the Holland, Pennsylvania.  The couple’s three children, 1, 7 and 13 in the home on the 100 block of Marmic Road at the time, according to police.  Rumor has it the officer is Caren Perez.

The Northampton Police Department is on location.

Stay Tuned.