Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Three Daytona Beach police officers aka "Nextel Boys" fired for unauthorized pursuits.

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 05:31:24 -0500

Hey Timmy,

Is this how "Business gets Done"?

<SNIP>

"Fellow officers said the trio routinely used personally owned walkie-talkies and
cell phones to pursue suspects together without getting mandatory supervisor
approval. Those accusations led to fellow officers nicknaming them the "Nextel
Boys" and the "signal 12 crew," a police code for reckless driving"

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Three Daytona Beach police officers "Nextel Boys" fired for unauthorized pursuits.

Chief dismisses three officers for pursuit violations

By EILEEN ZAFFIRO Staff Writer

Last updated: Mar 8, 04:10 AM

DAYTONABEACH -- Three Daytona Beach police officers were fired Friday on charges of
repeatedly taking part in unauthorized high-speed chases that caused property
damage, led to crashes or nearly resulted in accidents with innocent
bystanders.

"One officer said these three are dangerous and they're going to hurt
someone," Chief Dennis Jones said. "Another said they have no regard for the
law or the uniform. That about sums up my feelings."

The ex-officers include Christopher N. Jones, 32, who had been with the
department since 1995; Ryan D. Grodi, 36, a Daytona Beach officer since
1998; and Glenn E. Draugelat, 32, who was hired in 1994.

Jones and Grodi had been on paid administrative leave since Sept. 10, when
an internal investigation began, and Draugelat was placed on paid leave Feb.
11. All three had their pay cut effective Sunday, and have turned in their
equipment.

An attorney and union representative helping the patrol officers called the
charges groundless and generic, and said they're baffled the allegations could
be reasons to fire officers who don't have serious disciplinary records.

"If you intend to employ this type of review of all of your officers, it should not
be long at all before Daytona Beach is without any law enforcement," Mike
Lambert, a Daytona Beach attorney who's representing Jones, said Friday in a
written response to the chief.

Jeff Candage, the Teamsters Union representative for Daytona Beach police
officers, also said the charges are misguided.

"This is not a diabolic plot by a group of rogue policemen," Candage said.

In his letter to the chief, Lambert accused the city's top cop of "blatantly"
disregarding due process rights, making vague accusations and not personally
participating in the investigation. Lambert attached to his letter a copy of the
Officers' Bill of Rights, and encouraged the chief to refresh his memory.

But Chief Jones said he's confident the investigation was handled properly, and
that current policies are sufficient to prevent similar problems in the future.

"I've been doing this a long time," Jones said.

Fellow officers said the trio routinely used personally owned walkie-talkies and
cell phones to pursue suspects together without getting mandatory supervisor
approval. Those accusations led to fellow officers nicknaming them the "Nextel
Boys" and the "signal 12 crew," a police code for reckless driving.

All three officers are accused of misconduct in a traffic stop that sparked the
six-month investigation and led to the firings. On Aug. 22, former Chief Ken
Small said he saw Jones driving a marked police car 60 to 70 mph across a
store parking lot, and that he had to step on his brakes to avoid getting hit.
Small said he saw Grodi and Draugelat drive past in marked vehicles a short
time later.

Jones is also accused of chasing a stolen rental vehicle in December 2001
that wound up smashing into a utility pole and tree at more than 90 mph and
bursting into flames. Both people inside the vehicle -- Earnest J. Johnson, 20,
and Mia Ingram, 17 -- were killed.

The driver's mother, 49-year-old Beulah Johnson of New Smyrna Beach, said
the chief did the right thing Friday.

"I'm glad they were fired," she said.

An attorney for the passenger's father, Victor Ingram, agreed with the chief.

"Obviously it won't bring his daughter back," said Boca Raton attorney Brian
Glick, "but it's good that someone cared to get to the truth."

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Politics/LocalGov/areaH3030803.htm

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