Posted on 05/05/2006 4:52:17 PM PDT by Jean S
A high-ranking official at the National Fraternal Order of Police cited the mishandling of Rep. Patrick Kennedy's (D-R.I.) car accident Thursday as just one more example of problems the Capitol Police Department is experiencing since Chief Terrance Gainer retired.
Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), said the fact that no investigation was conducted after Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I) crashed his car into a security barrier at C and First Street SE was unacceptable but symptomatic of the way the Capitol Police Department is being run after Gainer's departure on April 6.
Gainer retired after charges of nepotism surfaced in early March.
"This is one of the reasons why Gainer is gone…It's no secret that 15 to 20 years ago the department was run by and for the good-old-boy and good-old-girl network," Pasco said.
He added that there are some individuals on Capitol Hill that are "not willing to continue the evolution," of the department.
Pasco also said he was concerned that encouraging officers to examine the political ramifications of an incident rather than allowing them to react to unlawful situations as they are trained to do could have dangerous results.
"This kind of political decision-making could lead to the injury of an officer," he said.
Pasco said this is the second incident in two months in which Capitol Police management has favored politics over protocol, citing Rep. Cynthia McKinney's run-in with a Capitol police officer last month.
McKinney struck the officer in the chest with her cell phone when she was stopped for bypassing a security checkpoint without identification.
The officer filed charges against McKinney; the U.S. district attorney is currently reviewing the case.
"There was ample evidence to arrest Ms. McKinney and it appears an investigation should have occurred in [the Kennedy incident]." Pasco said. "This is not a way to run a police department."
After crashing his mustang convertible into a security barrier shortly before 2:45 a.m. Kennedy stepped from the vehicle and informed the responding officer that he was late for a vote. Votes had concluded nearly three hours before the incident.
According to two knowledgeable sources, two sergeants responded to the accident, and after reviewing the incident with the watch commander, dismissed the rank-and-file officers.
The responding officers were not permitted to investigate the accident or conduct a field-sobriety test.
The sergeants then drove Kennedy home.
In a release issued after 10 p.m. Thursday night, Kennedy said a mixture of prescription drugs had caused him to become disoriented and to believe that he was late for a vote.
"Following the last series of votes on Wednesday evening, I returned to my home on Capitol Hill and took the prescribed amount of Phenergan and Ambien, which was also prescribed by the attending physician some time ago and I occasionally take to fall asleep," the release said.
Kennedy had been prescribed Phenergan for a stomach illness; Ambien is a prescription sleep aid.
"Some time around 2:45am, I drove the few blocks to the Capitol Complex believing I needed to vote," Kennedy said in the release. "Apparently, I was disoriented from the medication… At no time before the incident did I consume any alcohol."
Kennedy told reporters later that he requested no preferential treatment and indicated he would cooperate fully with any police investigation.
On Thursday, an internal memo from the local chapter of the FOP was sent to Acting Chief of Police Christopher M. McGaffin demanding an investigation into the accident according to a source close to the incident.
The United States Capitol Police released a statement last night that said they are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident and the way it was handled.
"In addition to determining the existence of any evidence that would support traffic charges, the department is also reviewing steps taken during the initial accident investigation to ensure compliance with existing policies and procedures," the release said.
Despite the Capitol Police's stPasco was unsatisfied with the initial actions taken by police management.
"An investigation was terminated and obstructed," he said.
No charges have been filed against Kennedy.
The six-term lawmaker was involved in a fender bender on April 21 in Providence Rhode Island.
I will make you a cyber bet right now that Ted Kennedy will step down before the massachusetts voters stop voting for him. he is a god up there. They think he craps tootsie rolls.
Really? I'd heard the pending vote was "Shaken or Stirred?".
Also the drugs vs. booze aside, I think he made a mistaking in claiming he didn't remember getting out of bed and driving. The 'getting out of bed' claim can and most likely will be refuted by someone seeing him in the bar at 2:00 am.
Can't have it both ways - out-of-bed to cast a vote, vs. in the Hawk and Dove drinking.
I was voting for Prez for the first time and JFK was running. After 12 years in a Catholic school including a rally for JFK at the end of my senior year, I was pretty sure who I was going to vote for.......Until my dad sat me down and told me the "truth" about the Kennedy family.
***Here in Mexico this sort of thing happens often. People who are of the priviledged class get off easy.***
We had a funny incident in my town of over 100,000 people. A young man parked his car in a spot reserved for customers of a store. Store owner calls police. Cop writing a ticket, when young man runs out of the bar nearby yelling, "You can't ticket me. I'm driving a Cadillac." Cop requests his license. More yelling, "You can't ticket me. I'm driving a Cadillac. Everybody in this town knows you can't ticket anyone driving a Cadillac." Young man keeps repeating that. Young man raises his hand apparently to hit the cop.
WHAM, one sudden move from the cop, and the man is on the ground, screaming. Ticket written.
Kinda makes you feel good, huh?
Me thinks there is a little hypocrisy going on here. When was the last time anyone heard of a cop getting arrested for DWI? Or speeding?
A crime in NJ.......but of course, not if you're the Mayor of a small town and the police are dependent upon governing body for their paychecks.
I think Congress ought to have hearings.
I know. I lived there for a while in the 80's. I remember one year, on Rose Kennedy's birthday, Teddy decided to have a 'Rose Parade' to honor his mother. I had never seen him in person so I walked a block over to Beacon Street to watch him walk by. It was a sweltering day and he was seating like the pig that he is. Note to Teddy K.......don't wear a light blue shirt on a hot day, it makes you look even worse!
Happens here too.
Was he Doctor Shopping?? That's what I want to know!
I think his liver will step down before he does.
I'm thinking you're spot-on with that.
I worked a little to get Cynthia McKinney booted from Congress, in favor of a non-moonbat Dem, only to have Jihawd Cyndy return 2 years later. Now that she's back, I'm not sure she's not better for us, for similar reasons. She exemplifies the moonbat Left in so many ways, and I'm not sure the non-moonbat Dem would have voted much different than Cyndy.
That's no way to run a police department. No it's not, but look how Congress is run.
LOL
lol
Trouble is that the PUBLIC DOES NOT KNOW. If this were a Republican it would be a news story for weeks! Not this one. Kennedy is slinking off to hide, and the cops that disallowed testing have been moved (as I have heard).
It's all bull, but the public does not know anything.
What's with the bar bill that night from the Hawk and Dove?
No mention in the MSM.
You have to give credit where credit is due. It is evident the Kennedy's have strong livers. Still I would imagine it is about as hard as a brick.
It would be nice if the media would actually do its job, but not expected. The GOP needs to get out any message it wants out.
The GOP should run a series of ads showing Dims calling for higher gas taxes and higher gas prices. There is a ton of material available. The GOP should hammer home the Dim scandals. Jihad Cyndy. Baghdad Jim. "Family Tradition" Paddy Kennedy!
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