Police Special Duties Without Permission

ComPol Williams has often criticized how his officers handle special duties. It’s well-known that officers take on extra assignments to earn some extra cash. However, the commissioner insists that they shouldn’t be sneaking around behind their superiors’ backs to do so.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The officers who would have gotten the call to work the event ought to have said to the organizers, I cannot work this event without you seeking permission first from the commissioner of the local commander. It does not have to come to me. A game that is of such nature within eastern division, the organizers could have gone to Mr. Romero and said we are having this basketball game at such and such a place. We need security to work the event. Mr. Romero would be in a position to approve and tell them your request is approved and this is the amount of police you would be required to pay for this event. So, what happens is his response would be nothing less than ten police. They don’t want to pay for ten police so they would go behind him to the lower level officers to get them to work for them and just get three.”

 

Reporter

“Was Mr. Gamboa the contracting officer?”

 

Chester Williams

“Mr. Gamboa is saying no, on that particular night he was not notified. But he also admitted that on two other occasions he was contacted and he and worked there. I said to Mr. Gamboa that as a senior officer he would have had an obligation to inform myself or Mr. Romero or refer the people to myself or Mr. Romero to decide how much police would have to work the event.”

 

Reporter

“Did they do any search of people coming into the game?”

 

Chester Williams

“I asked that question and they say yes they did. I cant say they were lying, because you and I would know that the integrity of the Marion Jones fence is weak. People can throw things over the fence and come in through the ordinary way and when they get into the compound they can go and get the thing on them. But even in the absence of that, when you have the PIV and BLC gangs on the bleachers in the same area police officers ought to have been up there to make sure there was no clash between them. That did not happen.”