Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis will implement a new policy that would boot cops off the force after just three suspensions, reports the Boston Herald. The change comes as federal prosecutors outlined the case against a cop who racked up six suspensions before his arrest on charges he used his badge and gun to shake down a man on behalf of drug dealers. Davis is drafting a policy change that will include a “last-chance agreement” after any officer is suspended for the second time. He is also reviewing how officers are supervised at details.
Jose Antonio Ortiz, 45, a 21-year Boston police veteran, allegedly wore his uniform, carried his service revolver, and even gave out his business card to extort his victim, who was being squeezed for $265,000 by Colombian drug lords. “It is very serious when a police officer is suspended. As long as I'm in the Boston Police Department, we will not have officers remain in uniform with this kind of record again,” said Davis. Ortiz allegedly committed crimes even after he was suspended from the police department six times for offenses that included swearing at a commanding officer, lying on police reports, double-dipping into overtime and paid detail monies and stealing a ticket from a fellow officer's citation book to write his neighbor an illegal ticket. Ortiz was arrested Wednesday in a parking lot, where he allegedly accepted a payment of 4 kilos of cocaine and $4,000 in cash from the victim. He has denied wrongdoing.
Link: http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=198495