So that officer with the 628 page personnel file has been suspended 3 times in 14 years... [View all]

[Gravitycollapse]

The brief backstory:

I was pulled over for speeding early on a Sunday morning, May 26, as I was on my way to work. I was late. Anyway, I showed the officer my license, registration and insurance card. The insurance card was a digital version on my phone which is allowed in Arizona.

Arizona Revised Statutes 28-4131-3: "A display on a wireless communication device" is proof of insurance.

Officer Christopher Romero told me that a digital copy is not legal in Arizona. I told him that I believed he was incorrect in his claim. He paused, took a deep angered breath and said "Where do you work?" I responded by telling him where I worked...

"Well, you work at _______. I work for the Department of Public Safety. I'm a 20 year veteran. I think I know what I'm talking about."
"Are you sure of that?"
"Absolutely."


I was written a ticket for speeding and not having proper insurance documentation (The latter carries a fine of over 1000 dollars).

I decided to go to court and demand that the violations be thrown out due to the officers harassment and lack of knowledge of essential law.

I filed a public records request of his personnel file. After 20 days, I had all 628 pages placed on a CD. I have been reviewing them for the last couple hours. And finally got through all of the files related to his misconduct.

Here's some interesting information:

Officer Christopher Romero has been suspended without pay 3 times since 1998.

1998: Officer Romero was off duty and clocked by another officer traveling 70 mph in a 40 mph zone. Officer gave him a citation for 60 in a 40. When asked why he was speeding, Romero reported to another officer that he was following a loaded truck with "2 to 12 kilos" of cocaine onboard and that he was undercover at the time. Officer Romero expressed anger that the drugs were now "hot" on the street because the other officer pulled him over. After investigation, it was found that Romero was lying and that he was neither on duty nor following anyone with drugs in their vehicle.

-Suspension without pay for 16 hours because of “Dishonesty”-

1999: Officer Romero lied to his department upon transfer to another position when he failed to turn in his previous equipment, including three work credit cards, on time. He stated in an interview that he turned the equipment in several days before he actually did.

-Suspension without pay for 40 hours because of “Insubordination”-


2011: Officer Romero was subject to a “Professional Standards Investigation” for improperly using another officer’s sign on authorization to access jobs on multiple computers on multiple occasions. Officer Romero would use the other officers information, without permission, to sign up for jobs and then do them himself. That officer became suspicious and reported Officer Romero, and two other officers, to the department. After the investigation, the department recommended 120 hours suspension without pay.

-Suspension without pay for 40 hours because of “Improper Procedure”-

Despite all of this, Officer Christopher Romero has been promoted multiple times from his initial position as an Officer Cadet in 1989 to his current position as a Sergeant.