Corpus Christi, Texas - Police Chief Suspended 20 Days; Agrees to Psychological Treatment
Suspension will be docking of vacation time; Bryan Smith back to work Monday
From KIII-TV3 web site. 06/01/07
There will be no change in leadership at the Corpus Christi Police Department.
41 days after Bryan Smith's late night encounter with a former girlfriend - an encounter that ended with her accusing him of rape, the word came down Friday that Smith will keep his job.
There will be a penalty though, a 20-day suspension, to be served by docking the time from his vacation allotment. It means Smith will be back at work Monday morning.
The sense from both Smith and City Manager Skip Noe - measures of relief. Relief that a 6-week long nightmare for Smith is now over, and that a difficult weeklong investigation for Noe has been completed as well.
"I share the disappointment of many that he could make such an error in judgement," Noe said. "In the end, we must all recognize that each one of us will make mistakes - and is human."
Smith later said, "There is no doubt that i used poor judgement in my personal life through my interaction with a former girlfriend. As a result, I embarrassed my fiancee, my family, my fellow police officers, and myself."
Disappointment, embarrassment, and regret, all reached to the core of the Smith scandal. But in the end, Now said, it was the facts of what happened that determined Friday's outcome.
"The chief was off duty , in his personal vehicle, was using a personal cell phone. we have no proof that he was operating it under the influence of alcohol."
But, Smith will face diciplinary action beyond just the suspension. He will have to submit to psychological evaluation and ongoing treatment, as well as random alcohol testing, to, in Noe's words, "ensure that similar behavior is not repeated."
Smith called the 6-week period between the accusation and Friday's announcement, "the most horrible time of my life.
And, to his detractors, who might say the penalties announced Friday were too light, Smith responded, "In the past 26 years, I have a spotless record with the city of Corpus Christi, and with the citizens of Corpus Christi. It think that speaks for itself."
"My place is to come in front of you and the citizens of Corpus Christi and say i'm sorry, and to stand up and say i'm sorry," Smith added, "as any good citizen would do. And admit when I'm wrong. and I was wrong."
As for what comes next, Noe said Friday, "We've got a lot of work to do. We've got serious issues in our community that need to be addressed. The chief has shown the ability to address those issues effectively. We don't have time to waste. We want to get back to business."
Smith added, "We're all impacted by the events of our lives. And this event has obviously affected my life."
As for why Smith stayed silent for more than a month during the investigations, he says it was to protect the integrity of the investigation, and the legal and administrative process. Adding, he's happy to follow through on the changes he's brought to the department over the last 10 months.
For more information, visit Bryan Smith Press Conference (3-News Live Coverage Friday).
Retrieved June 2, 2007 from http://www.kiiitv.com/news/local/7801041.html