UNION CITY AND BEYOND — The city of Union City released the results of private investigator Walter Timpone’s investigation into Chief Charles Everett’s security off-duty detail work on Wednesday night. Timpone, who was hired to write a report by Mayor Brian Stack, called it an “interim report” because, as it states, “documents necessary for a fulsome review are being produced slowly.”
The report came after various media outlets published information revealing that Everett had gotten paid tens of thousands of dollars each year for extra work outside of his six-figure job as police chief (see older stories linked below).
Everett also announced his retirement on Wednesday, hours before the report was released.
The report outlined four main findings. First, that the opportunity to work the off-duty security detail at the field was closed to rank and file. Normally, there is a tiered request system: police officers below the rank of sergeant call in at 8 a.m. to request off-duty details, and any officer above that rank may call in and request whatever duties are left at 9 a.m.
Timpone’s report states, “The salutary and long-standing purpose of this policy was to give lower ranking and lower paid police officers first crack at the details to supplement their income.”
But it states that Everett “dismantled” this system.
Second, part of the Off-Duty Detail Policy states that officers must complete mandatory PD-2B forms, have them time-stamped, and sign in and out with the detail employer in order to keep track of their time served. Everett allegedly did not, and in failing to do so, the report states, he “violated the very policy he enacted.”
Third, an off-duty detail coordinator also failed to enforce the Off-Duty Detail Policy, the report says. The report finds that “most, if not all” officers who worked details at Jose Marti Field (an athletic field) neglected to fill out the forms as well.
Finally, the report finds Everett and the coordinator to be in a conflict of interest in that “they are participating in details over which they have a duty to supervise and/or ensure are openly, transparently and fairly administered.”
Timpone recommends in the report that the 2005 Off-Duty Detail Policy be reinstated, all off-duty details are electronically tracked, that details closed to rank and file be eliminated and that the Director of Public Safety hold quarterly audits to ensure that PD-2Bs are completed and filed properly.
The report also recommends that disciplinary charges be brought against Everett and the coordinator for alleged Neglect of Duty, Performance of Duty, Obedience to Laws and Regulations and Failure To Comply With Lawful Orders.
For more on this story, read this weekend’s Union City Reporter newspaper or come back to hudsonreporter.com starting Sunday.