APS Police Chief "under fire" for missing ammo

Under fire means different things to different people.

To the Journal, sitting at home pulling down $250 a day plus benefits and, apparently immune from criminal prosecution for criminal misconduct, is "under fire".

The Journal report, link, contains a few errors.

It would be the second police chief in a row who was let go because of allegations of misconduct.

He is actually the third not the second.  The Journal should know that because they reported in 2007, link, on the departure of the second; Gil Lovato, and the guy he replaced, Darrell Harrell, who also left under allegations of misconduct.

Nearly 17 years ago, Gil Lovato took the reins of a school police agency racked by controversy.

They went on in the 2007 report;

(Lovato's) been on paid leave since Jan. 6, (2007) pending an internal audit of the school police department that still isn't complete. Normally, such audits take two weeks. (the report was published Feb 7)

The leadership of the APS was dragging their feet.  The report continued;

Outside private investigators have also been called in.

The outside investigator was Robert Caswell Investigations, the same investigator who has been called in this time.  Caswell apparently recused himself at some point during the 2007 investigation because he was "conflicted".  He still is.  Apparently this time they went ahead and did the investigation themselves despite the conflict.

The Journal refuses to report that Caswell's findings in 2007 included felony criminal misconduct involving senior APS administrators.  They refuse as well, to report that the leadership of the APS never turned the findings over to the DA for criminal prosecution.  Or, that they are spending tax dollars in federal court in an effort to keep the findings hidden from public knowledge.

The Journal refuses to demand the production of an ethically redacted copy of Caswell I (2007) and Caswell II (2014).  Or, they have asked and refuse to report that the request was denied.  And further refuse to report "why" the leadership of the APS refused to produce an ethically redacted version of the truth.

There is a problem with the report's use of the phrase "in a row".  There was a chief in between Lovato and Tellez, who wasn't let go because of allegations of misconduct; Bill Reed.  I've heard there were allegations of misconduct on Reed's part, but they are unsubstantiated until APS produces the public record of his public service in the APS.

If there were allegations of misconduct made against Reed, that would make Tellez the fourth APS police chief in a row caught squandering the public trust and treasure.


The Journal reports;

The APS police department had ordered four boxes of ammunition for assault rifles, although APS police do not use assault rifles, the official said.

The Journal did not ask, was not told, or did not report; the name of the person who ordered the ammunition.

Who is "the official"?  Is someone "leaking" information to the Journal, or is the Journal allowing someone to dissociate their name from the scandal?

Tellez has acknowledged to APS administration that he took one of the boxes for personal use with his own weapon, the official said.

So apparently the question is; if a member of APS inner circle to takes APS property for his own personal use, is that a bad thing?  Bad enough to fire him?

The Journal wrote;

APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta said last week Tellez was put on leave for a “personnel matter,” not a criminal matter.

Armenta is skating on some pretty thin ice here;
how do you take something that doesn't belong to you without committing a crime?

How much longer does APS get to claim "personnel matter" for everything they want to hide?

It will be up to Superintendent Winston Brooks to decide whether he should be fired.

It will be up to Brooks to decide whether he wants Tellez testifying in court.

Hmm.  Tellez baring his body map and ratting out a bunch of the senior leadership of the APS in court and on the record, or not? Hmm.

It does raise another possibility though;
Brooks could bring Tellez back "on probation" to keep him quiet.

Tellez ... was named acting chief (in 2007) after the district opted not to renew then-Chief Gil Lovato’s contract amid allegations of favoritism and other issues.

"Other issues"?  Candy coating by the Journal if ever there was, Link

Attempts to contact Tellez through APS were unsuccessful.

Ya think?




photos Mark Bralley