They're supposed to protect and serve, but, often enough, we report on cops caught up in some kind of disorderly or unlawful behavior and, a fair amount of the time, it's caught on camera, or turns into a viral video.
Today, we got an update on a number of cops caught up in bad business or bad behavior.
Primary among them is PC Stephanie Patten, facing a battery of guns and ammunition charges after a raid of her Orange Walk home turned up a stash of high powered weapons.
She faces serious criminal charges and was remanded without bail last week - but, she will also face internal disciplinary charges - the kind she somehow avoided 18 months ago when she was caught driving a pickup with 20 kilos of weed. OC of the professional standards branch Calbert Flowers says she should have been charged then:
Sr. Supt. Calbert Flowers, OC, PSB
"That officer was placed on interdiction. However, we are facing some real difficulties, some real challenges, because the person in that video who would have been the complainant, that person refused to cooperate with us. He refused to give us a statement, but we are still dealing with this officer by the use of the video. He will be going before a disciplinary tribunal and we will try to use that video content to present in order to get a conviction."
"Tiffany Patten - we all know that she was criminally arrested and charged for those offences. Internally, my office deals with the internal matters. Internally, she has already been written to. She has been served with a notice of complaint and has been serve with a letter to give an explanation, after which disciplinary charges will be followed. She will definitely be charged internally and will be facing a tribunal for this matter."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you all feel that perhaps officer Patten should have been charged back in 2020 when she was caught driving a vehicle which had 20 parcels of Marijuana inside, but miraculously a man came forward turned himself into police and said all of it was his and as far as we know at the time has been criminally charged, but all those were dropped and had she faced any disciplinary charges for that at the time. My information was that she had not face any disciplinary charges at the time."
Sr. Supt. Calbert Flowers, OC, PSB
"Certainly, at the time she should have face disciplinary charges. I cannot say what happened back then, I was not at this office, so I cannot really say what went on, but certainly I believe she should have been charged, because someone came forward and took responsibility for the criminal matter, but we still had the internal matter that I believe should have been dealt with."
Another female police officer who is facing disciplinary charges is PC Alicia Trapp. She famously clashed with Cayo South Area Rep Julius Espat in the heat of the Teakettle Village Council Election. Espat won't press assault charges against her - but she is still facing internal charges. Flowers gave us an update on her case:
Sr. Supt. Calbert Flowers, OC, PSB
"Miss Trapp, likewise has been served with notice of complaint and a letter for her to give explanation of her actions after which disciplinary charges will be laid against her. In the matter with Alicia Trapp, the breach of discipline in that case is the breach of social media policy. That is the angle that we are investigation."
"Stephanie Patten has been placed on interdiction. However, Alicia Trapp remains on active duty pending the outcome of this investigation and the tribunal matter."
Another woman constable who is facing a string of internal charges is Constable Sabas Williams - a cousin of the Commissioner who blasted him in a Facebook live rant.
Flowers says she will also face charges for social media violations and other infractions:
Sr. Supt. Calbert Flowers, OC, PSB
"The other female officer is an officer attached to the Corozal Police Station, Sabas Williams. Again, Sabas Williams will be dealt with disciplinary. Her matter is under investigation. We have several videos that were taken from off social media in relation to Sabas Williams. Again, she will be served with an notice of complaint and she will be requested to submit a explanation after which charges will be levied against her and she will be faced a disciplinary tribunal. Sabas Williams will be placed on suspension, because of these continuous videos."
And a prime example of police "brute force and ignorance" came in April - when a cop choked Shamar Foster, a 19 year old boat captain, tour guide, and full-time student viciously choked by a lawless cop at the municipal airstrip.
Flowers says that prosecuting this cop has been difficult because they claim Foster won't give a statement:
Sr. Supt. Calbert Flowers, OC, PSB
"The person involved is not coming forward. He came forward initially but he refused to give us a statement."
We'll have an update on some other bad cop cases later on in the news.
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