The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) - A police captain who overspent his overtime budget by hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a few months was removed from his position overseeing one of the city’s highest crime neighborhoods, police announced.
Capt. John Kervin, who was appointed in June to oversee the district that includes most of the city’s Roxbury neighborhood, overspent his overtime budget by $715,695 in July, August and September of this year, The Boston Globe reported.
In the first week of October, he spent $132,415 on police overtime, more than half of his overtime budget for October, November and December.
Spending in the district was “jumping off the map,” said Supt. James Claiborne.
“In Captain Kervin’s case, we’ve had face-to-face meetings over why he wasn’t bringing overtime into line, and I received an answer I found to be unsatisfactory.”
Claiborne and Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole declined to specify what Kervin’s explanation was. Kervin did not return a message from the Globe seeking comment.
Kervin was transferred out of the department on Thursday, to a night shift that is part of the department’s overall operation.
“I feel that Superintendent Claiborne took appropriate actions. If any more information comes to light, we’ll respond accordingly,” said police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole.
O’Toole said the department would audit the overtime pay for officers under Kervin’s leadership.
Sam Tyler, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, said the department’s move was necessary.
“It sounds like this is a message from the commissioner to all captains that they were going to be held accountable not only with police functions, but also management,” he said. “The city is not in a position where it can absorb large amounts of overspending.”
Mayor Tom Menino, through a spokesman, declined to comment.