The Associated Press
DALLAS, Texas - Marking the first time senior police commanders have been held accountable for their roles in the fake-drugs scandal, Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle has demoted a high-level member of his administrative staff and forced the retirement of another.
Both played key supervisory roles in the 2001 scandal, in which dozens of people, mostly Mexican immigrants, were wrongly jailed on drug charges based on fake evidence.
Until Monday, only detective-level officers had taken the brunt of the punishment, including two detectives who have been fired.
Assistant Chief Dora Saucedo-Falls, a 27-year Dallas police veteran, was demoted to her former rank of lieutenant, effective immediately. She oversaw the narcotics division in 2001 and now is assigned to the day shift in communications.
Deputy Chief John Martinez, who has been with the department 32 years, immediately announced his retirement, effective next month, rather than be demoted. He had overseen the narcotics division when the controversy began.
“I made this decision ... that there was responsibility up the chain of command and the only appropriate remedy would be these demotions,” Kunkle said Monday. “The message is that we’re all accountable for what occurs under our command.”
With Monday’s personnel changes, all members of the chain of command involved in the fake-drug scandal have retired or been fired, demoted or transferred out of the narcotics division.