WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Five command-level officers were fired from the West Palm Beach Police Department following an internal investigation, CBS 12 reported.
In a two-year investigation, officers uncovered nearly $37,000 in overlapping assignments. Three of the officers were captains who are accused of accepting paid “off-duty” shifts during time that they were scheduled for their department shifts.
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Chief Tony Araujo did not detail allegations against the other two officers.
“These decisions were guided by facts, due process and our responsibility to hold every employee accountable under the same standards,” Araujo stated. “Accountability is not selective.”
The investigation also found that the departments practices governing off-duty shift work were poorly documented and inconsistently enforced, CBS 12 reported.
The West Palm Beach Fraternal Order of Police plans to challenge the firings through arbitration, alleging that the disputed practices were allowed under previous department leadership.
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