Second Pepperspray Resignation
Another GJPD Officer resigned Friday who was on paid administrative leave. The PD seems to back-pedaling. When the allegations of misuse of pepper-spray against houseless peoples property came to light in early July, Camper said that there were a “small number of incidents” and that one officer was placed on paid administrative leave because of the investigation.
With the announcement of the second officer resigning, Camper is now saying that the officer was on paid leave for an un-related issue. And no information has been released about the nature of these incidents. See the Sentinel story Here.
GJPD Collects Fingerprints and DNA from Children
Yesterday, the GJPD showed children from Fun in the Summer Camp the nuts and bolts of police work. Kids played with the sirens, saw the bomb squad robot, police motorcycles, and more. On the creeper side, the story from KKCO 11, states that “Kids were also fingerprinted and swabbed for DNA samples.”
Why are the police gather biometric data on children? Did they get parental permission? Do they view the youth as the next generation of potential criminals? How is the DNA and fingerprints of these children to be used? What about rights to privacy?
2 Officers Punished; Another Remains on Paid Leave For Pepper-Spray Incident(s)
On Wednesday, GJPD Chief Camper, announced that an officer received a reprimand for pepper-spraying a vacant building sometimes frequented by homeless people, in an effort to deter people from using the vacant building. The officers immediate supervisor was also reprimanded because he didn’t inquire as to why his officer needed his pepper-spray canister refilled. Camper also promised to announce the fate of another GJPD Officer that has been on paid administrative leave since early July. A fourth officer resigned in early July in response to the investigations. Read more Here.
At the announcement of a second internal investigation looking at the misuse of pepper-spray, Camper was quoted by the Daily Sentinel as saying they were looking at a number of incidents. We at GJPD Exposed, are assuming that spraying of the abandoned building is a different incident then the incident involving the officer that resigned and the officer that is on leave. It will be interesting to see what actually took place in that incident. Camper promised to announce the fate of the third officer currently on paid administrative leave tomorrow.
GJ City Ponders Concentration Camp For Homeless
As the homeless situation, that more and more citizens find themselves in, continues to grow, it has become a major local political issue. There are many willing to chart a new course in GJ’s response to homelessness. Yet there are many who want to continue the criminalize and punish the homeless.
From the gjsentinel.com….
““Can we confine these people to a site such as Gregg has suggested?” [City Council member] Susuras asked [City Attorney] Shaver.
As long as there’s a designated place other than parks or other public areas for certain people to be, the answer is yes, Shaver said.
“If they refuse to go, that’s when we arrest them,” Shaver said.
Read the rest of this article here.
Former GJPD Officer Coyne’s Victim Sues PD
Way back last fall GJPD officer Coyne was arrested for sexual assault and fired. Coyne had responded to a Domestic Dispute, and then after work he allegedly went back to the victims house and sexually assaulted her.
Coyne after bonding out of jail. Took his own life with a bullet in a Denver Freeway Motel.
It was later discovered that Coyne had had a similar complaint against him but the District Attorney and the PD’s internal investigation found that there was a lack of evidence to proceed.
Read the Sentinel’s story here.
Cops Attack Camps; Chief Camper Cleans House
*from Vol. 8 No. 6 of The Red Pill*
One Grand Junction Police officer resigned, and another is on paid administrative leave, after an earlier investigation turned up evidence that GJPD officers pepper sprayed property, like sleeping bags, that belonged to local houseless folks. Six more officers were questioned on this matter. The pepper spray was supposedly meant to act as a deterrent, as a signal from the PD to the victimized houseless to “move along.” The incident is still under investigation.
The earlier investigation, conducted as a result of a Monday, May 3rd incident in which police slashed tents and bicycle tires at a local houseless encampment, resulted in the firing of three GJPD officers; Justin Roberts, Joseph Mulcahy and Phillip Van Why. The officers were accused of slashing tents, trashing camps (including smashing Oreos and bananas with a baton at one camp), and slashing bike tires. There was also an unidentified liquid found on sleeping bags at at least one camp. The officers were allegedly looking for a person for questioning.
On Wednesday May 5th, long time Red Pill editor and contributor and Housing First! No More Deaths! activist, Jacob Richards, filed a complaint regarding police being in the area known as “the Point” at the time the damage occurred. This launched a GJPD internal investigation and a criminal investigation conducted by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department. The officers were placed on paid administrative leave by Friday May 7th, and were fired four weeks later.
The District attorney decided not to charge the three officers involved in the May 3rd incident, even though the internal investigation revealed they did admit to the slashing. The three former officers then appealed their firings, claiming their actions were consistent with training and practices of the GJPD. The appeal brought to light other earlier incidences involving GJPD officers and Grand Junction’s houseless folks, like the pepper spray incident currently under investigation. The chief of police and the city disagree with the accused, and have investigated and sanction officers involved in earlier incidents. The former officers’ appeal was denied by Deputy City Manager, Rich Englehart.
The GJPD and Chief Camper have been besieged with scandal this past year, but he seems to be doing some housecleaning. Last summer, Officer Crooks resigned after being arrested with Domestic Abuse, for which he was later acquitted. Followed a month later by the arrest and termination of Officer Coyne for Sexual Assault. Coyne later committed suicide. Four officers who clearly violate the rights of houseless members of our community are no longer on the force. With continued pressure on police and continue citizen oversight of the police, maybe we can force the department to reign in their mavericks and become accountable to the people. A little pressure goes a long way.
GJPD Officer Resigns in Face of Pepper-Spray Attack
One GJPD officer resigns and another is placed on administrative leave for allegedly pepper-spraying homeless people property, including tents and sleeping bags, in a number of earlier incidents. This investigation stemmed from a case in which three GJPD officers were fired for vandalizing a homeless encampment. The three officers while appealing their case plead that such attack on homeless people’s camps are common practice within the department and in line with the training they received. Check out the Sentinel’s story, here.
GJPD Officer Charged in Accident Stemming from Pursuit
GJPD Officer Kevin Bavor was issued a summons for careless driving that resulted in Injury by the Colorado State Patrol. Check out thee Sentinel article on it here. Big ups to Paul Shockley and the Daily Sentinel for there tireless coverage of the GJPD.
Three GJPD Officers Fired Media Round-UP
http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20100603/COMMUNITY_NEWS/100609981/1076&ParentProfile=1059
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/three_grand_junction_cops_fire
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/police_replace_tent_homes
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/purchase_of_tents_the_right_th
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/residents_deserve_more_details
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/grand_junction_cops_probed_in
http://www.krextv.com//index.php/site/article/homeless_garden_planted_in_grand_junction/9260/
http://www.krextv.com//index.php/site/article/three_grand_junction_police_officers_fired/9240/
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/95476459.html
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/95476459.html
http://www.nbc11news.com/localnews/headlines/95262199.html
http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/06/three_grand_junction_cops_fire.php
http://johnlinko.blogspot.com/2010/06/respect-authority-and-values.html
GJPD Exposed 
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