No charges to be filed against JPD officer
There was no criminal wrong-doing in a Jefferson police officer’s relationship with a 17-year-old at the school where he worked as a resource officer, said Piedmont Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brad Smith. But an internal investigation is continuing into whether he will be fired from the Jefferson Police Department for having violated departmental policies.
Jefferson police officer Robert Fehr was placed on administrative leave with pay at the end of January after allegations arose that he had a relationship with one of the teenagers at the Gordon Street Center, where he worked as a school resource officer.
“Based upon the current investigation, there is no state criminal statute I am aware of that Officer Fehr has violated,” Smith wrote in a letter to police chief Joe Wirthman last week. “The student in question was 17-years of age at the time of the alleged contact. In Georgia, the age of consent is 16 years.”
Smith also said the relationship reportedly did not occur while Fehr was working at the school.
“The offender must have supervisory or disciplinary authority over the alleged victim at the time of the act,” Smith said. “Since the only evidence collected during the investigation suggests that any sexual conduct occurred after his employment at the Gordon Street Center had ended, this statute would likewise not be applicable.”
Wirthman said Friday that Fehr remains on administrative leave with pay pending the conclusion of an internal affairs investigation that will be conducted by Hoschton police chief David Hill.
“Based upon the current investigation, there is no state criminal statute I am aware of that Officer Fehr has violated,” Smith wrote in a letter to police chief Joe Wirthman last week. “The student in question was 17-years of age at the time of the alleged contact. In Georgia, the age of consent is 16 years.”
Smith also said the relationship reportedly did not occur while Fehr was working at the school.
“The offender must have supervisory or disciplinary authority over the alleged victim at the time of the act,” Smith said. “Since the only evidence collected during the investigation suggests that any sexual conduct occurred after his employment at the Gordon Street Center had ended, this statute would likewise not be applicable.”
Wirthman said Friday that Fehr remains on administrative leave with pay pending the conclusion of an internal affairs investigation that will be conducted by Hoschton police chief David Hill.
If we had a merit board he should be terminated and his P.O.S.T. certification revoked.
how can you hold the chief responsible for an officers actions OUTSIDE work? do you think he follows them around when they are off the job?
When they are ON duty they are his responsibility but when they leave the job they are responsible for their own actions!
IF their actions reflect on the Police Department then you have what is going on now....an investigation to determine if policy or law has been violated. Then depending on the investigation, you have the outcome, Either dismissal or reinstatement.
You ask how his wife and kids feel I think that is something he and they have to deal with NOT US. It is between them and not us....I know, i know, adultry, but if you check the stats the police would have to arrest about 45-50% of the population on that one.
Oh one last thing....Mother of 2, why should the Jefferson Police Department be ashamed? One officer's actions are in question NOT THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT.
So in closing Why dont we wait for the OUTCOME before judging.
you said it best RUMOR has it.
now before I say whay I'm going to say I want to preempt it with this.....I am not trying to disrespect anyone or drudge up some bad memories. with that said......mother of 2.....two officers SRO(school resourse officers)dating students, officer stealing gas (and letting his girlfriend), officer pulling gun at baseball game while off duty, and Im only working from memory here i'm sure theres more, but all of these were on the prior administration. As I said I'm not trying to dig up bad blood. My point is EVERY administration has officers that get disiplined or let go for bad judgement, NOT JUST JEFFERSON. the reality is that the newspaper is based here and Mike seems to have a grudge against the police department. to make my point I have not seen anything about an officer being released from Arcade recently. To Quote JAUTRY Rumor has it this is not his first rodeo but hey it's not jefferson so it isnt news worthy.
As for Officer Fehr, Officer Fehr is not nor has he been a School Resource Officer. Officer Fehr has worked only one day at the Gordon Street Center this school year. He was only there on that day because the School Resource Officer was out and Officer Fehr provided security. The internal investigation cleared Officer Fehr of any criminal wrong doing in this matter.
The Jefferson Police Department has some good officers, such as Sgt Lee New, Officer Billy McDaniel, and Officer Darren Mace to name a few. Let's not blame other officers for the bad judgement that Officer Fehr made. Officer Fehr is a good officer and a good person, he just made a bad error in judgement. I am sure all of us has done something in life that we are ashamed of. Let him without sin, cast the first stone.
1. Oath of office: in the Jefferson Police oath of office it says, " I accept the law enforcement code of ethics of the international association of chiefs of police as my standard of conduct while on and off duty and swear to faithfull abide by and defend the same.
2. Code of Ethics: Article 5 " Private Conduct"
3. Code of conduct: paragraph 5 " Duty regarding coduct "
4. Code of conduct: paragraph 59 " conduct unbecoming on/off duty conduct.
It took me about 20 minutes to find those listed above. There is probably more. I wonder what is taking the professionals (so called professionals) so long? The department Policy is public record look it up if you want.
Now you say that if he wasnt Wirthmans friend he would have been fired without delay....I pose a question to you...If you were in wirthmans place and your 47 year old FRIEND just told you he fell in love with a 17 year old and left his wife for that girl puting you in the situation wirthman is in, would you even for 1 second longer consider him your friend? I know I wouldn't.
SO JAUTRY,
Spill the beans what do you know that the rest of us don't about his other rodeo's? where and when has he done something like this since you are so informed?
http://www.cityoffortpierce.com/pdf/Agenda030507.pdf
Read the item #7
http://web.tcpalm.com/2007/05/24/police_budget_2007.pdf
scroll down to the graph and look at Item #59
for a quick look:
59 Demotion & Layoff
Officer (Sergeant Demotion)
Robert Fehr & Sergeant William Hall
Demote sergeant (4 of 14) assigned to patrol (1 of 8 to officer and layoff junior officer - significantly decreases supervisory oversight for patrol
$ 52,933.00 $ 4,411.08 $ 22,055.42 $ 994,637.92
Summary: demote SGT., LAY OFF OFFICER
several of the Item #'s after that also tell of demotions and layoffs
Damn if you look hard enough you can find anything to tilt a discussion in your favor.
so as i see it he wasn't FIRED he was laid off as part of a 20% reduction plan.
And as for why would he come to little old jefferson and take a pay cut....have you ever worked for a large city police department? ALL YOU DO FROM THE TIME YOU COME ON UNTIL YOU GO HOME IS RUN FROM CALL TO CALL with several calls stacked up. If you truly want to know why he came to jefferson you would have to ask him, but several officers have left higher paying jobs to work for jefferson. several from Jackson County Sheriffs office, Athens Police, Clarke County Sheriff's Office, and others, And I'm sure each has their own reason.
Since you have asked "furball" what was he fired for?
and you said it was changed...so if someone did a background check it would come back as what? resigned?
Also WHAT was he fired for? It may have been a personality conflict with a supervisor and he just found or invented reasons for a firing.
we have all had a supervisor who we didn't jive with.
The real reason behind ALL of this JAUTRY is that Darren Glenn is you nephew, cousin?..and you are against this administration do to his removal. I dont remember you calling for his head when those other events took place.
And to D.G. I am not trying to rehash old issues or drag your name through the mud, I'm pointing out a FACT about JAUTRY.
On a seperate note - where is the representative from the citizens of Jefferson that will also investigate this case? I see where the Houschton police chief is somehow being brought into this matter?? I guess because the Jeffeson Police department can't handle it's own internal "affairs". It seems to me the citizens of Jefferson would also want a representive involved with the investigation (possibly a well respected clergy from the area). After all it is their police department's reputation that is on the line. Thus far, over the years, this department has had anything but a respected reputation! Of course nothing could be done, as is usually the case - at least we'll be intertained with further stories & hyjinx coming from the J.P.D. in the future years. I'm beginning to think the citizens of Jefferson are enjoying the publicity of their police department!
A police officer, when off duty, should be off duty. He shouldn't have to live by some code made up by whomever wants to judge him. A code the rest of us are not willing to live up to. Standards should be for all, not just for who we feel like picking on today.
I'm assuming you guys are qualified to throw the first stone so I won't ask you to search your heart concerning this matter.
Without trying to insult you, let me just say that you don't appear to know alot about what you're talking about here.
Marcus I'm sorry. Get back to your studies. I wouldn't commit adultery either and I don't like what this officer allegedly did. I understand how it happened though.
In a around about way during this debate I have pointed out that our laws have failed us. If this is a crime then there should be prosecution. If not, and everyone is happy with the situation then fine, everyone should just stop gossiping. Or make a law against this behavior. If Marcus is correct and adultery is illegal then he should be prosecuted. I personally feel that would be a good code of law but it is never enforced and so the law is moot. I've never understood why adultery is not illegal. Two people enter into a contract with each other and the law looks the other way when fraud is committed causing divorce, separation, suicides, domestic violence and children being displaced.
But we now live in a world where everything is relative. Unless people stand up and try to change it then it will never change and you should just not gossip.
As for the police, I stand by my opinion that when they're off duty then no one has a right to determine their private behavior. And that is what this seems to be. Private. Why should any employer decide how its employees live outside of work? It has nothing to do with the job.
If you ever sit in a university level philosophy class you would discover that life is not Sunday school. You can't expect everyone in American society to follow your religious beliefs. The fact is, we're all different. If there is no punishment for adultery many people are going to do it every chance they get. Does this mean they can't be police officers? He's not breaking the law.
Politically, I lean libertarian. I wish people all the freedom they can handle and then some. That's what this country was founded on. Give me liberty or.... well you know the rest. Freedom can be dangerous. Is a girl really an adult at age 17? Probably not. Why does our law make her an adult? These politicians have gotten us into a hell of a mess. But what else is new?
Where in the oath does it say you won't be in bed with a girl that is willing? And while we're at it let's add another paragraph:
I will wear that little blue and black sticker so I don't get tickets or DUI's 'cause we cover for each other. The blue wall of silence is sacred above all. I know how it works in every police department. That is the real disgrace. Treating each other differently than the people you are "sworn to protect and serve". What a bunch of nonsense. You go on and play boyscout with your oath but a lot of us know exactly how things work. Your oath isn't worth the cyberspace it takes up here. You see Jautry, you're wrong, I DO get it.
Now, I'm through too.
Unless you want to directly answer this issue instead of trying to avoid the issue then your comments about me are purely defensive in nature.
Are police officers above the law? Don't you think that's a fair question? Are not all folks equal under the law or are there special people?
To address the other issue, the last time I got a speeding ticket was in 2001. I was speeding and I deserved it. Best advice I can give you there is to stay within the buffer that pretty much all Departments give you in regard to the speed limit. That's what I do! In the last month I have had two Law Enforcement Officers brought in for DUI. Also one family member, which unfortunately was my sister. You know what, they were not treated any differently from anyone else.
To answer your last question, no I don't think Police Officers are above the Law. If you will go back to step one you should remember, that is why we are having this discussion in the first place!
Now. If we could only end the no knock warrants in the middle of the night we might return to some semblance of civilization.
If you ever need anything you can call on me. I'm in the book. I meant no harm. I like a good debate.