Pubdate: Thu, 05 Jan 2006
Source: Illinois Times (IL)
Copyright: 2006 Yesse Communications
Contact:  http://www.illinoistimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/206
Author: Dusty Rhodes

VETERAN COP QUITS

Springfield Police Department's most experienced narcotics officer 
resigned unexpectedly this week, saying that he feared retribution 
for exposing the misconduct of other officers.

On Tuesday, Sgt. Ron Vose delivered a two-page letter outlining his 
concerns to Mayor Tim Davlin's office and left another copy with 
Chief Don Kliment. In the letter, Vose claimed that he was 
transferred from his position as a supervisor in the Criminal 
Investigations Division to patrol shortly after submitting a 20-page 
memo alleging that administrative and criminal violations had been 
committed by certain officers known to have "credibility issues."

Although Vose did not name the officers in his letter, several 
sources inside SPD confirmed that Vose has been critical of SPD 
Detectives Jim Graham and Paul Carpenter.

Last summer, SPD turned Vose's 20-page memo over to the Illinois 
State Police Division of Internal Investigation. That probe is 
ongoing, with no completion date promised. But in October, Carpenter 
was placed on administrative leave and Graham was transferred from 
what was then called the major-case unit into general investigations.

Contacted by phone Tuesday night, Vose declined to comment,

saying that his resignation doesn't take effect until Jan. 19. "I'm 
still employed by the department, and I really can't [comment]," Vose 
said. "My resignation speaks for itself; that's all I can really say."

However, another officer -- a supervisor in the Criminal 
Investigations Division who spoke on the condition of anonymity -- 
defended Carpenter and Graham.

"They're great guys. They're hardworking detectives," the supervisor 
said. "They feel that they were unfairly attacked by Ron Vose and his 
accusations. These two have not been interviewed [by ISP]. These guys 
have been left in the dark."

Vose spent much of his 27 years with SPD working undercover drug 
operations, often with task forces composed of state or federal 
law-enforcement agencies. With one task force, he negotiated a deal 
that resulted in a 100-pound haul of cocaine. In July 2002, he took 
charge of SPD's narcotics unit and over the next two summers staged 
large-scale sting operations resulting in more than 80 arrests.

According to his resignation letter, Vose has been complaining to 
Kliment about alleged misconduct since June 2004.

In April, soon after speaking to the mayor about his concerns, Vose 
discovered packing boxes with his name on them left outside his 
office door and interpreted it as an act of retribution.

"This was an apparent message for me to clean out my office," his 
letter stated.

He was subsequently disciplined "without cause" he wrote, and 
transferred to patrol. "These actions were obvious retaliation and 
were meant to teach me a lesson about what happens to an officer who 
exposes police misconduct," Vose wrote. "This will also serve as a 
notice to anyone else who thinks about reporting misconduct."

Kliment denied retaliating against Vose. The chief suggested that 
there's another side to the story but declined to comment further, 
citing signs of pending litigation.

Vose mentioned several times in his letter that he has retained a 
lawyer. Vose's attorney, Howard Feldman, acknowledged that Vose's 
transfer to patrol did not cost him any rank or pay. Still, Feldman 
says, the move punished Vose.

"He lost the status of being a supervisor in an investigations unit 
- -- something he had done well over a long number of years -- and his 
career was cut short," Feldman said.

Rumors of Vose's allegations against fellow officers have rippled 
through the department for months. The apparent rift between the 
former narcotics supervisor and the chief has puzzled veteran 
officers, who recall a time when Kliment and Vose were both active in 
the patrolmen's union, often working together for the same cause. For 
the past decade or so, they have lived next door to each other, and 
their families have been friends.

Vose resigned on his 49th birthday, a year shy of the age requirement 
for retirement. Consequently, he won't be eligible for full benefits 
until 2007.

"Even though my pension benefits will be significantly reduced by 
this decision, I feel that this is the only way to avoid additional 
retaliation," he wrote.

Davlin's only response was a brief statement issued by e-mail: "I am 
saddened to learn that the city is losing the services of Sergeant 
Vose. He is a personal friend of mine and has been a valued member of 
the Springfield Police Department for over 27 years. He will truly be missed."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman