Story Archive

Oh, Well That Makes It OK, Then

Daniel Flannery, 46, a police officer in Cleveland, Ohio, not only got drunk off duty, he got into a fight at The Frosty Beaver Saloon, and allegedly threatened to kill two men. Not only that, but he lost his department-issued firearm and his badge in the process. And then, he kept the facts from the department for days, until the story finally came out. Flannery was fired, but appealed the dismissal — on the grounds that other officers did even worse things, and they didn’t get fired. “The officers cited in the other cases have committed assaults, domestic violence, theft, felony offenses, untruthfulness, and other violent crimes, and have been allowed to keep their jobs with the city,” whined a representative of the Cleveland Police Patrolman’s Association — on the record in arbitration hearings. It happens that the U.S. Department of Justice had been investigating the department. Six days after its “highly critical” report was released, noting that Cleveland’s police officers are often not held accountable for unprofessional actions, a federal arbitrator agreed with the police union, and ordered Flannery reinstated. (RC/Cleveland Plain Dealer) ...The arbitrator chose the wrong corrective action.