FBI not talking; SLT officer on leave without knowing why
By Kathryn Reed
It’s been more than three months since South Lake Tahoe police Officer Johnny Poland was stripped of his badge and gun. He still doesn’t know why.
“There has been no reportable movement,” Police Chief Brian Uhler told Lake Tahoe News.
That means whatever is going on with the federal investigation is not being made public because later in the conversation Uhler said, “We are kept apprised as there are developments.”
Johnny Poland
Gina Swankie with the FBI office in Sacramento said, “I have nothing to offer you.” It’s normal for the FBI not to comment on any investigation until it is complete.
Poland told Lake Tahoe News no one has asked him a single question regarding the investigation in the entire time he has been on paid administrative leave.
“Officially they haven’t told me I’m under federal investigation,” Poland said. “They never said I was under investigation. They said it was a pending IA (internal affairs) investigation. I haven’t gotten an IA.”
For now, taxpayers in the city of South Lake Tahoe are paying for Poland to stay home, raise his kids, take them to school – do all those things a stay at home dad doesn’t usually get paid to do. His benefits have been fully funded as well since he was put on leave in mid-November.
“He is under federal criminal investigation. It would be inappropriate for him to continue to serve in a day-to-day capacity,” City Manager Tony O’Rourke told Lake Tahoe News in November. “It doesn’t reflect any guilt. It reflects the process that needs to run its course so we can determine if there were any serious violations of the law.”
But it is still not public information what this peace officer is accused of.
The police department classifies this case as “conduct unbecoming”. This list gives a glimpse of the SLTPD investigations from 2009 until Poland was put on leave.
The city explains “internally” as any city employee may have complained about a police officer, not necessarily an officer against another police officer. “Externally” means any member of the public submitted a complaint about a police officer.
It’s also not known how much longer the investigation will go on.
The last time Poland had a run-in with superiors – not the feds – he was out of work for nearly three years. He had been fired in 2007, then won the wrongful termination case in 2009. The trouble began in November 2006 when Poland was accused of mishandling a lockdown situation at South Tahoe High School.
With Poland’s absence and the city’s desire to protect residents and visitors, it means the police department is spending beyond what is in the budget. Overtime is necessary at times to keep cops on the road.
Uhler said to keep paying Poland and have officers on the street, it might mean less is spent on equipment or other purchases.
If Poland is found guilty of whatever charges the investigation centers on, he would not have to pay back the money he collected in the time he is out. But by the same token, if no charges are brought against him or he is found not guilty, his reputation and the potential of him being trusted by the public and his colleagues has been diminished just by the secretive investigation — possibly to the point of him not being able to return to work or being able to find work with another law enforcement agency.
Quitting would benefit the city. It would mean having Poland off the payroll. But it would not make the investigation go away. To date, the city has not tried to negotiate with Poland to get him to move on – no matter what happens with the federal investigation.
Our poor Johnny just can’t catch a break. Johnny Poland was there for many of us in those teenage years when what we desperately needed was for someone to tell us to straighten the heck up. There are 3 people a give credit for my decision to cut ties with the toxic people in my life and focus on my future and he is one of them.
Whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty” & the “right to confront your accuser”? Poland has the right to know what he’s accused of & by whom. Of course, the Feds can put you on a no-fly list w/o your knowlege & refuse to tell you why when you find out. Yes, Big Brother is getting out of control.
I hope the FBI looks at how out of control stpd has been over the past years . STPD has work under the idea that you are guilty until proven innocent. With the help of the d.a. office.
Is the city out to get the officer? Probably and they are spending oodles and oodles of your tax dollars to do it.
And because national security is involved they are more secretive than the KGB or MI-6 or the CIA.
I believe it involves the heavy water plant at Tahoe Sound or possibly Area 51 right next door.
May truth, justice, and the American way prevail.
Whatever the Police Department or others may think of Mr. Poland this action is wrong. To remove someone from their work place and make accusations against them without stating what is ‘suspected’ is to defame a person in their work place and community. This appears to be a shack-down attempt to scare someone out of their work environment rather than face the issue and buy out his contract.
The FBI and City need to drop the investigation or come clean to Mr. Poland and the Community as to their suspicions. Innocent until proven guilty and the right to face ones accusers are fundamental to our Democracy. These rights are not reserved for only the people we like but specifically for those we do not.
I suspect that in the end this will all end up costing the City and FBI more and that Mr. Poland’s lawyer is going to have a field day with this. A wrongful termination followed by harassment by multiple law enforcement agencies. All that is missing are the connections of those who are making all this happen.
Don’t make our Community into a showcase for a small town shakedown. Do what is right, come clean with this so called case or drop it and do what is necessary to convince Mr. Poland he will be happier elsewhere without making us all look bad (too late for that I guess).
My Two Cents!
-Local Yokle
“With Poland’s absence and the city’s desire to protect residents and visitors, it means the police department is spending beyond what is in the budget. Overtime is necessary at times to keep cops on the road.”
Is there some shortage of cops on the road here in tahoe that I don’t know about? I can’t drive down 50 without seeing a 1/2 dozen. Why are we running overtime?
I have no idea of what he have or have not done no or in the past, but as an HR professional, my first thought is this. If he is receiving salary, he is not eligible for unemployment. If he is found guilty, then it states he has to pay back the money he is receiving and so he shouldn’t be spending it at the moment. This is a catch 22 for an not proven guilty person who needs to support a family. Doesn’t seem right.
You said it sandconnect! Shortage of police
officers? Even with an officer being paid to stay
home, when one drives across town it becomes clear
our City has more cops than it knows what to do with!
“There has been no reportable movement”
The Chief said!!! There are knowns and there are unknowns do he no the knowns and do he not know the unknowns ? Or What? What’s on first, Who? Who’s on third.
“No reportable movement” by the Chief does not mean nothing is moving forward on this investigation. It means in a nice way that the investigation at this time still is no one’s business,outside of those that have to know, period. If everyone knew what it was about, and all or any of the issues surrounding it while the investigation is continuing, then it would most likely hamper the investigation. This is “investigations 101” material.
Let time take its course and we will all see the outcome. Mr. Poland has rights under Police Officer Bill of Rights and those rights are being adhered to regarding A CRIMINAL investigation on a Police officer. Take away the personality which so many on this site seem to endure and most likely you will understand that an officer with a criminal investigation, which is serious enough of an allegation to be handled by the FBI, is ineffective and possibly a danger to have on the street for all; citizenry, other officers and possibly themselves.
The fact he still gets paid is the way it is. He has not been found guilty and/or terminated so he rightfully should be paid. However, he cannot be allowed to be working, pending the outcome. It is a CRIMINAL INVESTIGATON, meaning an individual could be subjected to going to jail. He is not being investigated for being rude to a traffic offender or what have you.
The question comes into play that an employee under a criminal investigation, who is entrusted to enforce and uphold the laws of the State of California might just possibly be hampered to make the right decision or take the correct action in any given situation. Actions taken by law enforcement occur in a split second and even then sometimes a poor decision occurs. We all know that, cops are human too. But an employee under criminal investigation would be a severe liability to the agency and the city employing such individual if allowed to remain on active duty and anything occurred which could somehow be traced to the initial investigation.
The entire article sounds like someone with a big spoon just trying to stir the stuff again for Mr. Poland since it seems the news of his status has been stale…like yesterday’s newspaper.
Scott,Since you took over at STHS after Johnny, maybe you could enlighten us to what you know.
As for the story stirring the pot, I like that LTN gives updates. It is our taxpayer money. And Johnny is living among us. Should we be worried?
I would like to know , what j.p. knows about scott wilson past?
To Todd and Dog Lady,
The point is the investigation has to be allowed to take its course,plain and simple, for all involved including Mr. Poland and his rights afforded to him. So get over it and allow those who are professional regarding investigative matters of this type to do so. I have no information or knowledge of the investigation other than what is printed and IF I did have information regarding this criminal matter I would not share it other than through the proper channels with an investigative entity who would be investigating such a matter.
Poland should open a puppy store.
Thanks for continuing to talk so profusely about something you’re not supposed to be talking about. I’m sure your now public, in depth, analysis of this ivestigation is appreciated by your superiors… rent-a-cop is your next stop doofus.