Red Light Camera News Inspector general clears Chief Serpas, anti-crime group calls for his firing .
Thanks to www.stpetecameras.org for the link;
Inspector general clears Chief Serpas, anti-crime group calls for his firing .
wwltv.com
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 6:11 PM
Maya Rodriguez / Eyewitness News
NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Inspector General's Office has cleared NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas of any wrongdoing in an investigation focused on the red-light details.
Nearly 24 hours after being cleared by the inspector general, Serpas said he never doubted the outcome.
"I was glad for that -- but let me tell you, because of the confidence that I have in the Inspector General's office and the confidence I have in the systems and the confidence in what I knew all along, this never was something that caused me to lose focus of my job, where I was going, what I was doing, the crime we were fighting, the processes we are putting in place," Serpas said.
The investigation began after initial findings showed that some people close to Serpas were involved in the red-light camera detail.
"The Inspector General's Office has conducted a thorough investigation regarding Chief Serpas and the red-light cameras. And the Inspector General's Office has determined at this time there is no wrongdoing regarding Chief Serpas," said Howard Schwartz, 1st Assistant Inspector General for Investigations.
Despite the findings, the anti-crime group "Silence is Violence" is now backing a petition, calling for the removal of NOPD Chief Ronal Serpas.
"I don't know if a petition alone ever forces anything," said Ken Foster, one of the founders of Silence is Violence. "But it's certainly an expression of the concern people have and i think it also empowers other people to voice their concerns who might not have previously."
Mayor Mitch Landrieu said on Friday that he knows people are calling for Serpas' firing, but pointed to the IG's findings.
"There's going to be a continuing investigation, ongoing, if anybody in my administration or any administration is found to have done anything inappropriate, they'll be released," Landrieu said. "Up to this point, though, the call has been to take action. And what's happened now is the inspector general has said, 'I've investigated this thoroughly and the chief hasn't done anything wrong.'"
Others, though, are not convinced that the IG's findings put the issue to rest.
"Even though they've concluded no wrongdoing, there is still uncertainty and when there's that uncertainty, it's no confidence, it's no trust," said Tamara Jackson, with 'Silence is Violence.' "He needs to be replaced."
"Look, I came here to do a job that's going to be difficult, that I knew was going to be difficult and I appreciate the high levels of expectations of people that we make the police department a better place," Serpas said.
"Silence Is Violence" said they hope to get 2,000 signatures on their petition. They have not set a deadline for when those signatures need to be collected.
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