ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Two days after a mayoral briefing announcing the termination of two city police officers, the City of Alexandria released more information on the city’s corrective efforts.
The release stems from an internal investigation by the Alexandria Police Department into three separate incidents, all of which occurred within 24 hours on July 27, involving the two aforementioned APD officers. City leadership reportedly began an official review into the “unacceptable” actions of the officers on July 29, due to internal reporting systems enacted whenever force is deployed.
According to a city release, the victims of the three incidents consist of two African-American males and a Caucasian female. Due to the two officers being Caucasian and no racial slurs being made during the incidents, the city believes no hate crime was committed by the officers.
“The review did not arise from a complaint, but as a result of internal reporting systems…”
According to Police Chief Chad Gremillion and the city’s official release, the police department placed both officers on administrative leave on July 30, three days after the incidents occurred. Per city policy, Chief Gremillion, upon reviewing the actions of the two officers, additionally requested the Louisiana State Police to perform an independent investigation into the actions of the officers.
Statement by Alexandria Police Chief Chad Gremillion:
“After reviewing the three incidents that I believed violated departmental policy, infringed on the civil rights of individuals, and potentially constituted criminal conduct, I referred the matter to the LSP Criminal Investigations Division. I trust they will conduct a thorough and independent investigation, and their findings will be turned over to the proper prosecuting authorities depending on what they find.”
“The instances were isolated and occurred over a short period. We reviewed past conduct over a significant period of time to ensure the behavior was, in fact, isolated. We must be accountable for our actions, and we cannot accept anything but the highest standards of public service. It is extremely challenging that as we hire new officers, we would lose officers, but substandard behavior is a threat to public safety.”
According to a release by the city, the Alexandria Police Department and the Mayor’s office have begun reaching out to the victims of the three incidents.
The city states it plans to build upon community trust going forward by emphasizing constitutional policing, avoiding ‘sitting on’ information relevant to a police investigation that could safely be released to the public, and implementing better processes and policies when applicable.
Additionally, APD is “aggressively incentivizing hiring while fully enforcing its zero tolerance of unconstitutional policing.”
“While APD seeks new officers, it cannot tolerate unconstitutional policing…”
According to the release, with respect to the constitutional right of procedural due process, the two officers have been provided a pre-termination letter notifying them of the city’s intent to terminate their employment. Procedural due process entitles the two officers to be ‘meaningfully heard’ by the city before their termination, and they must also be notified of the evidence justifying a punishment. Additionally, they must also be given the right to appeal or otherwise challenge any decision passed.
The names of the officers have not yet been released by the city. Mayor Jacques Roy pledged to release the aforementioned information at a later date.
Click here to learn more about these incidents and see the body cam footage.
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