Editorial: A costly lack of decisiveness on problem cop
In an era with a particular need for promoting trust and respect for police officers, the story of John Bueno is not helpful.
Bueno was - and apparently may be again - a Des Plaines police officer who faced multiple accusations of misbehavior.
In 2010, according to records, he punched a handcuffed man sitting in the back seat of his patrol car in a parking garage. The federal lawsuit that resulted cost the city $64,000.
He also was a defendant along with two other officers in a 2009 claim of false arrest and mistreatment. That case settled for $32,500.
In yet another case, he was accused of pushing a suspect who made vulgar comments about his daughter, and in another, he was accused of failing to report that he punched a prisoner he was moving into a jail cell.
Actions like these led Des Plaines officials to fire Bueno in 2011, but his union came to his defense, and after six years of litigation and arbitration, city officials now appear set to reinstate him to his $93,000-a-year job and give him $200,000 in back pay.
He'll also get his pension, but must retire as soon as he is eligible on March 31, 2019, according to an agreement the Des Plaines City Council will consider Monday night. During his remaining service, he will be required to work from home, won't have a badge or a gun and will be permitted only to do administrative tasks, under the agreement.
As far as that goes, the city certainly seems to be trying to distance itself from the officer, though few people would likely consider getting a $200,000 payout and $93,000 a year for doing paperwork at home onerous punishment.
But what the whole affair really emphasizes is the sense of urgency towns must have for ensuring that their police - and other employees, for that matter - uphold the high standards the public expects and appreciates.
The latest arbitrator who ruled in Bueno's case agreed he had violated the city's policies, But, according to our Chacour Koop, who obtained the report, he also said relevant video surveillance was lost, the city waited too long to investigate and, chillingly, the police department's command structure actually condoned Bueno's actions.
What is crystal clear from this case is that police departments must have high standards of conduct for their officers, and government leaders must hold the departments and the officers accountable.
We're of a mind that the overwhelming majority of police officers in the suburbs and elsewhere are among society's most honorable and treasured public servants.
But we all know only too well the impact that someone who defies that standard has on the profession's reputation and on our communities. Towns and police departments do well to act decisively and promptly when these exceptions appear.