Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Records clerk faces discipline over running Joe the Plumber records

Just in from Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre

PRESS RELEASE

Michael J. Navarre, Chief of Police

Toledo Police Records Clerk, Julie McConnell, has been charged with “Gross Misconduct” for allegedly making an improper inquiry into a state database in search of information pertaining to Samuel Wurzelbacher on October 16, 2008.

The record inquiry was made for a non-law enforcement purpose, which is a violation of both department policy and state policy governing the use of the Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) database.

Clerk McConnell was hired by the Toledo Police Department in April 1995. She is assigned to the Investigative Services Bureau and is a member of AFSCME Local 7.

Consistent with the bargaining agreement, a disciplinary hearing will be scheduled within the next ten days on a date and time mutually agreed upon by the City AFSCME Local 7.


No word on WHO she ran the records for...but we know it was for a member of the media.

7 comments:

gordon gekko said...

Let's run all of her records and report them to the media for a little public humiliation.

Sincerely,

Democrats

Anonymous said...

The voter registration of the police clerk charged in the Joe the Plumber case


webofdeception.com

Carol said...

Entertaining the idea that this is not Julie's first rodeo with this type of thing. Either that or the "media person" has something on her. I can't believe that someone that's been in that position for 13 years can develop so much stupidity that they would jeopardize their future over something like this.

steveegg said...

According to the Columbus Dispatch, it was a Toledo TV reporter looking for Joe's address. Chief Navarre declined to identify either the reporter or the station the reporter works for.

By the way, I hope you're enjoying the Malinlanche. Indeed, Michelle is the one who dug up the Dispatch story.

Mad Jack said...

Julie has probably been getting away with this for a long time and thought nothing of it. Since she's got a union to protect her (AFSME), it's likely that any disciplinary action will be negligible.

I hope Joe sues.

Maggie said...

MadJack - I understand the cynicism...but I'm not so sure that she'll get just a slap on the wrist.

My Clerk's office contract with AFSCME listed a violation of LEADS as a major infraction for which termination was a possible penalty upon first offense - even if that was the only violation the employee had EVER had.

In my experience, a violation of LEADS gets taken seriously by the administration and even by the union.

While I don't know if she'll be terminated, I have to believe she'll get more than a slap on the wrist.

LargeBill said...

Termination is not out of the question. My wife has been in federal law enforcement for decades and she has told me about several people let go for cause for accessing NCIC or other data bases for personal purposes.

Separately, the other half of this story is IMO more important. Who initiated the contact? Did she access the records and then call the reporter? Or did the reporter contact her and inquire what the records might contain? If it is the latter, how did the reporter know to contact her?

Google Analytics Alternative