KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The internal affairs report on a Kissimmee police sergeant exposed a lack of supervision among at least one patrol unit.
A sergeant was in trouble for putting Officer Felix Echevarria under surveillance to find out whether he was abusing breaks and for not doing enough to investigate another officer who was his friend.
The other officer, according to police records, visited his girlfriend while on duty, unbeknownst to his wife.
Police Chief Lee Massie took over after one internal investigation snowballed into several others, ending in discipline, demotion and terminations.
Massie said he never would have thought he’d have to spell out in a policy that patrol officers were to stay in their assigned patrol areas, unless they were called to another area.
But he did just that, partly because Sgt. Brian Clyde, who was later demoted, admitted to leaving his officers to walk to bars about a dozen times.
The bars were places he had frequented as a customer off hours.
The report also claimed that sometimes, officers would abuse breaks.
The last time Echevarria was investigated for abusing breaks, he said everyone, including supervisors, would make it a common practice.
Echevarria is currently under a criminal investigation over a drug raid.
Records show Clyde was demoted after he was almost fired, partly for often going to breakfast with three other officers, at the very beginning of their shifts.
Clyde’s explanation was that the officers had worked out before work, and didn’t have time to eat.