ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — A sex scandal has forced the Windermere Police Department to overhaul its policies, police officials said.
It is rewriting its police manual, changing how it handles evidence and how it stores records, WFTV learned on Monday.
The changes are a direct result of the arrest of former Police Chief Daniel Saylor.
Once new Police Chief Mike McCoy took over, he said he noticed how antiquated some of the policies and procedures were in the small department. The policies led to questions about missing guns, drugs and money.
When Saylor was arrested, accused of trying to cover up a child sex case, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation revealed more problems, including in the evidence and property room where guns, drugs and cash were unaccounted for.
"It was pretty much in disarray," said McCoy.
McCoy said he was astonished. The evidence room had foam ceiling tiles, which he said made it easy for someone to remove and gain access.
McCoy showed WFTV old, unlocked file cabinets that held records anyone in the department could have taken. That is why McCoy said he was redoing the entire policy manual for Windermere police. The idea is to make it an accredited police department.
"That way, the policy we follow, we know has been approved by the state," said McCoy.
The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation is a nonprofit outside group made up of police chiefs, sheriffs and other community leaders. For accreditation, it requires what it considers the best practices in law enforcement.
It will mean revamping how everything is done and updating records to include off-site digital records along with on-site hard copies.
Changes are under way. Wood has been installed to fortify the evidence room, as Windermere works to solve problems in a department that has never been accredited.
"[It's] A big part of building confidence in any department," said McCoy.
McCoy said he hopes the new policy manual will be done by the end of year, and that the department will earn accreditation within two years.
Last week, Saylor made a plea deal which means the state will drop two of the six charges against him.
In exchange, Saylor will give up his law enforcement certificate and be found guilty on the remaining four felony charges.
The judge said he is going to examine all the evidence and plans to sentence him next month.
WFTV
