|
Callin’ It Quits
One-Time
Police Chief Quits Department After 16 Years
The investigation into the false-arrests
conspiracy was “an administrative nightmare” and “overwhelming”
for O’Reilly.
By Evan
Berkowitz
Last Friday Deputy Police Chief Shawn Patrick O’Reilly resigned from
the Surfside Police Department after 16 years on the force.
His resignation follows a recent scandal involving two of the
department’s police officers, who were accused of conspiring to
plant drugs in a town political activist’s car and conspiring to
have Vice Mayor Howard Weinberg falsely arrested for driving under
the influence of alcohol.
Current Town Manager W.D. Higginbotham told the SunPost that
the previous town manager had elevated O’Reilly to acting chief of
police, and the current administration gave him the position on a
probationary level starting in March of last year. He had a salary
of $95,000. In January Major David Allen of the Miami Beach Police
Department was made Surfside’s new chief and O’Reilly was designated
deputy chief. Allen was not available to comment on O’Reilly’s
retirement.
“It was pretty daunting being chief,” said Higgenbotham of
O’Reilly’s brief tenure. He said the investigation into the
false-arrests conspiracy was “an administrative nightmare” and
“overwhelming” for O’Reilly. Allen, a “more seasoned” official, was
brought in to deal with the situation. Higgenbotham said the
findings from an investigation done by the Miami-Dade State
Attorney’s Office would soon be available to the public, and an
internal Police Department investigation may follow.
In September Sgt. John Davis and Officer Woodrow Brooks were put on
administrative leave with pay after allegations came to light that
they planned to plant a bag of cocaine in the car of Jay Senter, a
frequent critic of the town’s government prior to March 2006 and
current member of Surfside’s personnel board.
Vice Mayor Howard Weinberg said he was also warned he was going to
be set up, in his case for a phony driving-under-the-influence
charge the next time he left Flanigan’s, a Surfside bar/restaurant
he frequents, but where he claims he almost never drinks alcohol.
Both Senter and Weinberg said this plot was uncovered internally
within the Police Department. Senter said a third, unidentified
officer found out about the plot and told his superiors.
Higginbotham and O’Reilly alerted Senter and Weinberg. Senter said
the unnamed officer drove to his house to warn him personally.
Weinberg believed the plot might have involved police taping the DUI
arrest on the patrol car’s dashboard camera and then using this
video against him.
After informing Senter of the alleged setup, Surfside Police
officers provided 24-hour protection for him until Friday, Sept. 8.
Still, Senter said his home was broken into approximately a week
later, which Surfside Police now dispute, claiming that Senter made
false statements on this matter. Senter also said O’Reilly gave him
a handgun, another point the police dispute.
Senter said Davis
may have been retaliating against him for his naming the officer as
a “harasser” of the Degraves, a French couple who owned or managed
six homes in Surfside and litigated against the town over various
code violations for many years.
Higgenbotham said
O’Reilly “left on very good terms” and of his “own volition.” He
said the town would give him a “respectable reference” if asked, and
that his severance package reflects his years of good service.
Comments? E-mail
letters@miamisunpost.com. |
