Rogue officer in Warren gets away with wrist tap

On 14 dates, Warren police officer Emanuel Nites either showed up late for work or left work early to coach his son’s basketball team or watch his daughter’s high school basketball team. He missed the start of his shift, including roll call, eight times. In all, Nites missed 22 hours of work for which he collected $831 in pay.

In early August, then Acting Police Chief Tim Bowers announced the sergeant was being demoted to patrolman, resulting in a $3.35 an hour drop in wages, and would be suspended without pay for 10 days.

But last week, now Chief Bowers permitted Nites to sign an agreement that gives him back his rank and pay as sergeant. In exchange, Nites will be off duty the next three months without pay and benefits. It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out that this rogue cop is being pampered, rather than punished.

Why the nasty characterization? Because a police officer who swears to uphold the law and to protect the citizenry but has no qualms about walking off the job, not once, not twice but 14 times, is not to be respected.

Nites had appealed the original punishment handed down by Bowers, and a hearing had been scheduled for Tuesday. But an agreement was reached that restores his sergeant rank and all the benefits that come with it.

He admitted to being absent without leave, failing to report to roll call and conducting private business while on duty.

“That’s huge,” said Chief Bowers. “It’s the first time he admits he wasn’t following the rules.”

Spin

The evidence that Nites broke the rules was so overwhelming that it’s difficult to share Bowers’ enthusiasm about the admission.

Nites also agreed to testify at the hearings of three supervisors, but is there any doubt that the leniency showed to the sergeant will be available to those above him?

The chief’s handling of the situation demands a review by the city’s safety service director, Doug Franklin. The punishment must fit the crime all the way around.

Sgt. Michael Albanese was suspended for five days, Sgt. Dan Mason for 20 days, and Lt. Eric Merkel was suspended for 10 days for falsifying time sheets for Nites.

In an obvious attempt to appease residents who are angry over the restoration of his rank, Nites has signed what is called a “Last Chance Agreement,” which says that if he has any serious employment violations within the next two years, he may be fired at the discretion of the city with limited appeal rights.

But what is the definition of serious? Missing 22 hours of work and getting paid for the time obviously isn’t serious. Otherwise, the punishment would have been much more severe.

Last Sunday, in an editorial noting the appointment of Bowers as chief, we said it wouldn’t be long before he had an opportunity to prove he was setting a new standard for accountability.

The Nites situation gives us reason to worry that the new beginning we were hoping for is simply wishful thinking.