Cop suspended 15 days for online posts

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A city patrolman began serving a 15-day suspension Saturday for violating the department’s social media policy.

The suspension for Carlos Rivera, who has served in the department for about 15 years, lasts until Jan. 20.

During that time, Rivera also is forbidden to work any secondary employment as a city police officer.

He was suspended Dec. 1 after a hearing that took place in November, but the suspension was delayed while Rivera filed a grievance. His grievance was denied Dec. 21.

An investigation began Nov. 10 after a female member of the department complained about a degrading photo of her that was posted to a Facebook page that has since been deleted, said staff inspector Lt. Brian Butler, head of the department’s Internal Affairs Division.

Rivera was interviewed by internal-affairs investigators and admitted being the administrator of the Facebook page and the sole person posting to it, according to a summary of the internal-affairs report. Butler said he could not divulge how investigators were able to determine it was Rivera.

Rivera was accused of making derogatory statements about at least 17 officers of all ranks in the department as well as Mayor John A. McNally, and also posting insulting pictures of several officers.

One officer was referred to as “Officer Douche,” and Rivera also was accused of making false statements about another internal-affairs investigation. The investigative report said the comments were being made for more than a year and they also had an adverse effect on morale in the department.

The department’s social media policy states that officers can post personal opinions on social media sites as long as they do not in any way interfere with their job and do not give away information learned in the course of being a police officer.

The policy also prohibits demeaning posts about other officers, any posts that contain sexually explicit images, or any posts that ridicule co-workers or express a bias toward any particular group.

Besides the social media policy, the investigation also found that Rivera violated departmental policies pertaining to code of conduct, failure of good behavior and criticism.

Rivera has just one prior act of discipline in his file, when he lost two hours of accumulated time in March 2014 for wrecking a cruiser.

Butler said other employees have been disciplined for violating the social media policy, but he cannot recall anyone receiving a suspension as long as the one Rivera has to serve.

The department also sent letters to the 37 members of the department who were friends with the page created, warning them that under the social media policy, they are bound to report any offensive comments about the department or fellow employees if they see it.

Butler said the page has since been taken down.