Bad Cops & Prosecutors

Sergeant Mike Polombo Violates Operation Order 5.2 - So Blogger Jeff files a Formal Complaint with The City of Phoenix on The Racist AssClown

Alton Washington
Assistant City Manager
Phoenix City Hall
200 W. Washington St., 12th floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003

RE: Breach of Operations Order 5.2 by Sergeant Michael Polombo #4696

Mr. Washington:

I am in receipt of a recent article published in the Phoenix New Times, entitled Behind BadPhoenixCops.com: The Blogger Who Took on the Phoenix PD ? and the Homicide Detective Who Might Be His Best Source. Within this article the author Ms. Sarah Fenske writes:

In a written statement to New Times, Detective Mike Polombo calls the authors of the posts "pathetic." "Unfortunately, those responsible don't bother to let the truth or facts get in the way of a good story," he writes. "These people are obsessed, mentally ill cowards and perpetual liars who hide safely behind computer keyboards and a perceived cloak of anonymity, though their identity is known to everyone."

In this written statement, Sergeant Michael Polombo(#4696) has openly and publically defied the Phoenix Police Department?s Operations Order 5.2 on Media Relations, specifically A, 1 & 2, subsection a, b & c (page 1) and 5.2.1 E & G (page 3); where persons below the rank of Lieutenant may not speak with the media or comment on a controversial investigation.

Operations Order 5.2 states that any and all questions or probes of a controversial nature, require a report to the Media Relations Unit, via the PIO message line at 602-534-2134. What makes Mike Polombo?s comments more troubling is that Sergeant Polombo and his wife Heather are directly in the center of the investigation mentioned in the article. Being a controversial topic, he clearly was not authorized to comment, nor did he contact his supervisor or refer commentary to the Media Relations Unit, as required in Operations Order 5.2. This was affirmed when Ms. Fenske?s article also stated:

And many of the key people in this case refused interviews with New Times. Both Pataky and Barnes declined comment. So did the Phoenix Police Department and Barnes' attorney, Mehrens.

The Phoenix Police Department declined being interviewed for the article and no one in Media Relations has commented on the case, except for Sergeant Michael Polombo. This is a flagrant breach of protocol on a high-profile case, involving litigation at the Federal level. It only exemplifies what an ineffectual and inadequate Sergeant, Michael Polombo is and I hope this insubordination won?t be tolerated. Sergeant Michael Polombo believes he has his own set of rules and refuses to follow police procedures or follow ?common sense? police protocol.

As a citizen of Phoenix, and a constituent in Council District One, I am requesting an investigation into Sergeant Michael Polombo (#4696) including disciplinary action, suspension and possible termination for his breach of Operations Order 5.2 and public commentary on an open investigation. Sourcing the written statement and communiqué from Sergeant Michael Polombo to Ms. Sarah Fenske should be effortless.

I send this letter to you and have carbon copied others within the City of Phoenix command structure since prior requests for investigations to Commander George Richards (#2830) and Lieutenant Stanton Hoover (#3486) in Professional Standards have gone unanswered, or are simply lost or misplaced. By way of example, most recently (last week) Lieutenant Stanton Hoover (#3486) obtained yet another Phoenix Police Department audio CD from the former home of Sergeant Mike Polombo (a CD that contains information from his days as an officer in Professional Standards), and no investigation against Sergeant Michael Polombo has commenced.

It appears the Professional Standards Bureau has a biased, selective investigation process and investigates whomever they want, whenever they want and reply in a less-than-timely manner.

Warm Regards,

JEFFREY P.
Citizen, City of Phoenix
& Blogger for BadPhoenixCops.com

cc:
Thelda Williams ? Councilwoman District One
Joe Yahner, Executive Assistant Chief
Blake McClellan, Professional Standards Bureau, Assistant Chief
Jim Pina, Commander, Investigations Division
Dave Faulkner, Commander, Violent Crimes Bureau
George Richards, Commander, Professional Standards Bureau
Jess Lorona ? Counsel for Jeffrey Pataky

Full post as published by Bad Phoenix Cops on June 16, 2009 (boomark / email).