Pubdate: Sat, 31 May 2008
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Copyright: 2008 Chicago Tribune Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/IuiAC7IZ
Website: http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/82
Author: Jo Napolitano, Tribune reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

CICERO MOVES TO FIRE POLICE COMMANDER

Cops Found Marijuana In Car During Stop; Town Has Zero-Tolerance Policy

Cicero is moving to fire a police commander who had a small amount of 
marijuana in his car this year when Chicago police pulled him over 
for a traffic infraction, the town president said Friday.

Wesley Scott, Cicero's first black police officer, also would be the 
first town employee to be fired under a new zero-tolerance drug 
policy, a Cicero spokesman said.

"This is an extremely difficult decision for me," Town President 
Larry Dominick, a former Cicero police officer, said in a prepared 
statement. "I promoted Wesley Scott to police commander. I have known 
Wesley Scott for more than 20 years and have long considered him a 
good friend. I still believe Wesley Scott is a good and decent man."

Scott, who has been on paid administrative leave for more than four 
months, is now being placed on 30 days of unpaid leave pending the 
outcome of the effort. Dominick said he soon will file charges of 
conduct unbecoming an officer against Scott with the Cicero Police 
Board, the group that would have to approve his termination.

Scott, who earns more than $80,000 a year, repeatedly has declined to 
comment on the matter and did not return calls seeking comment Friday.

Chicago police pulled Scott over Jan. 27 for failing to stop at a 
stop sign. Police say he had a burned marijuana cigarette in the car 
and 4.6 grams of the drug in a bag on top of his console. He was 
charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession, but the charge was 
dropped on May 7 after he completed a drug school diversion program.

After his arrest, Cicero officials ordered Scott to take a hair 
follicle drug test, but he was given a urine test instead, a mistake 
that wasn't discovered until test results showed he had passed it. 
Town officials immediately ordered him to take a hair follicle test, 
which can detect drugs in a person's system going back several weeks.

Town officials will not reveal the outcome of the second test.

Dominick said it's important for town employees to set a good example 
for the community.

"A zero-tolerance drug policy is especially important with respect to 
our public safety personnel and those persons charged with combating 
gangs and drugs in Cicero," he said. "As painful as it is for me to 
take this action against Wesley, my job as town president requires 
that I put the interests of the town and its residents ahead of my 
personal friendships."

Dominick said some may consider Scott's offense a minor infraction, 
but the incident was too serious to ignore. He said it undermined 
Scott's ability to serve in a law enforcement capacity.

"Some may see Wesley's mistake as a relatively minor one," he said. 
"However, as a police officer for 20 years in Cicero, I saw (and I 
know Wesley has similarly seen during his tenure of service) the 
destruction wrought by the drug trade-and the gang activity financed 
by the drug trade. To whom much is given, much is expected."

Town spokesman Dan Proft said he is not sure when the case will come 
before the Police Board.

Scott, who asked to be demoted from captain shortly after his arrest, 
may claim he has the rights guaranteed police officers as part of 
their collective bargaining agreement, Proft said. But it is the 
town's position that Scott was a police commander, a non-union employee.

Proft said all non-collective bargaining employees-including 
Scott-must adhere to the zero-tolerance policy. Dominick, he said, 
wants to extend the policy to police officers and firefighters.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom