Pubdate: Tue, 07 Oct 2008 Source: Expositor, The (CN ON) Copyright: Copyright: 2008 Osprey Media Contact: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/feedback1/default.aspx?e4=an_editorialemail Website: http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1130 Author: Heather Ibbotson JUNKIE COP PLEADS GUILTY Video Catches Officer Smoking Crack In Cruiser A now-suspended city police officer was caught on a police surveillance video smoking crack cocaine and snorting the painkiller oxycodone in his cruiser while on duty in 2007. Jeffrey Glen Servos, 31, pleaded guilty Monday in Ontario Court to one count of possession of a controlled substance -- cocaine. The date for Servos's sentencing has yet to be set. Lawyers will return to court on Oct. 28 to determine a date for a sentencing hearing that could last a day. Servos also faces charges under the Police Services Act. He remains suspended with pay. An agreed statement of facts filed with the court indicated that surveillance showed Servos snorting a prescription painkiller and smoking crack cocaine in his cruiser while on duty the night of June 20, 2007. The statement of facts detailed Servos's addiction problems, as known to city police, dating to 2005. According to the statement, Servos confided his drug dependency to superior officers three times, and each time sought counselling and treatment. His addiction first became known in March 2005 when he told a supervisor that he was addicted to OxyContin. Servos entered a voluntary 30-day counselling program at Bellwood House in Toronto. He was declared fit on April 6, 2005, and he returned to work as a member of the downtown Better Enforcement Action Team. Servos' performance and well-being deteriorated between Aug. 30, 2005, and June 27, 2006. He was late for duty and was disciplined informally for a time off issue. On June 27, 2006, Servos disclosed his dependency on pain medication for a second time to a superior officer. He was suspended from duty and ordered to take treatment. Servos enrolled in a residential treatment program at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph. Following his stay, he agreed to abstain from alcohol, drugs or other mood-altering substances. He also entered a behaviour contract with Dr. G. Cunningham in which he agreed to take part in a 36-week aftercare program and submit to random urine drug screens as requested by a counsellor. Servos's suspension from duty was lifted on Aug. 27, 2006, and he was reassigned as a community patrol officer. As part of his return to duty, he agreed to provide random urine tests for two years and take part in a Narcotics Anonymous program. Seven months later, on March 29, 2007, Servos told a superior officer that he was having a hard time with his treatment. It was the third time in two years that Servos spoke to a senior officer about his addictions. About a week later, Servos provided documents to the police chief stating that he was involved with a local outreach program, that his random urine tests had negative results and that his Narcotics Anonymous sessions were progressing well. ENTERED METHADONE PROGRAM On May 1, 2007, Servos entered a methadone treatment program, unbeknownst to city police or Homewood Health Care staff. On May 7, 2007, a progress report was sent by Cunningham at Homewood to the deputy chief of police. The report stated that Servos was abstaining from substances, attending aftercare, going in the right direction and doing the right things. Cunningham did not know Servos had entered a methadone program. On May 25, 2007, police received information from a person under arrest that an officer named Jeff was illegally buying oxycodone pills. Because of this information, combined with Servos's ongoing addiction history, a decision was made to target Servos with undercover surveillance while he was on duty. On June 20, 2007, at about 6:30 p. m., Servos was caught on video, sitting in his cruiser on Grand River Avenue where he put an oxycodone pill in his mouth, took it out, crushed it with a bank card and then snorted it. Between 6:30 p. m. and 11:55 p. m., Servos conducted a traffic stop, investigated a complaint at Grace Anglican Church and arrested a person wanted on an outstanding warrant. While still on duty at 11:55 p. m., Servos was caught on videotape taking a package of crack cocaine from his pants pocket and smoking a piece of it. From then until the end of his shift at 2 a. m., Servos had no direct contact with members of the public. Other on-duty officers attended to eight other calls for service that were received from midnight to 2 a. m. On June 23, 2007, Servos reported for his day shift. He was interviewed and he admitted having relapsed just after completing the 36-week Homewood outreach program. He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. Servos consented to a search of his personal vehicle, his lunch bag and his duty bag. One 80-milligram oxycodone pill was found in the armrest of the driver's side door of his vehicle. He provided a urine sample for analysis after his arrest, as part of his former return to work agreement. The sample was tested at the Centre of Forensic Science in Toronto. Detected in the sample were oxycodone, methadone, a metabolite of cocaine, and ephedrine/pseudoephedrine. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart