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.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart