Allegations against metro Atlanta police officer leads to her resignation

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — An area police lieutenant is out of a job after a number of officers accused her of inflicting a hostile work atmosphere.

The officers mentioned she was stealing cash and consuming on the job, amongst different claims.

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Now, town of South Fulton has requested an outdoor police company to research the matter.

Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes has discovered that the Smyrna Police Division took up the investigation and has interviewed greater than 20 staff for the South Fulton Police Division.

In the long run, the investigation discovered that the primary complaints have been substantiated. There have been a number of violations of division coverage and presumably even prison violations.

It began late final 12 months, when eight South Fulton law enforcement officials made official complaints about Lt. Shannon McKesey.

Greater than half of them mentioned on the document that McKesey had created a hostile work atmosphere as a result of she was “horrible.”

Seven officers complained that McKesey would “drink alcohol at work,” pressured others to do it along with her, and claimed individuals “are intimidated by McKesey due to her relationship with the chief and his spouse.”

At the very least one officer complained that McKesey mishandled cash from crime scenes.

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In a memo to metropolis officers, when the HR director Niki Graham tried to launch an investigation, Graham mentioned Councilwoman Helen Willis tried to fireplace her.

Graham mentioned, “It issues me that Councilwoman Willis would ask to terminate me for doing my job.”

The town supervisor, Tammy Sadler Jones, additionally despatched a memo saying Willis accused the HR director of “meddling in police enterprise” and that “she wants to go away town and go to a different company.”

That’s when town supervisor known as for an outdoor police company to research.

Smyrna investigators spoke to greater than 20 South Fulton Police Division staff.

Fernandes requested South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows to take a seat down along with her for an interview, however he declined.

She additionally requested for an interview with Willis, however she by no means answered Fernandes’ request.

Willis did touch upon the investigation in a earlier Fb put up, saying there’s no benefit to those allegations.

The Smyrna police investigation discovered the complaints of Sgt. Burkhart and Detective King of a hostile work atmosphere are substantiated.

There have been a number of substantiated violations of metropolis of South Fulton coverage, South Fulton Police Division coverage and labor act violations. There’s a extremely possible prison violation of theft discovered on this investigation.

All individuals within the polygraph have been decided to be truthful, besides McKesey.

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McKesey denied the allegations, however based on the report, every week after Smyrna launched its findings on July 5, McKesey resigned in lieu of termination.

Many officers consider South Fulton Police Chief Keith Meadows ought to have fired her as quickly as Smyrna’s report got here out.

The town of South Fulton despatched an announcement saying that because the investigation, there have been some adjustments. Cash will now not be dealt with the way in which it was.

It is going to be counted on the scene with a cash counter and despatched straight to the state.

The state will then return the cash with documentation.

The mayor mentioned he’s working working with Meadows to have higher communication so nothing like this can occur once more.

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