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June 28th, 2016 
Awake Goy Ashley Babbitt (whom I have met and am also connected with on social media), of the “The Evening Sun“, wrote about Scott Germond, who’s a Norwich, NY Police Officer currently on leave for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). No, Germond wasn’t harmed in the line of duty nor did he witness a horrible act on his partner or any other colleague. According to Germond, his PTSD is derived directly from harassment by his own “brothers in blue” while on the job and after making complaints of misconduct. According to Babbitt’s Evening Sun article (I redacted parts, see whole story here):
“I have done nothing but work hard and risk my life for this city,” said Scott Germond of the Norwich Police Department. “I crossed the thin blue line, and I’m paying for it.”
“I ended up getting into a place that turned a blind eye to things that should have been taken care of,” he said. “I didn’t want to have a part in the misconduct going on.”
Germond explained that he first filed complaints in January 2016.
“The harassment actually started when I was hired [2014],” he said. “The department was witness to what was going on. It was done openly, comments were made openly. When I was hired, I was approached by Sergeant Carpenter who asked me to try to help get another officer fired. I wouldn’t do it.”
“I was targeted because I don’t fit the norm,” he added.
Germond said he was often called expletives that related to his history in musical theater. After he filed the complaints against his supervisor, he said retaliation from other officers within the department began.
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“The department turned against me,” he said. “Numerous officers refused to work with me or back me up.”
“When I turn around and make it known things were happening that shouldn’t be, I got pushed out,” he said.
“When I turned in the misconduct, there was a meeting with a number of officers involved,” said Germond. “One officer was violently confrontational. Another made a threat to burn my house down. This was done in front of the Chief. When I told DeForest [City Human Resource Director] about the threats, she said she didn’t think they were serious.”
“I have done nothing but my job since I got here,” said Germond. “Now my job, reputation, career are all in jeopardy because I wouldn’t allow mistreatment by a supervisor.”
Germond added that since his supervisor’s termination, he doesn’t feel safe returning to work.
“I don’t feel safe coming back to it with coworkers who have said they won’t have my back in dangerous situations for me turning in misconduct,” he said.
“The truth needs to be known, and not swept under the carpet,” he said.
When asked about the details of the misconduct, he said there were numerous instances. He recalled when he first got hired, his supervisor telling him “If I don’t like you, you won’t get trained.”
Germond said he has received zero training since graduating from the academy.
Another issue, Germond added, is that the investigation is not being conducted by an impartial source. “It’s being conducted by DeForest, and she is part of the complaint,” he said. “When I told HR about what was going on, they tried to get me to work with these same officers who were openly hostile to me.”
Germond claimed that not only have his concerns been ignored by HR, but also by Police Chief Rodney Marsh.
“He [Carpenter] was trying to humiliate me in front of other officers,” said Germond about actions that occurred six months ago. “Then the entire department retaliated against me for speaking out against it.”
Germond said the department itself has issues as a whole. “It is allowed to be openly hostile and push a person out of work,” he said.
When asked if he would ever return to work if cleared from medical leave, he said, “I would like to. This is the job I’ve always wanted; I just don’t feel like it’s safe to go back.”
“I did the right thing, and I’m paying for it,” he said. “If I go back, there will be repercussions for going back. It is not a good environment.”
Germond spoke out regarding a wall located inside the department that contained images and clippings that he said were inappropriate in nature. “It is a sliding door, so they could hide it,” he said. Germond said the photos on the wall were viewed not only by officers, but that he has witnessed superiors looking at the photos that were affixed.
Germond added, “There needs to be accountability. A police department anywhere needs accountability. I don’t understand how I can be treated like this when I did the right thing.”
“I took an oath to protect and serve the public,” Germond said. “I’m not going to uphold the ‘blue line’ when people are doing things they shouldn’t. My ethics are better than that.”
“Officers have openly said they refuse to back you up. I’ve been in knife wielding, dangerous situations in this city while on duty. Do I put my safety in danger to keep others safe when those I’m supposed to work with have said they will not have my back?”
Requests for all Notices of Discipline for every officer in the Norwich Police Department have been filed under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), and further information will be released once said documents are received.
Germond said he is not trying to discredit everyone at the department, as it’s not everyone.
“The truth,” said Germond. “That is what I care about. To make it a better place, you first have to expose it. When you open the closet door, you’ll find nothing but skeletons. I have taken an oath to protect and serve the public, and have chosen to do so by breaking the blue wall of silence and paid for that.”
After reading the article you might think this is simply a case of Germond having a difficult time working, or getting along, with his colleagues. Sure, you may still have a few questions but nothing that demands immediate investigation or that would raise an alarm. I might have thought the same, and overlooked the vague comments by Germond in the article, if it wasn’t for an email from a local – who will remain anonymous – to me with additional information on this story which raises a few more questions, IMO.
What Was On The “Sliding Door?”
The anonymous source sent me a video and one of the pictures posted on the “sliding door” mentioned in the story above as inappropriate but never detailing what that was. Turns out one of the pictures is that of three police officers (possibly NPD from past?) where someone photoshopped out the patches and added Nazi swastikas; see for yourself below.
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Yes, the Chief and Supervisors – according to the article above – knew that a picture of men in police uniforms with Nazi swastikas was hanging on their ‘not for public display’ sliding door. Yet, was this really the issue that lead to Germond being harassed, Carpenter’s termination and a PTSD diagnosis? And why were the details left out of the story even though Germond is quoted as saying, “The truth. That is what I care about?:
What Other “Misconduct”?
A picture is worth a thousand words but probably not enough to get a police officer fired, even if the picture is in really poor taste. What is enough though is sex while on duty, alleged steroid use at the police station and not charging people with crimes in exchange for favors (commonly sexual in nature). This is what the anonymous local claims Germond complained about in January, it’s also why other officers joined in on the harassment campaign against him. Of course those documents, stating what the complaints were about, are not being provided to the public. Until complete transparency prevails we can only assume the allegations above have some merit since one supervisor was fired, Germond is current on leave and the video above exists.
My Conclusion
It doesn’t make sense that a Supervisor would be fired and another officer would be harassed over filing a complaint against someone for posting this picture (even in such poor of taste, it just doesn’t happen to cops). Therefore, I believe my source when they state that Carpenter – the Supervisor – was fired for not only misconduct while on duty but possibly for partaking/encouraging others to harass Germond too.
And that makes more sense.
It seems Germond was disliked by Carpenter nearly from the start after he refused to help him get another officer fired. For this Germond wasn’t properly trained, isolated from the group and called names such as “faggot.” As time went on Germond became aware that Carpenter, and/or other NPD officers, were engaging in various acts of misconduct while on duty.
In January of this year Germond, who was probably trying to get even with those who harassed him, put that knowledge into a formal complaint. Shortly thereafter a meeting was held with Germond, the Chief and two of the alleged officers of the complaint. That’s when Germond was threatened, in front of the Chief, and instead of action being taken against those who threatened him, the harassment increased until he took a leave of absence.
I believe that many of the misconduct details are being kept from the public at this time because some would like it to simply be hearsay. Yet, that’s where the sliding door comes back into play. The video above was recorded by Germond, according to my source, and I believe he recorded it to provide credibility to himself.
Why?
Because at some point Germond will sue the department. He’ll have to prove harassment and/or that misconduct was tolerated to be successful in that suit. Since most of his claims are his word against his colleagues words the video proof of the sliding door, with highly inappropriate pictures for a police station, supports his claims. I think it’s also only a sample of what Germond may have in regards to proof. Additionally, the firing of Carpenter might be a first step by the department to saving face and the interview with the local newspaper could be a strategic one on Germond’s part too. Sending a message to his former ‘brothers’ and City Officials that he has stories to tell and they don’t want them in the public’s eye.
But Germond is the only one who can answer that and he didn’t respond to my attempts to reach him.
While getting a bunch of cops fired for having sex and taking drugs (steroids) might be one of Germond’s goals (on top of getting his job back – but I don’t really believe he wants to be a cop anymore, he just has to say that), it’s not mine. My reasons for producing this story was to show what happens to ‘good cops’, highlight the double standards of police officers and point out the hypocrisy of it all.
This is clearly your typical story of what happens to possible “good cops.” They simply do not last in this profession and you should remember that the next time you think you’re talking to a ‘good one’ because you’re not. Firing these cops and/or giving Germond his job back won’t fix “the problem” of police enforcing laws that shouldn’t be laws, while at the same time breaking those very same laws, either.
The solution is to eliminate these victimless crime laws all together – so the police can focus on crimes with actual victims, and to privatize the service of protection – so that if you don’t like their service you can stop paying them which means lazy, hypocritical ‘cops’ would go out of business quickly because at the end of the day, this is a business matter.
By any chance that the Norwich Police Department decided to release the complaints filed against Carpenter or clarify the claims of misconduct against those in their department, than I will update this story accordingly.
Source Article from http://www.copblock.org/162083/i-crossed-the-thin-blue-line-and-now-im-paying-for-it/
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