TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Miami Police Union Votes No-Confidence In Chief

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: September 5, 2007

MIAMI - The Fraternal Order of Police sent a strong message to city officials Tuesday, calling for the ouster of Miami Police Chief John Timoney in an unusual no-confidence vote.

More than 500 officers voted against Timoney, who has drawn criticism for his free use of a $54,000 sport utility vehicle for more than a year. Of the 62 percent who voted, 126 supported the chief, union President Armando Aguilar said.

'I want to send a message out to the elected officials. The morale is so low that we have taken these drastic measures, and it's up to them to do the right thing, and that's to fire the chief,' Aguilar said after the vote.

The vote is nonbinding but could affect the city manager and mayor's decision to keep Timoney.

Timoney has said he has not broken any laws but acknowledged that his use of the Lexus RX hybrid provided by a dealership raised ethics questions.

Timoney acknowledged keeping the vehicle too long, but he also said he bought the vehicle for the full price to resolve the matter.

The union also has accused Timoney of altering crime statistics, which the chief said insulted his professionalism and tarnished the department.

In a lengthy written statement, Timoney defended his reputation.

'The shenanigans of the last few weeks were merely an attempt at political assassination,' he wrote.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT