Spokane7
65°
July 14, 2011
Spokane police detective fired for ‘troubled history’
Spokane police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick fired Detective Jeff Harvey on Wednesday as a result of an alleged confrontation Harvey had with a state Fish and Wildlife officer and what his termination letter labeled a “troubled work history.”
The incident was “part of the pattern of behavior that (the department) had documented over the years with this particular employee,” said city spokeswoman Marlene Feist.
Harvey is the former vice president of the Spokane Police Guild.
Mayor Mary Verner said she “backs the chief’s decision.”
Havey’s termination letter was hand-delivered to his home, Feist said.
A department internal investigation into the confrontation with the Fish and Wildlife officer determined that Harvey failed to obey the officer’s commands and attempted to hinder his investigation, according to Harvey’s termination letter.
The 10-page letter also details other discipline and negative evaluations from supervisors that Harvey was given in his 24 years in the department.
In 1987, Harvey was suspended for 20 days for “excessive use of force and demeanor” after breaking a man’s arm. He was suspended that same year for harassment.
He was given an oral reprimand in 1989 for excessive force.
In 1991, he was suspended for 40 hours for abusing sick leave.
“After you were denied a requested day off because of short staffing, you called in sick and went hunting,” the letter said.
In 1993, he was suspended for five days for making false allegations about a supervisor.
Since then, the outline lists mostly negative comments from supervisors in reviews.
“Jeff is a competent investigator and is capable of producing a superior work product,” wrote Sgt. Dan Torok in 2009. “However, this fact is sometimes overshadowed by what appears to be an overreaction to some issues.”
Last year, Torok wrote that he had concerns about Harvey’s “overall demeanor.”
“My question was in regards to his attitude and seemingly displeasure with being here,” Torok wrote. “…I do not see this situation resolving itself, and the unresolved issues cannot be healthy.”
Harvey was a vice president of the guild when the group held a vote of no-confidence in the chief last year. A majority of voters, though not of guild members, agreed to give Kirkpatrick and Assistant Chief Jim Nicks the no-confidence label.
Verner said Harvey’s termination is about his own actions as an employee, not a union member.
“When we take personnel decisions, we take them based on the employee’s behavior in the workplace,” Verner said.
The termination letter indicates that some leaders in the department felt that Harvey was cut more slack because he was in the leadership of the guild.
“Often times Jeff discusses issues in the department in a manner that is afforded a union representative that would be frowned upon if it were any other detective,” Torok wrote in 2009. “An example is his severe criticism of the administration, a policy, certain members of senior staff, etc.”
MAC faces angry crowd 
PlanB on July 14 at 12:20 p.m.
Nice!
westerly on July 14 at 12:22 p.m.
The police guild, whatever, will call in binding arbitration in this matter and the cop will get hundreds of thousands of dollars, courtesy of Spokane’s working stiffs and retiree’s
SpokaneLiberal on July 14 at 12:40 p.m.
Why do we even bother to listen to the Guild or give them so much in bargaining. They can’t strike. Why not just tell them binding arbitration is gone and the ombudsman has real power in the next contract. Then they can choose work with no contract or any of its protections or work with the new one.
Ed Byrnes on July 14 at 12:49 p.m.
Exactly, change the contract and tell them to take a hike if they don’t like it. The LEOs who are committed to the community will stay on and the ones who hide behind the guild will go.
gonefishin1 on July 14 at 1:06 p.m.
Good for the chief, but she should look forward to a likely grievence from the gestapo union. seem as if she cant sneeze with out an unfair labor claim or other grievence. Maybe the ex Dic will get a job as a sheriff, then he can knightstick and county residents and make them feel as if they truly are all one big Spokane
DickAdams on July 14 at 1:24 p.m.
A day late and a dollar short. How many years does it take to fire someone. If proper documentation is on file, he should have been ousted years ago. Verner should fire the Chief as well for looking the other way so long.
madscientist on July 14 at 1:32 p.m.
DickAdams, it takes 24 years to fire someone obviously.
what will the police do next?, its starting to become a soap opera or something.
therailroader on July 14 at 1:55 p.m.
24 years to ditch a loser within the ranks! I’d like to assume that the pension has been revoked as well due to his poor performance on the job (however, I doubt that will happen). I wonder how many more of these exist within the department. Has his gun privileges been taken away?
Kivaari on July 14 at 2:16 p.m.
Rail roader, Why would he lose gun rights? He hasn’t been convicted of a crime.
The_Seer on July 14 at 3:19 p.m.
kiv: With that type of documented misconduct over the years, one can easily assume he’s committed crimes to clear cases. I’d go over his case files with a fine tooth comb if I were in charge of IA.
lowtechmaster on July 14 at 3:21 p.m.
Well done, Chief!
gonefishin1 on July 14 at 4:02 p.m.
it took 24 years due to the police guild and the blue wall
The_Seer on July 14 at 4:26 p.m.
Wow, after reading the termination letter, all I can say is wow.
I really hope there is a call for his past cases to be examined. I strongly believe his documented misconduct is only the tip of the iceberg.
The_Seer on July 14 at 4:28 p.m.
What is noticeably absent from the letter is any chastisement for being such a horrible example to his children.
Kivaari on July 14 at 5:55 p.m.
Seer, Not being charged with a crime, in a timely manner, doesn’t give the state/county/city a right to disarm him. Certainly he will not have a city issued gun, nor a police commission. He will need a concealed carry permit or if the chief will issue it a retired officers ID. If he fights this, he would be advised, to get a permit like any other citizen. If he fights this, then I doubt he will put in for a retirement until it is resolved.
Chiefs and sheriffs can be very hard on officers that bring trouble to them.
Kivaari on July 14 at 5:57 p.m.
Gone fisin, If you noticed other officers were not excited about him. The union can exert too much power. Notice he was a union officer, in part I am sure because he had a big mouth.
nslopeofw on July 14 at 9:39 p.m.
Kiv-
Obstructing justice isnt a crime?
meyerlansky on July 17 at 7:57 a.m.
Thanks, Chief, for screwing up again and costing us millions of dollars. Please leave Spokane ASAP and take many of these ill informed posters with you.
I hope Harvey gets all ten million dollars and does not settle for the “out of court” settlement with the city that is almost certain to come.
Truthhurts on July 18 at 7:27 a.m.
Looks like he should have been fired in 1993 for a “pattern” of bad behavior.
Looks like the politics of the no-confidence vote is why he is being fired now.
I am glad a person with these behaviors is gone, but he is gone for the wrong reason, and could win his lawsuit.
The_Seer on July 20 at 1:43 p.m.
^^^^^^^^ What lawsuit?
meyer: Kirkpatrick is welcome to drag you along when she leaves…. I’d like to be their to provide a boost…