PITTSBURGH — Two Pittsburgh police officers have been fired for allegedly falsifying overtime cards, and their immediate supervisor has also been let go.
The city said the officers are no longer employed, but multiple sources in the department tell Target 11 that the two officers and a sergeant who supervised them have been fired.
Target 11 investigator Rick Earle has confirmed that all three officers are no longer employed by the city of Pittsburgh.
According to multiple sources, two of the officers allegedly submitted overtime cards for hours they never worked.
They were supposed to be patrolling the trails along the Pittsburgh’s rivers and the downtown district. According to sources in the department, a supervisor became suspicious and set up surveillance.
He allegedly caught the officers at home, when they had indicated on their time cards that they were working.
“A situation like that involves dishonesty, and the most critical trait an officer has is honesty. And if an officer is dishonest, then they can’t be trusted,” said Beth Pittinger, the executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board.
The officers were initially placed on paid leave in April.
About a month ago, Target 11 learned that the city had planned to reinstate the officers because of a past precedent of bringing back other officers involved in similar cases. Apparently, all of that changed a couple weeks ago, as the city then moved to fire the officers. It’s unclear what prompted the change.
In addition to the two officers, the city also fired their immediate supervisor.
“Should this send a message to all officers?” asked Earle.
“It certainly should. I mean, they shouldn’t need the message, but if there is an occasional intermittent reminder, this is it,” said Pittinger.
It’s unclear how long this scandal had been going on and how much money it involved. The union that represents officers has declined to comment. All three officers may appeal the decision; however, it’s still unclear if they plan to appeal.
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