LAKELAND — A captain of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee’s Lakeland workplace was demoted and reassigned to Walton County after an inner investigation discovered that he had made impolite or derogatory feedback about some officers and a few officers he disliked gear and coaching.
In January, the FWC Workplace of the Inspector Common launched a report on the inner investigation into Joseph Brooks, a former captain within the Lakeland workplace of the FWC’s legislation enforcement division.
A grievance filed on September 13 by Lieutenant Jared Cloud alleged that “Brooks uncovered his workers to a hostile work setting by making derogatory remarks about different staff.”
Within the grievance, Cloud stated Brooks took pictures of the ladies within the workplace with out their permission as “sexual implication” and texted the pictures to different officers.
Based on the report, Cloud stated a few of Brooks’ subordinates additionally had points with the best way he handled them. The complainant stated that FWC officers skilled nervousness and concern as they believed Brooks was complicating the work setting, and so they had been relieved whereas Brooks was on obligation.
‘Probably the most compassionate particular person’:Polk MP’s identify added to wall at Peace Officers Memorial
‘An additional set of eyes and ears’:Armed guard to patrol Downtown Lakeland
Physique cameras:Lakeland Police Division is accelerating the rollout of physique cameras
The grievance alleged that Brooks made disrespectful feedback about staff he disliked and refused coaching and gear requests for some.
“Officers had been disadvantaged of the coaching and gear they demanded,” the FWC report stated. “Some officers believed that Brooks handled them in another way than the others and that their morale was low.”
Within the grievance, Cloud stated Brooks as soon as threatened an officer with writing a letter “to dam the subsequent job he began.” When the officer requested go away as a consequence of his father’s medical issues, the grievance stated Brooks dismissed the request with profanity, saying the officer was “silly”.
The grievance additionally said that Brooks was “very influential” and “untouchable” throughout the company, and subsequently officers had been afraid to report their habits.
Based on Cloud, when Brooks accused the 2 vagrants of sexual acts in opposition to one another, he made impolite and inappropriate remarks inside earshot of different FWC officers and a Polk County sheriff’s sergeant. Cloud additionally stated that Brooks’ actions made officers afraid to talk out in opposition to him.
Captain Maurice Austin performed the executive investigation and, after questioning at the very least eight different officers, discovered that each one of Cloud’s allegations had been true.
In January, 4 FWC disciplinary committee members really helpful that Brooks be fired, 4 really helpful his dismissal, two really helpful his dismissal and 10-day impeachment, and three steered Brooks’ dismissal and dismissal.
In FWC’s settlement settlement with Brooks in February, the fee stated it meant to fireplace Brooks, however as an alternative determined to demote him from captain to legislation enforcement and switch him to the Walton County workplace. The FWC stated Brooks would by no means be appointed to the Southwest Area Lakeland workplace and was suspended for 10 days with out cost on the finish of March.
Brooks was recruited to hitch the FWC academy as an officer in February 2005 and was assigned to Okeechobee County after graduating later that 12 months. Brooks was reassigned to Highlands County as an officer in 2006, then promoted to Polk County superintendent in 2009. Brooks was promoted to lieutenant in Highlands County in 2014 earlier than being appointed to Polk County in 2017. He grew to become captain of the Polk County workplace in 2018.