Chief Bevan statement regarding independent investigations
March 30, 2023
For nearly a year, I have been the target of several allegations of misconduct by a small facet of officers within my agency, most of whom were assigned to a specialized unit that was under investigation for suspected department policy violations. These officers were supported by and have been provided a platform by the Southwest Florida PBA, under the direction of its President, Mick McHale. Today, I’m setting the record straight.
This handful of officers filed complaints against agency members via sworn affidavits which were subsequently released to the media by McHale. It should be noted that these affidavits were obtained and released during contentious contract negotiations between the Union and the City over salary and benefits. I firmly believe these affidavits were used as a distraction to gain the upper hand in these negotiations.
Following McHale’s release of the affidavits and multiple interviews he gave to local news outlets, the Mayor of Bradenton, in concurrence with the City Council, contracted with an independent investigator, to investigate all allegations.
Countless hours and resources were spent during these investigations, and multiple people were interviewed, including current and former employees. These investigations exonerated all agency members accused in the affidavits. Summaries will be provided upon request. (Please contact meredith.frameli@bradentonpd.com.)
Furthermore, during the independent investigations, there was concern that some of the officers who submitted sworn affidavits provided untruthful statements. The independent investigators recommended that an additional investigation be conducted regarding those potential untruthful statements and conduct. Upon completing this secondary investigation, it was concluded that an officer was untruthful and has recently been terminated.
In total, four members of the now dissolved specialized unit are no longer employed with the Bradenton Police Department, not because of any personal vendetta that I, or other senior staff members have against them, rather they either resigned during the investigations or were terminated because they lied, engaged in conduct unbecoming members of this agency, utilized excessive force, or violated department policy in some manner. In short, these officers failed to uphold the oath they took when they were sworn in as police officers.
Throughout this process, the Southwest Florida PBA has continued to stand behind these disgruntled former employees and propagate their negative agenda, despite having full access to the results of the investigations which clearly exonerate everyone accused.
The investigations are over. We are moving on from this. My focus is and always has been, on preventing, fighting, and solving crime. As you might know, we are actively working on a homicide investigation, conducting specialized traffic details, disrupting the trend of catalytic converter thefts, dealing with our growing fentanyl problem, and addressing human trafficking crimes, all the while responding to routine calls for service. Suffice it to say we are very busy. Additionally, my focus remains on hiring and retaining the best police officers during a very challenging time for law enforcement agencies across the country.
The Bradenton Police Department is comprised of many outstanding officers and employees. I won’t allow the negativity and inappropriate actions of a few, now former, officers to continue to tarnish the great reputation of the men and women who serve the citizens of Bradenton.
And finally, as your Police Chief, my job is to ensure the safety of every citizen and our officers in our great City, and lead my department with integrity, respect, and professionalism. I have done that, I am doing that, and I will continue to do that.
Melanie Bevan, Ed.D