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Crystal River fires 6-year police officer
By CARRIE JOHNSON CRYSTAL RIVER -- A six-year member of the Crystal River Police Department was fired last week after a lengthy internal affairs investigation. Lt. Mike Klyap said he could not discuss details of the investigation of Officer Christopher M. Anderson because it is still ongoing. But he said its findings -- along with Anderson's history of disciplinary problems -- prompted the termination. Anderson, 29, joined the Crystal River force in May 1995 as a part-time patrol officer. He was fired Wednesday, about two months after the investigation was launched, Klyap said. Anderson said his dismissal came as a complete shock. "I don't think it was a very good decision," he said. "They didn't have a whole lot of evidence to prove everything." Anderson said he was never given a clear reason for his termination and was told only that his work was unsatisfactory. A representative from the Florida Police Benevolent Association said Anderson's dismissal was due to a misunderstanding that resulted from unclear rules set by the Police Department. "The chain of command isn't clear, how discipline is handled isn't clear," said Al Boettjer. "There are so many things that aren't clear, he hasn't been afforded the clear and concise due process that is his right." Boettjer said Anderson plans to appeal the termination to the city. One of the elements under investigation is a charge that Anderson routinely misrepresented the number of hours he worked, said Crystal River City Manager Phil Lilly. "There were some detail assignments he documented at a particular time or location and the investigation revealed he was not there," he said. A detail assignment is duty performed outside a regular patrol beat, such as providing police protection at a festival or the Crystal River Mall. Lilly said the Police Department's investigation will be turned over to the State Attorney's Office for review for "possible criminal action." Anderson said he has never skipped an assignment and was not aware of the allegations. "They haven't shown me any documents that I've done this," he said. "Everything they've produced for me, I've got evidence to fight them back with." But according to his personnel file, Anderson has been in trouble in the past for missing a detail. He was disciplined in February 1998 for failing to show up for a scheduled shift at the local bingo parlor. As his punishment, he was removed from the detail for the next two months, the file said. Anderson was rated as "satisfactory" or "good" on most of his annual evaluations. But he also received several written reprimands during his stint with the Police Department. Most recently, in March, he was disciplined for improperly handling medication taken from a suspect in a criminal case, according to his personnel file. Anderson was also accused of failing to correct the problem when it was brought to his attention and directing a subordinate to also violate the proper procedure, the file said. In May 1998, Anderson was given an oral reprimand for not passing along a request made by David Hickey, then principal of Crystal River Middle School, who had asked that a police officer arrest a trespasser. He was disciplined twice in January 1998. He botched two car wreck reports, according to supervisors, prompting one to write: "There is a steady decline in the work habits and efficiency of Police Officer Anderson." Days later, he was punished for insubordination after challenging his supervisor regarding sick leave. Anderson also received a reprimand in October 1996 for leaving his gun unattended in his patrol car. According to the file, the Crystal River High School graduate also won several commendations, including one in November 2000 for writing 29 traffic citations in a month, and another in April 2000 for pursuing a fleeing suspect into a canal. Anderson said he's confident his appeal will be successful, but he's willing to pursue it through the legal system if necessary. "I'm sure that once the city manager has evaluated my side, he's going to decide I was right," Anderson said.
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