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LOS ANGELES (AP) – The California Highway Patrol suspended the police powers of dozens of agents after discovering that they were receiving pay for their overtime for thousands of hours untreated in a case that could lead to criminal prosecution, announced Friday officials. A survey revealed at least $ 360,000 in overtime compensation earned by officers and approved by their sergeant supervisors at the agency's office in Los Angeles between March 2016 and 2018, said Chief Mark Garrett, chief of the southern division of the agency. The information has deeply moved us, "Garrett said." I am personally amazed and upset about this. "
Investigators communicate details of the investigation to county attorneys, who will look into the possibility of 39, criminal prosecution in this case, said Garrett, adding that he thought it would be appropriate.
"We have every reason to believe that they were stealing from California taxpayers" , he said. "We believe criminal activities have taken place."
Garrett declined to specify the exact number of officers and supervisors involved, adding that the investigation did It was not over, most of them, he said, were put on paid administrative leave and their powers as peace officer were removed.
He acknowledged that any criminal case involving the work of the police or the witness The number of officers and sergeants involved in overtime fraud could be compromised. .
Warren Stanley, commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, said that he "was angry and dismayed".
"Any employee who violates politics and the law defiles public trust and works hard to make a living." Every day, "he said in a press release.
The East Los Angeles office is the only one of the 103 commandments of the agency suspected to be involved in the hours Fraudulent additions, said Garrett, adding that the others had successfully passed the assessment of their registrations and will undergo more elaborate audits.
"We have every reason to believe that it is safe." "Is an isolated cancer in an otherwise healthy body," he said. "We plan to cut it, remove it, repair the body and go from there." [19659002] Garrett explained that it was unclear why fraudulent activity was apparently flourishing in the East Los Angeles office and nowhere else.
"I will say that". a culture has developed there, "he said. "This has become a real entity and I think people are emboldened, the more people around you who adopt a given behavior, the more you are forced to adopt the same type of behavior."
Suspicions about fraudulent overtime. Mr. Garrett stated that Los Angeles East Command staff had found abnormalities in overtime,
. All overtime hours recorded during hours not worked result from assignments with California Department of Transportation road crews. Agents can get between $ 86 and $ 104 hour overtime with Caltrans indication, which involves making sure the transport crews stay safe while they perform. maintenance and other work.
The California Highway Patrol has implemented changes since the discovery of overtime fraud, including: Mr. Garrett added: "strengthen management oversight and review overtime procedures "
" We are embarrassed about this ". "We are not happy with the behavior of our department members, and when we were informed, we knew what to do as a management – to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation of our own employees at public risk, because it's the right thing to do. "
He adds," We will solve this problem. "
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