More charges against Darien police chief
STORYLINE
The issue: The Darien Village Board has voted to fire Police Chief Steve DeVoy. The Janesville Gazette has requested the documents supporting the board’s decision through the Wisconsin Open Records Law. DeVoy has been suspended with pay since Dec. 1 when village employees found two surveillance cameras in the police department.
What’s new: Thursday afternoon, DeVoy’s attorneys filed a civil action in Walworth County Court in an attempt to block the release of the documents. Thursday night, the board voted 5-2 to add two charges to the list of four against DeVoy.
What’s next: DeVoy has the right to a hearing before his dismissal is official, although that hearing has yet to be scheduled. Also not yet scheduled is a court hearing on DeVoy’s request to block the release of the documents. Village attorneys believe the public has the right to see the material that convinced the board to fire DeVoy and will continue with legal proceedings to make the documents available.
DARIEN — The Darien police chief still isn’t working, and the list of charges against him is growing.
The Darien Village Board on Thursday night voted to add two charges to the four they already made against Police Chief Steve DeVoy.
DeVoy has been suspended with pay since Dec. 1. On March 7, the board voted 5-2 to fire him.
On Thursday night, the board voted 5-2 on the two new charges after a two-hour closed session.
The new charges include insubordination and failure to work for the benefit of the village while on duty, according to a disciplinary document released by the village.
Previous charges include installing unauthorized surveillance equipment, putting inappropriate material on a village computer, having a relationship with a subordinate, and creating a hostile work environment.
The sixth charge, the one about not working while on duty, puts the “inappropriate material” charge into context, village attorney David Danz said.
Not only did DeVoy use a village computer to view inappropriate material at work, the volume of material suggests he did so for an “excessive” amount of time, according to the village documents.
Board members Craig McCue and Allen Kenyon voted against the fifth and sixth charges; they had voted against the previous four as well.
Although the board has voted to dismiss DeVoy, he still is employed by the village pending a hearing.
The hearing has not been scheduled, nor is it clear who will participate.
Mar 21, 2009 at 8:54 a.m.
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I understand we need that intersection to be a 4-way stop...you start a petition and I will sign it. I am sure if you ask the other neighbors they will probably back you up. George Petkoff, myself and 6-7 other people complained about the traffic on Bella Vista, David, Jefferson & Washington Streets when they were working on Highway 14...(George probably still has not gotten anything on the temp. speed signs); In any case they put up 2 more 25 mph speed restriction signs and 2 Slow Children playing signs...1 IN MY FRONT YARD. If enough people complain and it is put on record "We" can get 2 stop signs put up on Church st.
Mar 20, 2009 at 11:01 p.m.
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Josh as far as the sign we have a lot of kids around here and because of Metzner crap we don!t have enought cops.When someones child get killed it!s not going to do any good.The creeps that almost hit your family live at the apt. down the road it think. I was worried about others. Im not going to be walking I!m to lazy.
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:41 p.m.
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Looks we got another deal if your Abbotts friend you can have what you want.He set up their with Metzner and told me the town laws when his friends had the same problem going as me.I bet Metzner didn!t send the law every other day to their house.So I guess who you know if you want to break city rules. Crooks no wonder it!s 5 against 2.
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:05 p.m.
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ResponsibleCitizen all ya do is get a post take a backhoe drive it in, get a stop sign bolt it up badda bing 20 minute job done
see how easy that was..
Mar 20, 2009 at 9:20 p.m.
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Thank you citizenofdarien, for your clear observation.
I hope your thoughts will touch others as well.
Mar 20, 2009 at 9:02 p.m.
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Hmmmm Not easy to put a stop sign on a dangerous intersection but easy to ruin lives....careers!!!! Messed up world we live in.
Mar 20, 2009 at 7:44 p.m.
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Regina, It was me and my family and I also spoke to Phil. It is not as easy as you think to add a stop sign. That particular intersection has been a problem for some time, but so has speeding. Our officers do what they can with the resources available. And Church & Jefferson is not the only intersection that there is a problem with.
Mar 20, 2009 at 7:28 p.m.
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blacktaz i say this with respect, you are a fountain of knowledge you hard working guy .
Mar 20, 2009 at 4:49 p.m.
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NEWS FLASH. I was trying to find out how to get a stop sign put on church street.I asked Puttman,Dennison, called town hall and asked for callback still no answer.The city police was the one who told me how.Something wrong with this picture.A family almost got hit by a speeding car on this street.We don!t have enough cops to watch out so you best watch out for each other. It will be to late when we have someone killed by a speeding car.
Mar 20, 2009 at 4:26 p.m.
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http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2009/mar...
Mar 20, 2009 at 3:33 p.m.
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Prof, it's not just Metzner, the whole lot of them are conspiring, including Danz. And Dennison and the village hall gang know now that the STATE is watching them. Did that visit this morning scare you Marc? Because it should. The State will be here for the election too.
You better keep your noses clean....
Mar 20, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.
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Charge six: 'Excessive time'....well, the Metzger-logic that may follow next would then be, Charge seven: theft--for the Chief drinking excessive amounts of coffee, with the intent to permanently deprive the city of said coffee....PUH-LEASE!!!
Mar 20, 2009 at 2:09 p.m.
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Metzner votes on whatever he wants to..."because I can" is his response! He really thinks he is above all law and order! Why is the other party who the Chief supposidly was involved with still working? Why hasn't that person been dismissed as well? After all, it takes two to tango!
Metzner should resign (willingly) or be forced to step down since he has a pending claim against the Village, County, and DeVoy with another investigation pending on him as well! Why is he "worthy" of retaining his employment with the Village if the Chief isn't?
I think this is turning out to be more than ONE RAT, more like a ship full!
Mar 20, 2009 at 12:43 p.m.
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Responsible: Good question (8:57 AM). Has anyone looked at the Village Ordinances to see what they have to say about ethics? There is probably a formal ethics complaint procedure outlined there.
Mar 20, 2009 at 11:25 a.m.
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I smell a rat and it aint the cheif
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:51 a.m.
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Your wrong again the papers were turned in. But guess who has them.Before calling people flake you should check your imformation out.one943 maybe someone forgot to put sugar on your corn flakes this morning.Smile when you come by.
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:43 a.m.
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http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/mar/20/...
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:40 a.m.
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Why is bob not off the board he has been Question about breaking the law. Yes he hasn!t been found guilty but neither has Devoy.So whats the difference? The town needs to act now and the other board members need to step down they vote with bob they don!t care about wants going on .Last night they were laughing like this is a big joke. Allen and craig are the only ones standing up for the people.
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:31 a.m.
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PLUS, they already terminated the chief. Why continue to make sure he stays that way? (No validity, perhaps?)
What a waste of taxpayer money....
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:27 a.m.
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What a surprise - ANOTHER 5-2 vote. Those 5 and Danz are now working overtime scrambling to find SOMETHING to nail the chief with. (And they're doing it on YOUR dime, Darien, every time they call another secret meeting.)
Can't wait to see this giant case they have drummed up.
When they all lose their jobs the chief will have the last laugh. He who laughs last, laughs best!
Mar 20, 2009 at 10:01 a.m.
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I hope that the Town of Beloit Board of Supervisors are reading this....they need to wake up. What is happpening at Darien is the same as what is going on at TOB police department...
Hope they have deep pockets with big checkbooks!
Mar 20, 2009 at 9:36 a.m.
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uwfan4ever
There was a recall started last Nov/Dec but the person doing it is such a flake she never got the papers turned in. I guess she was more concerned about getting herself elected
Mar 20, 2009 at 9:25 a.m.
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When is your village going to get tired of this stuff and do a recall on this clown? Or does he have that many people in his pocket? Sounds like the masses should storm the town hall with brooms and pitch forks and demand a house cleaning!!! It looks like this is going to cost your town well over the $100k Maltese cost Orfordville.Enjoy watching your taxes go up.
Mar 20, 2009 at 9:12 a.m.
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His shirt says so.
Mar 20, 2009 at 9:11 a.m.
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He can do this because he is KING of DirtyAnne.
Mar 20, 2009 at 8:57 a.m.
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how can Metzner vote on anything with a pending claim against the village, county & Devoy?
Mar 20, 2009 at 8:54 a.m.
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Can you say:"the craps hittin' the fan now boys"!
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