Milton chief recommends changes after resource officer scandal
MILTON — The police chief suggests the school resource officer become a rotational position after a longtime school resource officer resigned amid scandal this summer.
That was one of several recommendations Chief Jerry Schuetz made to the Milton Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. The committee passed the recommendations on to the city council.
Jason Casper resigned in July after eight years as school resource officer and 14 years with the department. In May, an 18-year-old former Milton High School student accused him of inappropriate sexual contact when she was 17 and sending her sexually explicit text messages when she was 18.
A criminal investigation found no evidence of inappropriate touching but did find evidence Casper exchanged sexually explicit messages with former students and school district staff.
An internal investigation released Wednesday added allegations of improper handling of evidence and a separate incident of inappropriate touching.
Schuetz’s recommendations include:
-- Rotating the position. An officer would serve in the position four to six years, depending on performance.
-- Two-person interviews instead of videotaped interviews. A camera could discourage students from sharing confidential information, Schuetz wrote.
-- A more formal dress code. The school resource officer would have to wear a tie or full police uniform during the school day.
-- A one-year evaluation period.
The city appointed Officer Jim Martin the new school resource officer in August.
The internal investigation conducted by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office found Casper exchanged sexually explicit text and My Space messages between November and April with several people, including two former students and two Milton School District teachers. Most of the messages were sent while Casper was on duty, the report says.
One former high school student—not the one who brought the original complaint—said Casper reached under her shirt and grabbed her breast with “no warning or encouragement” when she visited him at the school after graduating. She was 18 at the time.
“Casper was reluctant to explain to us how this occurred,” though he said it happened after they kissed, the internal report says.
Casper proved reluctant throughout the investigation, the report says. Police officers are required to cooperate with internal investigations or risk losing their jobs, and the internal investigation could not be used in the criminal investigation.
“(Casper) would not elaborate or explain things when asked,” the report says. “He would say that he could not remember how things progressed in particular incidents.”
The report says Casper also did not properly document and store confiscated drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Mar 8, 2010 at 2:12 a.m.
Sep 18, 2009 at 5:41 p.m.
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Teachers may not be overpaid, but they are paid too much to flirt with the on-duty liaison officer!
"...the Rock County Sheriff’s Office found Casper exchanged sexually explicit text and My Space messages between November and April...and two Milton School District teachers."
A public records request will out the teachers that think it is ok to waste the taxpayers money on messing around with the officers charged with protecting our kids. How will your husbands, boyfriends, or girlfriends think about what you do at work? They call it work for a reason! Both the teachers and the officer are on the taxpayers dime. The teachers should be teaching our kids. The officer had his hands full and should have no shortage of his own work. These teachers need to be reprimanded!
Did the warrant only go back to the fall of '08? Maybe now that his intimidating authority has been striped other students will come forward to fill in the blanks that Mr. Casper selectively forgot. Although, he could remember a kiss prior to slipping his hand up that girl's shirt without notice or permission. Just enough to cloud the willingness of the participant enough to cast a doubt on her credibility? Casper you may feel like you dodged this one, but you only dodged being fired. Mr. Schuetz better follow through and have his certification revoked. We do not want him popping up at some other small town police department like that one they are having all the trouble with in Walworth County.
If Mr. Casper thinks a kiss is a key to going as far as he wants he did a great job of saying so. Would the investigation team think the same if he forced her to do more? Could she say no? Did she feel she could leave his office considering the circumstances and his position of power? Did she feel she had no other choice? Did they consider his position of authority as a reason she may not have expressively said "no"? Does a rape victim give implied consent when they do not say "no"? God forbid they are too busy crying to get the words "no" or "stop" out. Come on! Assault and battery land people in jail for less contact and way less intent than that. Maybe others will come forward with the info Mr. Casper needs to refresh his memory of the last few years. Let the courts decide his fate. A jury of his peers will see right though his selective silence. Casper, the statute of limitations is not on your side!
Sep 18, 2009 at 6:22 a.m.
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Can not remember sound's like a cop out
Sep 18, 2009 at 12:50 a.m.
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Well, I think that Milton did exercise accountability once this was found out, but it does seem like it continued for quite a long time when some people must have known.
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I do agree that the position ought to be one of professionalism and respect, and this individual may not have treated it sufficiently so. That is why this review took place.
Sep 17, 2009 at 9:17 p.m.
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Cops all over the place...that made me laugh a little. I guess I should say I'm not sure where you're living either, since the last time I needed one; I waited 20 minutes because they were on other calls.
Sep 17, 2009 at 7:25 p.m.
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Years ago officer Casper responded to my house because my ex-step-father was threatening my mother. In my opinion he was great and I really mean that. Circumstances at that time were rather scary and he did his best to help us. He didn't act inappropriately either. I was kind of shocked when I read about this the first time. Just goes to show you that people sure can surprise you.
Sep 17, 2009 at 6:20 p.m.
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gmaof: I'm not sure where you're living. We have cops all over the place. We don't need anymore, nor is more law enforcement going to solve this so-called war on drugs.
Sep 17, 2009 at 5:21 p.m.
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(tongue-in-cheek) But "those" things don't happen in "Mayberry" Milton...
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OK.... one of the reasons Rock County has such an issue with heroin and other issues involving truancy and theft, is the blindfolds on our local leaders. For cryin' out loud, this stuff didn't just all of a sudden fall from the sky and land on us.
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We have big city issues being dealt with a small town mentality. Step it up. If our youth in school need to be monitored and "watched", don't send a hormone driven screw-up... send an officer of the law, in full uniform who reports daily to a supervisor. Treat it like a REAL job and force the county employee to be accountable.
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Once again (and I sound like a broken record here...) it all comes back to accountability.
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How are we supposed to hold children accountable when the adults SUPERVISING them are NOT???
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