SCOTT CITY BOARD TO ANNOUNCE RULING ON POLICE CONDUCT

SCOTT CITY -- The Police Personnel Board in Scott City is expected to reach a decision today concerning 11 allegations of misconduct against the city's chief of police brought by a suspended police dispatcher.

Board member David E. ("Gene") Thompson said Tuesday that a more-than-four-hour closed meeting of the board Monday night was adjourned before a decision was reached concerning the allegations. Another meeting was held Tuesday night for the same purpose and ran late into the night.

Suspended dispatcher Joy Venable filed eight allegations with the board in December against Police Chief David Beck. She filed three more allegations late Monday, Thompson said.

Thompson declined to explain each allegation, but said they were basically "complaints" about the way Beck had run the department.

"They are allegations that (Beck) is not being a very efficient chief," he said. Thompson said he has found little or no merit to several of the allegations.

"When you run a small department you have to run it within the budget," he said. "You struggle along with what you've got."

Venable's attorney, Jim Pinkston of Sikeston, could not be reached Tuesday.

Any recommendation the board makes concerning the allegations will be given to Mayor Shirley Young, Thompson said. According to the city statutes, Young is the only person authorized to take disciplinary action against the chief.

Thompson said it's possible the board will recommend no disciplinary action.

The board held a four-hour closed hearing on Dec. 28 concerning the allegations. About 20 people testified at the hearing. Board members decided during the hearing to wait until this week to meet again and come to a decision.

In addition to discussing the allegations, board members interviewed nine candidates Monday and 12 Tuesday in an effort to hire four employees in the department.

Thompson said the department needs three patrolmen and one dispatcher to get the department "up to strength."

Five police officers have resigned in the past eight months, and currently there are only five officers employed.

After the board is through interviewing they will recommend possible candidates to the city council, which has the final decision on which candidates to hire, he said.

Thompson said he was surprised at the number of applicants the city has received for positions in the department. The board interviewed 21 people for the jobs. He said he blames it partly on a depressed economy.

"I'm not glad to see this many people out of work, but I'm glad there's this much interest in working for the department."

Young said officers in the department have large amounts of overtime to make up for the shortage of personnel in the department.