Upper-level Management, Not Rank and File, Source of Corrections Complaints

None by KCPW

Fraternal Order of Police Members Seek Whistleblower Status

(KCPW News) The Utah Department of Corrections says a legislative audit citing a culture of favoritism in the department is inaccurate and the misperception of a small subset of disgruntled officers who failed to make promotion. Kelly Atkinson of the Fraternal Order of Police says complaints are not coming from the rank and file:

"The individuals that brought this to our attention are upper-level management individuals that have gone to the legislative auditor and asked for whistleblower status."

The Fraternal Order of Police pressed the legislature to investigate Corrections, which employs more than 1,600 certified officers. Atkinson, a former Utah House member who sat on the same audit committee from 1990 to 1996, says far more complaints exist than those cited in this week's audit ... yet Corrections administrators continue to be dismissive:

"The concern that we have is you're hearing the department's response, that there is no favoritism, that it's just perception; how can you resolve a problem when you fail to recognize that there is a problem."

Speaking earlier today on KCPW's Midday Metro, Corrections Assistant Director Jack Ford said the report is overblown when it comes to the allegations of favoritism. You can hear a podcast of that conversation by clicking here.

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