SBI investigating overtime abuse at DPD

Thursday, October 01, 2009

(WTVD Photo)

Tags:

local/state

DURHAM (WTVD) -- North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation will look into an overtime scandal inside the Durham Police Department.

The move comes after the City of Durham released an audit Wednesday that shows a police department employee billed the city for excessive overtime.

Click here to read the report (.pdf)

The report says Secondary Employment Coordinator Alesha Robinson-Taylor collected $62,583 in overtime between September 1, 2008 and the end of August of this year. The amount is more than her normal annual salary.

Eyewitness News has learned Robinson-Taylor is no longer with the department.

The overtime was approved by Deputy Chief B.J. Council - who Eyewitness News has learned is leaving the department over the scandal.

Council will retire from her position effective December 31, 2009.

The District Attorney's office has turned the matter over to the SBI to determine if there was any criminal wrongdoing.

Police Chief Jose Lopez said in a written response to the audit that he'll ask for random checks of top overtime pay earners in his department in the future to make sure proper procedures are followed.