Sometimes the truth is slow to get out here in Southeast Texas.
Jerry Jordan of The Examiner was the first to break the story of two officers who were "terminated" for having sex with prostitutes while involved in an investigation of two WEST END massage parlours. According to the Examiner "some officers said they hoped they might be able to link the women at the massage parlors to human smuggling operations out of Houston. Those cases were never made." Oddly the story was removed from the Examiner's website shortly after.
On July 21, KFDM aired their initial report and it was followed up on July 24 with an interview of Det. Keith Breiner who claimed that "he was only doing the job he was asked to do by supervisors." that "after 16 years of service he would do anything that's asked of him. And he says he was sought out by the narcotics division to help build a felony case against a prostitution ring." And unbelievably "Breiner says supervisors told him he was the right person for the job because of his strong relationship with his wife."
KFDM withheld the name of the BPD Captain who "notified Breiner that the Chief of Police was upset and she might be compelled to file complaints against Breiner and Kiker".
The story and interview of Keith Briener by KFDM never explained why such measures were taken in the massage parlour investigation and why a Beaumont police Det. was asked to do something that was potentially damaging to his mental and physical health. After all, the only charges brought were misdemeanors against the two Chinese prostitutes.
I guess Mr. Breiner's lawyer was not happy with how the interview by Jennifer Heathcock was edited by KFDM so the answer came the next day when the aired the snippet in which Breiner explained that "the operation was to secure felony promotion of prostitution charges rather than the two misdemeanor prostitution charges that resulted".
The Enterprise followed up with their report and revealed that Beaumont Police Captain Melissa Ownby was the catalyst in the Internal Affairs investigation that followed.
You might think that is the end of the story. That was the story as far as The Examiner, the Enterprise and KFDM were concerned.
And keep in mind that every one's reports were based on this same petition filed by Det. Breiner's lawyer on his behalf...
Until this report by the Southeast Texas Record filed July 29, BPD officer suspended in prostitution sting gets TRO against department, and this small bit of information that all other news organizations of this area ignored:
"Breiner's suit states that one of the female employees was a MINOR at the time."
"In Breiner's affidavit, he said the sex with the MINOR was "consensual" and that she does not wish to file charges.
This explains Chief Coffin actions.
Why did the local media ignore this fact?
Do they have a hidden agenda?
30 July 2008
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4 comments:
The Examiner's Web site crashed on the day that the story was posted and since it was close to our deadline, I used the article in the print edition.
Read the article again.. Apparently the editor didn't check the facts, and had to correct the story. There was NO minor, nor sex with a minor. Perhaps if you had checked your own facts, you would have caught this before becoming yet another media source dragging this officer's name through the mud. And people wonder why you can't get quality people to become cops... Who wants to protect people who will take the first opportunity to soil your name for doing your job? I suggest you spend a day in these officers shoes before making any more judgements.
I became aware of the error later that day on the Bayou and have ran the corrected part of the Southeast Texas Record story and their correction and apology today.
The point of my comment was that the media has done a poor job in reporting this story in a way that makes it clear or easily understood.
Det. Breiner went public with his story for his own benefit.
Why don't you take a minute to consider what we out here as the citizens of Beaumont who RELY on the BPD think about what looks like A TAXPAYER FUNDED city department WAGING WAR on itself.
I'd like to have faith that when this gets through the Civil Courts of Jefferson County that we JOE BEAUMONT will finally get the TRUTH WE DESERVE.
You certainly have the right as a taxpayer to know the truth. One must have PATIENCE though, and be careful not to damage the reputations of real people because they want the "hot story". You made a good point, focus on the corrupt department as a whole, and you can pass judgment on individuals when the case has made it through the courts. This is law enforcement, and we can't expect the system to work at all if the details of all departmental operations were made public immediately. Remember also, it was the media that threw this into a public forum, thus stirring up the hornets nest.
Every business, department, or agency in this world is going to have problems. Ever been to a restaurant and have bad service?
Lets just step back, stop making judgments on media banter, and let this play out. Then the media can frenzy and spin on this all they want. Sometimes I truly believe we the people are our society's own worst enemy.
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