Active Antioch Police force still down 57 officers with 40 vacancies
8 more active officers since April 12; at least 4 have been terminated; Chief shares names of all 75 sworn in report to Oversight Commission
By Allen D. Payton
In response to requests for information on police staffing and the number of officers in the racist text scandal who were back to work Interim Antioch Police Chief Brian Addington shared today the report provided to the Antioch Police Oversight Commission for their meeting yesterday, Monday, June 3, 2024. In his report Addington wrote, “The Antioch Police Department is currently authorized 115 sworn police officer positions. The department currently has 75 sworn police officers and 40 vacant sworn police officer positions. Of the 75 sworn police officers, 58 are actively working, and 17 are inactive.” In response to the commission’s request he also provided the complete list of names for all 75 officers including the 17 currently inactive.
That’s a decrease in staffing of two sworn officers but an increase of eight active officers since April 12 in spite of four additional officers joining the department, last month.
Addington was asked by the Herald for whatever information he could share about the Antioch Police Officers who were caught up in the text scandal and are now back to work, specifically for the total number of officers from the text scandal who have returned to work, as well as total on the force currently active, plus any demotions in rank and title, as well as any who have been terminated.
He responded, “Based on your request…this is the available information that I can provide” which was the report to the commission.
On May 20, 2024, Mike Rains, attorney for the Antioch Police Officers Association whose firm represented 17 officers who were placed on paid leave during the investigation of the text scandal shared additional information.
“I think all the cases where we have represented Antioch officers have been resolved. Some are back to work, some they terminated,” he said.
“They screwed up the entire case,” Rains stated. “The 745 motion made by the lawyers representing Pugh, Windom and McGee” referring to three of the four suspects convicted of murder, last month. (See related article)
“At the most that was 12 officers. They released the entire report without a protective order,” he complained, speaking of the redacted report that listed all the officers and inadvertently revealed all their names and cell phone numbers. “Someday I’m going to sue the DA in the county for doing that.” (See related article)
“Four officers have been terminated. We’re going to go to arbitration on those,” Rains said. My office represents maybe one or two more. Julia Fox (his associate) represents them.”
Rains added, “The names of the officers who went back to work” could be shared. “But not the disposition of their individual cases.”
See the Chief’s APD Staffing Report to the Commission.
the attachments to this post:
APD Chief’s Staffing Update
