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Maricopa Police Lt. Larry Eckhardt and several other city employees have received disciplinary training stemming from the improper use of the city’s e-mail server, according to MPD Chief Kirk Fitch.

In an e-mail sent to InMaricopa.com, City of Maricopa Police Association president Aki Stant attached a copy of an e-mail sent by Lt. Eckhardt to Lt. Willie Payne containing pictures of naked women on Canadian currency.

The e-mail was a chain message Eckhardt had originally received from a source outside the city joking about a new form of currency designed to stop counterfeiting by “terrorists.”

In his e-mail, Stant wrote that this was a violation of Arizona Revised Statute 38-448, which states an employee cannot “knowingly use agency-owned or agency-leased computer equipment to access, download, print or store any information infrastructure files or services that depict nudity, sexual activity, sexual excitement or ultimate sexual acts.”

“The images raised serious concerns about the lack of professionalism and discretion among those police managers,” Stant wrote.

Stant came across the e-mail after submitting a public records request for all e-mail messages sent to and from supervisory-level city employees in April 2009.

“Every now and then city employees' friends will send them an inappropriate message that will get forwarded along to another employee,” Chief Fitch said.

He added that city employees have been recently reminded of the policy and told to make their friends aware not forward inappropriate messages to city e-mail addresses.

File photo

• What a complete crock! These are grown men who have worked for government for many years. They know the policies...and yet they continue to break them. And they city slaps them on the wrist and says bad boy don't do it again! Training??? What do they have to show them how to filter their emails now??? (ana r)
• But MPD fires and smears and officers name WITHOUT evidence? What a good ol boy way of business! (ana r)
• a new form of currency designed to stop counterfeiting by “terrorists.” I received that e-mail too. It was funny. (l-pedoro)
• Wow I have just lost respect for for this site as well! Chief Fitch must have made a call for his picture to be removed from this article...what happened to freedom of speech. He is a public figure and his photo is out there and he needs to deal with it. (ana r)
• But its okay for his officers faces to be plastered on articles... (ana r)
• Wow, I think we have better things to worry about than a chain email being forwarded with nudity. I know plenty of people who have done that at work. Not the best choice, but not exactly criminal. (asugrl)
• How many times now have we had this type of behavior by our police dept. and our fire dept? For these type of actions to happen again and again, I have to wonder about their supervisor, because this would not be recurring if there were consequences for them! (AZ Native)
• Here, I found a photo for everyone.. http://maricopa360.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/100_1075c-200x185.jpg (ringoffire)
• It's hard to discipline those that have their heads so far up the the Cheifs butt. This goes to show the lack of equality across the board, others have had actual disciplinary action taken against them for FAR less. (ringoffire)
• It's hard to discipline those that have their heads so far up the the Cheifs butt. This goes to show the lack of equality across the board, others have had actual disciplinary action taken against them for FAR less. (ringoffire)
• Any kind of pornography on a police server should be instant termination. This shows to their character and judgment or lack there of. (cholo bandito)
• Exactly, these weren't new recruits, they were Lt's which means more than anybody they know better.. and got away with not even a slap on the wrist, more like a wagging finger and a wink wink. (ringoffire)
• A city employee stays on for $10,000 in theft; a police officer sends pictures of nude women; one cop punches another in the back; the union president is put on administrative leave as revenge by the police chief; the city manager is sued by COMPA; a claim is filed by a former employee after the city pushed bogus charges.... (erikahef)
• ....and why hasn't the city council stood up and ordered some conduct investigations. Do they not know how to act? Are they being intentionally given bad advice by the attorney or what? This town is just unreal. (erikahef)
• cholo, I think they are public record. Maybe InMaricopa.com should have the courage to request the picture and post it. (erikahef)
• Wow... Extra training for what antoher officer was fired for... I guess that gioes to show you that if you are a good old boy in the PD you only get a slap on the wrist (copatruth)
• Hey Fitch why don't you hold everyone to the same standard. Eckhart is attached to most of the incidents Stant has put out there. I say we need a outside investigator to clean up the Police Department (copatruth)
• All the officers I talk to tell me they watch their back when around Eckhardt and sergeants. We need to CLEAN UP THIS CITY. (copatruth)
• Additional training is a meeting with Fitch where he laughs and says "bad boy...don't do that again" (copatruth)
• There is no leadership in this city. Just good ol' boys. Where do I sign up. (allseeingeye)
• Why does everyone seem to have a problem with this? Do you like hearing yourselves complain? I too work in public service and have access to work email. It is made known to us that email is to be used explicitly for work purposes. If we had sent an email similar to this, I would expect the same. Not a firing, but a letter of reprimand in my file. (kenmoreguy72)
• Maybe the only reason why it's accepted is becaus the same people are making the decisions are the same one's that have viewed or passed on the PORN, so just in case someone finds out, then they have an out. (8523crime)
• Melvin and Fitch came from Phoenix PD, I wonder what Phoenix PD would have done? Professional, Proactive, Progressive? It should be, Porn, Punch, Pardon me I'm a supervisor! (8523crime)
• As public officials we are held to a higher standard. I expect that from all of my brothers. You can't help what you recieve on email, but when you make the decission to keep or forward what YOU KNOW is against policy, it's time to question their ability and/or right to be supervisors. (CheckPoint)
• "It should be, Porn, Punch, Pardon me" 85239crime you are way too funny. This just sounds too much like Maricopa PD. I have never lived anywhere where the police officers are as arrogant as they are here. It is not bad enough that the supervisors cover up for their subordinates screw ups. It just seems like they are above the law here. (lawabidingcitizen)
• Now for all of you conservatives who keep calling these images porn. Porn is depictions of two people in sexual activity used to stimulate someone. A nude picture is not porn. If you are that much of a prude you need to live your life in a closet and quit trying to censor mine. (lawabidingcitizen)
• ... Re: now for all you... Do as we say not as we do.. (; (huntnhady)
• Eckhardt and Payne should if nothing else realize they should step down. Really, do you think the people are really going to respect you and take you serious after your sexual tendencies on the job? Or are you that stupid? I can see them now, "come on people follow me!" (off the cliff) (8523crime)
• INMARICOPA writes serveral other city employees, well who are they anyway? The other report from INMARICOPA reported Payne was invovled, so who else is invovled. Is it council, is that why they don't want to step in? Evans? Training is a sexual position referring to a lot of people right? idiots... (8523crime)
• Relax!! If you think the joke was in bad taste, so be it. I probably would've founf it funny. However, there is no doubt that the joke should not have been sent over work email. Should the man be fired over it? Absolutely not!! He made a mistake and will deal with the consequences. This does not say anything about the quality of MPD. Get off your high horse and move on! (kenmoreguy72)
• I'm surprised our city even has email since we seem to do everything backwards around here. So much corruption and too many personal agendas in this town oops I mean city. (eddieg)
• Come on people - don't get so carried away. They made a mistake, and are receiving disciplinary training to remind them of it. Sure, they should have known better, but if that currency can stop counterfeiting by terrorists, then I'm for it! (decoaz)
• Come on people - don't get so carried away. They made a mistake, and are receiving disciplinary training to remind them of it. Sure, they should have known better, but if that currency can stop counterfeiting by terrorists, then I'm for it! (decoaz)
• DCOAZ-You might want to ask, like I did what most police departments do when this type of activity happens. Most departments at the very least demote them, but a lot of them get fired. It's to stop terrorists? If you believe that then there is something wrong if you believe that. (8523crime)
• 823crime-I disagree that most police departments would demote or fire these officers if given the same circumstances. They typically have more important things to be doing – like catching those counterfeiting terrorists. (decoaz)
• The real question is, What was the disciplinary action? Shouldn't there be some sort of record of what it was, that was never discussed. I imagine that they just said that to avoid the embarrassment of finding out AFTER it became public knowledge. (ringoffire)
• I would agree that it was a mistake that could have been overlooked, but look at all the reports and and you see a pattern that can not be overlooked. Lt. Eckhardt has made way to many mistakes. Some of them minor and some of them major. Yet, they want to go after Sgt. Stant for not completing a report on time. MPD command has their priorties staight(NOT)! (mpd85139accountable)
• Also, there was no disciplinary action taken. Command is trying so hard to cover this up. If action had been taken there would have been a report filed. Dir. Melvin why don't you produce this report instead of just saying action was taken. Oh, that's right your to busy not doing your job and looking for your Federal job. (mpd85139accountable)