Report blasts state cops on sex cases class. Guv hires consultants to steer reforms
 
By Nicole Weisensee Egan, Philadelphia Daily News

State Inspector General Donald Patterson yesterday issued a scathing 102-page indictment of how the Pennsylvania State Police handled sexual harassment and misconduct allegations over the past eight years, saying a three-month probe uncovered "attitudinal and structural problems" at the agency that contributed to the problem.

The most shocking allegations involved three unidentified majors in the department, the rank just below deputy commissioner.

One allegedly groped three of his assistants, and assaulted one at her home. A second reportedly stalked and harassed a subordinate who ended a relationship with him. A third allegedly couldn't keep his hands off his executive secretary's back, thigh and buttocks and she filed a complaint against him.

More shocking than the accusations were how the department handled the cases, which were all sustained - the first two were allowed to retire rather than be dismissed while the third received a "constructive counseling session" and is still on the force.

"The report contains illustrations of failures to recognize the egregiousness of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct at high levels of the Pennsylvania State Police" and its union, Patterson said at a news conference yesterday with Gov. Rendell and state Police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller.

The report also mentioned 20 members of the state police who were the subject of more than one complaint of sexual misconduct and found that the background screening board disqualified four of them from being hired. Three were hired after appealing the decision, while a fourth applied at a later date and was hired. It is unclear if all 20 are still on the force.

The findings prompted Patterson to "strongly recommend" that Rendell form an independent commission to monitor the state police for the next three years.

Rendell immediately announced he'd hired Kroll Associates, an independent consulting firm that is now the independent monitor for the Los Angeles and Detroit police departments, for one year to ensure the recommendations are implemented.

"I am confident that with the selection of Kroll we will provide the oversight necessary to ensure that the combined efforts of Col. Miller and Gen. Patterson totally and completely eliminate sexual misconduct problems at the Pennsylvania State Police," Rendell said.

However, a controversy immediately erupted over the contents of the report, which criticized statements attributed to Bruce Edwards, the president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association.

"According to the president, the introduction of women in policing has caused the problems of sexual harassment and misconduct in police agencies," the report said. "Women working with men, riding in patrol cars together all night, essentially 'spending the night together' has put an 'extra burden on policing.' "

Edwards said last night those comments were made by Gary Lightman, an attorney for the union, not him.

"Furthermore, I would not have said that," he said. "My position and the association's is that women belong on this job."

Lightman said the quotes were "so out of context it's almost a perversion of what I said" and demanded an apology. W. Scott Foster, Patterson's spokesman, said last night his boss stands by the report.

The allegations of rampant sexual misconduct within the ranks of the Pennsylvania State Police stemmed from a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of a victim of ex-trooper Michael Evans, now serving a prison sentence for sex crimes. Yesterday Thomas Sheridan, the attorney for the victim in that case, noted that the report "strongly recommends" the State Police review the actions of all personnel involved in the Evans case.

One of them is Capt. Thomas LaCrosse, who is now in charge of developing and implementing the state police's early intervention system, which will be used to track potentially troublesome troopers like Evans.

"How can that restore public confidence?" Sheridan asked.

Miller said yesterday he thinks LaCrosse is the right person for that job.

The inspector general's report made five-and-a-half pages of recommendations for how the state police should make changes. Miller said he'd already implemented a couple of the suggestions, including putting an "easy to access" complaint form on the agency's Web site. However, when the Daily News tried to download the complaint form last night, nothing was there.

Two national policing experts applauded Patterson for a thorough report and Rendell for choosing an independent monitor. But they had different views on whom he chose.

Samuel Walker, a national expert on police corruption, said Kroll Associates has a "fairly good reputation" but cautioned that the toughest part will be making sure the recommendations are implemented.

Penny Harrington, founder of the National Center for Women and Policing in Los Angeles, said she doesn't know Kroll Associates' level of expertise on sexual harassment and discrimination.

"You have to have someone who understands law enforcement and gender dynamics within law enforcement," she said. "I don't know if they do."