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Home My WebLink About09-01-1998 Articles FRIDAY, August28, 1998 IA- q~ Policeman in July l~ wi~ a ~t-ti~ Violence Against Worn Act state g~nt, which paid his ~,414 sal~. plus ~nefits. was fired for His ainingf°r siti° at St°l 7, ~e grant also funded a county pm~cutor and impmv~ DVIP out- reach sconduct :.. The she~er DV[P is a nonprofi~ agency ~ women ~d ~eir chil&en each ~ ye~. Along wi~ shelter, me pro~ hOlence,~C~..~ provides counseling and sup~. groups while ~lping women get p~ MO~ 'O~ ~ ~ctive orders and o~e~ise find A f~r ~lice · F~r I~ ~ ~eir way ~r~gh ~c court system. o~. ~ a ~id Angle Mad~n, dimtor of ~sis ~onduc~, ~ ~mices. Police ~icf RJ. Wi~elh~c ~ ~1 do~stic violence or ~mnfial do~sfic violence m~m ~tw~n July 1~7 ~d M~h 31 w~ for- w~ to Bmc~r's ~sk for investi- Mvcafi- , hM ~ gadon ~d foll~-up. gator ~cr ,~1. ~c initial allegation against] ~legafions ~at~t he had ~ : · H~ Bmc~r w~ ~u~t to ~ im~r m~p wi~ one affom~ ~nt's atmnfion by a fellow o~ or mom of ~e ferule vic~ he tO fi~ conmc~ by a vicfi~ ~d lowa Ci~ w~ sup~ to ~sist, ci~ gd~s h~ ~n Police Capt. P~ H~ey. ~e ensui~ ~ s~e. tmu~mo from ~e interns investigation, l~ by H~3: he ju~ci~ ~uest is ~e s~. He mi~e ~ t~k a~ut ~o w~ to complem? l~[smpf~Bmc~rtofO~e~e his~adlin~W 10~. During ~at fi~, Bmcher w~ m- ci~ to ~n ~ ~. ~s · Bm~r ~ ~t ~ ~sign~ to o~er duties, a~mp~ to get ~ ap~ he~- w~ not a~i~ of ~e The alleged relationships ~d ~g ~fo~ ~ Ci~ Co~cil- time lim~tion, wrongdoing with DVIP victims appoin~d Civil Se~ce sp~n~ mom ~ a ye~, H~ey Co~ssion ~ f~ have ~n said. He would not comment on unsucc~s~L not cogent on s~cifics whe~er more ~ one allcg~ victim PoUce ~r UMon ~i~nt mg~ng Ms tem~nafion, w~ involv~ nor on ~e extent of D~ ~ ~d ~L by M1 Bmcher could not ~ alleged impm~r contact. m~cafi~, B~her ~ nm ~k reached for comment. His A fo~ ~u~t by ~ Pmss- a Jo~ C~ ~Mct C~ fa~er, Jo~ Bmcher, ~d Ms Cit&en ~at ~ ci~ mlc~ ~e inter- judge m ~z~e~. son, who h~ left ~e Iowa Ci~ hal investigation rein w~ deni~ in Bmcher, a ~ven-ye~ police ~ea, ~clM~ a Pmss-Ci~zen May. dep~ment veter~, was ~uest to ~scuss ~e c~. In a prep~d statement, DVIP info,ed M~ch 3l ~at ~e "It's t~ bM he is no longer Director Kris Kinkead said: "In depa~ent w~ investiga~ng wi~ ~e Iowa City Police res~ct to the confidentiality of ~c him. Ah~d~t~,sMgle-p~e ~p~nC'Jo~Bmcher~d victims DVIP ~es. we can't go notice of ~e pro~ ~eged: d~g a telephone inmmiew into thc derails of ~c m~ that ~c "~sconduct involving ~m Ms Wa~l~ home. Pmss-Citizen h~. Howler. what we fete cU~siden~ of ~e ~e four W~rl~ ~U~ can let you know is that Dave ~mcsfic ~olence Shel~r ~ o~cer de<fi~d Ms son's Bmcher did ~e ad--rage of his Iowa CiW ~d C~v~le ~ acfiom ~ ~v~ ~d debug ~ition ~ the do~stic a~ ~lice U~ of Ms ~sifion ~ ~ ~v~fi- of UMe mom ~ a b~ef s~- investigator and did have inappr~fi- gator to con~V~ ~v~ge ~ion. He wo~d not ela~ ate contact with ~veral victi~ that of ~d cUcn~ of D~ (~e mm. at Ms son's~uest, he had contact with through his Do,adc ~olen~ ~cn~on '~'ve lost a fine o~cer. I work. ~o~). Inappropriate con- ~n't c~ what ~y~y ~ys," "So~ of ~ worn have uti- ve~fions ~ ~d cUen~:' Jo~ Bmcher ~d. "I'm dev,- liz~ DVIP ~iccs ~ ~fom ~d ~sons ~hind Ms ~ ~ ~d ~ is, t~." ~ter Dave's con~t and DVIP ~ rcm~n~ confi~n~ B~ on ~Uce ~d ci~ have ~n court,ling worn who until ~eently, when '~ ~c~ ~ ~ws, he~'s w~ victi~ ~ M~", de~we~ fo~ ~ ciw howc~: ~ ~ a~ ~y. ~ s~ltcr councilor. CiW o~cials, B~'s ~ifi~ ~ domes- ~ 15 ~ 20 worn ~ 10 to 15 ~ca~ of confi~fi~ m~- [ cMl~n. An av~ stay is 16 days. l afio~ on ~mo~l files, could Officer missed Terminate investigation findings and, after speaking with Brucher on the mom- ing of April 14, decided that his offi- cer's employment with the city should to file appeal terminate immediately. Beyond these details, set out in city records, Assistant City Attorney Sarah Holecek and Winkelhake say they cannot comment. By Brian Sharp lng the limitation was placed in Sgt. Vicki Lalla assumed the The Pness-Citizen Brncher's mail slot at the depart- domestic violence investigator duties for rOughly 30 days after Bmcher's David Bmcher's failed attempts ment on or before June 1997. dismissal, until Officer Denise to reverse his dismissal from the Taking that as due notic~ommis- Scbaffer was assigned t~ the position Iowa City Police Department sioners ruled ~hey do ~juris-,, :' May I 1. Winkelhake said the depart- began with a missed deadline, diction. ,~ ment did not consider banning male The former officer filed a The ruling was filed July 30 officers from the job. grievance through the police labor with the city Clerk's offiee~ Bmcher DV1P. Director Kinkead said that union within the required five has 30 days from that da~ ~o ask a ' the situation was handled "appropri- days 6f his April 14 dismissal. He judge to reverse ~e decisioa and to ately and quickly" by the police also appealed his termination to a order that ~e board hold an appeal department and said her staff has three-member Civil Service hearing. de'0eloped a good relationship with Commission. But the latter The commission has 'yet to Schaffer. appeal, required by state code to delve into the merits of Bmcher's City officials, again citing confi- be filed within 14 days of termina- firing or the allegations against dential personnel, records, could not tion, came May 8 -- 10 days too him. Regarding the grievance, comment on whether Brucber ever late. Police Labor Union President Dan was disciplined prior to his dismissal.. The seven-year department Dreckman said: "It's over. There is John Bmcber and Union President veteran was fired after allegations no grievance." Dreckman said the officer had an he had improper relationships As that process winds down, the unblemished record, with one or more of the domestic police department is settling into a "I'm proud of him;' Bracher's abuse victims whose cases he somewhat different routine. father said. "l think they treated him investigated. Police Chief R.J. Winkelhake unfairly. I personally feel he was a Through his former attorney, said the domestic violence inve~ti- very professional officer for the years Davis Foster, Bmcher has argued gator now must record each con- he was there:' he was unaware that the investiga- tact with a victim, even if nothing Bracher was among the 22 officers tion or, more specifically, his dis- is accomplished pertinent to the selected last summer for a sta~-up missal could become a Civil case. That was not done before. Special Response Team. Membership Service matter on appeal. The Also, a general order, or policy, is , in the group-- trained to handle high- commission -- which can uphold, being written to define conduct risk ~iituations after passing rigorous modify or reverse any discipline -- and what the department does in i agility and psychological testing -- assumes jurisdiction only after this realm. meant the officer was one of the receiving an appeal. Both police policy changes' department's best, Dreckman said. In his June l0 testimony to the probably would have been made commission, Brucher stated that regardless of Brucher's alleged he was not advised by the depart- actions, Winkelhake said. No ment or by union legal counsel of adjustments made grew dit~tly the 14-day limitation. Foster out of the officer's involvement argued that Brncher, though aware during the program's fast year, he of an appeal option, was denied said. due process by not being told of The state grant that funds a his rights, multi-agency domestic abuse effort According to city records, a and paid Brucher's salary was personnel policies handbook stat- renewed in July.