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Message: <blockquote data-quote="guywhofishes" data-source="post: 113035" data-attributes="member: 337">[h=1]Wis. police officer resigns after probe reveals he used police resources for nearly 100 sexual encounters[/h]    By <a href="http://www.inforum.com/users/mike-longaecker-0" target="_blank">Mike Longaecker</a>    Today  at 10:16 a.m.              AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to RedditShare to EmailShare to Copy Link      HUDSON,  Wis.—A former Hudson police officer has resigned after he admitted to  using police resources for nearly 100 sexual encounters and spending  about half his work-time making personal phone calls, according to data  released by police.                  Eight-year  department veteran John Worden signed a resignation agreement May  3—about two weeks after he admitted to violating numerous policies,  according to documents released last month by the Hudson Police  Department. Worden's last day was May 13.ADVERTISINGIn  an internal investigation summary, Hudson Police Lt. Geoff Willems  concluded that Worden spent an estimated four to six hours of every  10-hour shift using his department-issued phone for personal use.Worden  also falsified daily work logs 146 times; exhibited conduct unbecoming  an officer by having sex an estimated 98 times while on duty; failed to  meet department performance expectations; and lied to a supervisor about  how he spent his time at work, according to Willems' summary of  violations.Worden, reached recently by phone, said he stands  accountable for the misconduct and that he is paying the price for his  mistakes. He said he no longer works in law enforcement and likely won't  again."I screwed up," Worden said in an interview. "I'm sorry, and I'm not that person anymore—and I lost my job for it."It was a mistake. I hurt a lot of people and it's ruined my life."He added that he was troubled that information about the misconduct was brought to the attention of the media."I don't think it's fair," he said, "and I don't get to know who did that to me."(STORY CAN END HERE)Hudson Police Chief Marty Jensen issued the following statement in response to questions from the Star-Observer."On  April 15, 2016 the Hudson Police Department received a citizen's  complaint alleging officer misconduct against Hudson Police Officer John  Worden. Because of the seriousness of the complaint an internal  investigation was initiated and Officer Worden was placed on  administrative leave that same day. Based on the findings of the  internal investigation Officer Worden was asked to resign from the  Hudson Police Department."Jensen said he was forced to  resign—rather than be fired—to spare the city the potentially protracted  process of going through the Hudson Police and Fire Commission while  Worden stayed on the payroll."It saves the taxpayers a lot of money," Jensen said.A May 4 letter from Jensen to the original complainant thanked her for coming forward."I  take these allegations very seriously and I want to assure you that  this type of behavior will not be tolerated," states the letter obtained  through a Star-Observer public records request.Worden's  resignation brought an end to a Hudson police career that began in 2008.  Until the misconduct report surfaced, Worden's tenure with the force  was marked with accolades; his file included nine memos of appreciation  from the department and two letters of commendation. Worden was also the  2009 recipient of the department's Life Saving Award.He was paid $63,000 at the time of his resignation, according to the resignation agreement.Misconduct reportsAccording to the internal investigation:Worden  had told Willems March 10 that he was being stalked by a woman  "thinking the two of them could be involved in a romantic relationship,"  the investigative summary states. Worden claimed at the time that he  needed to take a week off work to sort out "family issues" that resulted  from the incident.The report goes on to state that Willems  became critical of Worden's story due to his personal relationship  history. Willems and Worden met the next day, when he reiterated the  stalking allegation and said the woman was making fictitious claims  about a romantic relationship over Facebook. He denied being in a  relationship with the woman.Willems was contacted March 23 by St.  Croix County's victim-witness coordinator, who said a woman—whose name  was redacted from reports released to the Star Observer—was seeking  information about obtaining a restraining order against an unnamed  officer. That was followed by an April 8 email sent to Jensen by a woman  who alleged officer misconduct; that name was also redacted."The  accusations set forth in the email explain that one of the HPD officers  had used his position in a very unorthodox manner, using HPD resources  to bait women," according to the investigative summary.Worden's  story contrasted with details gleaned from a woman who filed a citizen's  complaint with the department April 15 saying she was involved in  sexual activity with Worden while he was on duty.She said in the complaint that the relationship lasted from June 2015 to February 2016.In  an interview with Hudson police, the woman said she would talk and text  Worden several times each night he worked over his police-issued phone.  She estimated that "thousands" of texts were exchanged during the time  period.The relationship "did not take long" to turn sexual, the  woman said, telling police she and Worden would meet at Kings Landing on  Second Street in Hudson. She said sexual activity occurred inside and  outside of the Hudson police SUV Worden drove.That activity  continued at the woman's Hudson house by October 2015. In every single  instance, the encounters occurred while Worden was on duty between 12:30  a.m. and 3:30 a.m."(The woman) stated she estimates the two of  them met for sex 80-100 times during this time frame and about half of  those times, was at Kings Landing in, on or around a squad car," the  investigative summary states.'Only ... while I was on duty'The  woman admitted that part of her reason for coming forward was because  she was hurt by the relationship coming to an end. However, she said she  was also fearful that Worden could use his position as an officer to  "really make her life miserable," the report states.Worden was placed on administrative leave April 15 pending the investigation.Willems  reviewed Worden's daily work logs from June 2015 to February 2016 and  had data pulled from the department-issued phone he used. Several  thousand text messages and phone calls were found each month that were  placed to four numbers. Willems noted that "there was minimal activity"  on the squad cellphone during days Worden wasn't working."Thinking  back to my conversations in early March with Officer Worden regarding  (the woman), these phone records did not support his claims that she was  stalking him," Willems wrote in the report.Worden, accompanied  by the Hudson Police Union president and the Wisconsin Professional  Police Association business agent, was interviewed April 20.In  the interview with Willems, Worden admitted to having a sexual  relationship with the complainant—and made clear the activity did not  occur on his personal time."I only saw her or spoke to her while I  was on duty," Worden said to Willems, the report states, noting that he  exclusively used police equipment "to avoid getting caught" by his  significant other.Worden's statement to Willems largely  corroborated the allegations laid out by the woman about sex on duty. He  said he did not enter his time with the woman on his work log, but  considered the interludes part of his break time.Willems later concluded that led to 146 falsified daily logs.Worden  told Willems that he made efforts during the encounters to be ready if  an emergency was called out. That included keeping his police radio on,  he said."Worden stated the safety of his coworkers was paramount,  so he didn't want to let his coworkers down by missing a call or not  being able to get to them if they needed help," the report states.Worden  admitted to contacting two other women regularly on his  department-issued phone, but said those relationships were platonic.Willems  added up the time spent talking and texting all three women on any  given work night and concluded it represents four to six hours each  shift."That's 40-60 percent of his work shift," Willems wrote.The  investigation also concluded that Worden underperformed his duties  during the time frame of the misconduct. During 2015, Worden issued 25  traffic tickets and made 27 criminal arrests. He denied Willems' notion  that his work performance was impacted by the amount of personal time  spent during his shifts. Rather, it was more about him feeling "poorly  about what he was doing that caused the numbers to be so low," the  report states.Worden admitted to Willems that he "screwed up" and vowed that he had changed himself through his faith."Worden  stated he understands he put his job and family in jeopardy with his  past activity, and this will never happen again," Willems wrote.</blockquote>

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