Giusto Should Lose Badge Committee Says

GIUSTO  SHERIFF  CRIME 

By Andrew Theen

Portland, OR  May 13, 2008 5:32 p.m.

The state committee in charge of licensing police officers recommended Tuesday that Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto lose his badge.

It's a reversal of sorts from a meeting in February.  Then, the 13-member committee brushed aside four complaints against Giusto, saying they lacked merit.  But the panel agreed to take a closer look at one.

That complaint centered around whether Giusto lied to his superior officers about his relationship with former Governor Neil Goldschmidt's wife.

The board voted 12-1 that Giusto was not truthful in his response to investigators.

Eriks Gablicks is the Deputy Director of the Department of Public Safety and Standards.  Gablicks said this is just the first of many steps.

Eriks Gablicks: "Our staff does the investigative work, they make a presentation to the police policy committee, which makes its recommendation to the 24 member board on public safety standards and training, and if the board agrees then we will have a contested case hearing."

Gablicks said he doesn't recall the full board ever reversing a recommendation from the police policy committee.

The full board is set to meet in July.

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© 2008 OPB