Paris officers will keep job, but suspended without pay

PARIS, Ky. (WTVQ) – Five Paris police officers will keep their jobs, but they won’t be returning to them soon.

Early Thursday morning, the city commissioners announced their decision following a disciplinary hearing for those officers.

The commissioners were trying to decide whether to fire the five police officers who were accused of spending too much time in the dispatch center and not enough on patrol.

The Paris police chief says last December, a dispatcher complained that the five officers were hanging around the dispatch center.

The chief investigated and, about two and half weeks ago, put the five on unpaid suspension.

After the hearing that began Wednesday afternoon and went until 2:30 a.m. Thursday, the commissioners announced their ruling:

Robert Puckett:
– Found to be in violation of Paris Police policy for conduct unbecoming, failure to conform to rules and regulations, insubordination, inefficiencies, dereliction of duty, failure to properly enforce rules of conduct as a ranking officer
– Suspended for six months without pay beginning February 9th
– One year of probation upon return from suspension
– Stripped of his rank for Lieutenant
– Will remain ineligible for promotion or advancement for two years
– Charged for 10 hours of annual time for claiming 10 of hours of shift work on October 6, 2015; radio log showed no activity and council found he did not appear at headquarters at any time that day.

Jon Humphries:
– Found to be in violation of Paris Police policy for conduct unbecoming, failure to conform to rules and regulations, insubordination, inefficiencies, dereliction of duty, failure to properly enforce rules of conduct as a ranking officer
– Suspended for six months without pay beginning February 9th
– One year of probation upon return from suspension
– Will remain ineligible for promotion or advancement for two years
– Charged for 10 hours annual time for no radio activity on October 24, 2015

Kevin Anderson:

– Found to be in violation of Paris Police policy for conduct unbecoming, failure to conform to rules and regulations, insubordination, inefficiencies, dereliction of duty, failure to properly enforce rules of conduct as a ranking officer
– Suspended for 90 days without pay beginning February 9th
– One year of probation upon return from suspension
– Will remain ineligible for promotion or advancement for two years

James Primm:

– Found to be in violation of Paris Police policy for conduct unbecoming, failure to conform to rules and regulations, insubordination, inefficiencies, dereliction of duty
– Suspended for 90 days without pay beginning February 9th
– One year of probation upon return from suspension
– Will be required to retire at the time he becomes eligible
– Charged 7.5 hours of annual time for a trip to Barren River

Abdullah Bholat:

– Found to be in violation of Paris Police policy for conduct unbecoming, failure to conform to rules and regulations, insubordination, inefficiencies, dereliction of duty, honesty
– Suspended for 120 days without pay beginning February 9th
– One year of probation upon return from suspension
– Will remain ineligible for promotion or advancement for two years

Comment from Chief Williams:
“I join with the Paris City Commission in making clear that our entire police department will ensure that every Paris police officer – at all times – will vigilantly keep watch over our town and make wise use of taxpayers’ resources. Working as a collective team, we all proudly serve the members of the Paris community.”