LARGO - Police Chief Lester Aradi, suspended for three days for violating the city’s disciplinary policy, said Thursday afternoon he “loves our city and has the utmost respect for our city manager.”
“If he (City Manager Mac Craig) wants me to serve three days off, I will.”
Nevertheless, he said “in his heart” he couldn’t fire the officer who voided the ticket a motorist received for running a stop sign about a year ago.
Reached Thursday afternoon, Craig said Aradi was suspended for three days for violating city policy, which calls for an employee to be terminated if he or she falsifies city documents.
“I didn't make up the policy," he said.
Craig said a human resources official and an assistant city manager were also not happy about the way the matter was handled.
Aradi, Craig said, made a “slight error in judgment,” but he was doing a fine job for the city. He also said that Aradi had brought the matter to his attention.
The officer, Anthony Citrano, who was suspended for 10 days, was highly decorated and had an unblemished record. In addition Citrano was removed from the promotions list, Aradi said, “which is huge.”
A dispatcher and another officer were each suspended for five days for asking the officer to void the ticket, Aradi said.
Aradi said Citrano acknowledged he “made a terrible decision” and showed remorse. He has been with the department for nine years.
Aradi said he thought the punishment given to Citrano was appropriate, but added that “I understand the city manager wants us to be consistent with other departments.”
According to an internal affairs report, Citrano conducted a traffic stop on June 22, 2008, and issued a traffic citation to a woman for running a stop sign. A passenger in the vehicle called or sent a text message to dispatcher Amanda Wormhood, asking if she could get the citation dropped for the driver.
Wormhood was not working at the time and was with Officer John Sinni, who left a message for Citrano. Citrano called back Sinni and had a discussion about the citation he issued the driver. He told Sinni that he already submitted the citation but would extend courtesy and have the ticket voided.
Sinni advised Wormhood that he spoke to Citrano about the ticket, and it was going to be voided. He told Wormhood to tell the driver that she can throw away the ticket.
Wormhood called the passenger, who was with the driver. Wormhood told her that she could throw away the citation and that it was voided, the report said.
Citrano drafted a memo to traffic court officials, asking that the citation be voided out. A judge dismissed the citation.
The internal affairs investigator, Sgt. T.J. Block, conducted interviews with officers involved in the incident as well as the driver and the passenger.
Block said that on May 8, Citrano told him that he remembers voiding the citation but does not recall the conversation.
“He said he drafted a memo to have the ticket dismissed, stating that he realized what he did was not right. He said he made a decision with his ‘heart rather than my brain’ and was doing a favor for Officer Sinni,” the report said.
Sinni received a five-day suspension; Wormhood also received a five-day suspension.
Aradi, who has been chief since 2001, said “this is the first blemish on my record.”
“He (Aradi) can be chief as long as I’m here,” Craig said.
Aradi was honored by the Florida Police Chief’s Association June 17 with an award designed to “recognize individuals for exceptional performance and/or their support and advancement of the law enforcement profession.”
Note: This is an update to a previously published story.
