Former Ronan police chief to appeal ruling
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RONAN — Former Ronan police chief Dan Wadsworth said he intends to appeal a July 16 decision that effectively bars him from serving as a police officer for the next 15 years. The decision, handed down by Montana’s Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council, alleges Wadsworth falsified certification information about officers.
“Dan Wadsworth was suspended because he falsified the Montana Law Academy Officer application for his son, Trevor, by certifying he was a sworn law enforcement officer and employee of the Ronan Police department, when he in fact, was not,” said POST Council Interim Director Allen Horsfall. “Wadsworth also disregarded statutes and regulations for attendance when he sent other officers from Ronan to the academy.”
Wadsworth said in an interview that he never falsified any documents and believes the case got its start as retaliation for disciplining an officer in 2010. He said he and city officials followed the same procedure that had been in place for years to allow the Ronan Police Department to adequately staff the police force on a tight budget.
Wadsworth said since be became police chief 13 years ago, the Ronan department normally staffs four full-time officers, and a combination of part-time and reserve officers.
Officers can serve for up to a year before they must enroll in the state law academy. The City of Ronan is required by state law to pay for the officer’s education and a “regular salary,” Wadsworth said. The cost of sending an officer for certification and hiring a replacement to man the force for the 12-week academy session is about $8,000, Wadsworth said. Many of the officers end up leaving Ronan shortly after graduation from the academy for higher paying jobs, according to Wadsworth, and it creates a revolving door of officers, with the city left understaffed and shortchanged on the academy bill.
In the last few months of 2010, the City decided it was time to send another officer to the academy, Wadsworth said. His son, Trevor Wadsworth, was a reserve officer who was fourth in line to go to the academy, but was chosen after the three candidates who had served on the force longer were unable to attend.
“He just kind of lucked into it,” Wadsworth said.
Trevor was two weeks away from graduating when he received a phone call from the instructor of the law academy, asking for documents proving he was an employee of the Ronan Police Department, Wadsworth said.
Wadsworth said when he went to retrieve his son’s file, it was empty. He reported this to the academy and Trevor was sent home from the academy without receiving his certification.
“We just told them we didn’t have it,” Wadsworth said. “All the mayor or I would have had to do to falsify it, if we wanted to, was go and back-date it, but neither of us are that kind of people.”
Wadsworth said he is suspicious the file may have been tampered with by the only other person who had access to it — a former officer who was disciplined shortly before Trevor enrolled in the academy.
He added that this same officer is on tape having noted disdain for the police chief (Wadsworth) and motive to replace him in this position, in an internal investigation led by the Ronan Police Department in spring 2011.
According to one of the tape transcripts, the officer said he communicated with POST officials who had already determined Wadsworth was guilty. Wadsworth also has printed copies of the officer talking about the case in summer of 2011 on Facebook with the chair of the POST council at the time.
When POST began investigating the case, council officials asked for copies of Trevor’s pay stubs, Wadsworth said. POST’s allegations of falsifying documents stem from a state law that requires the city to pay academy attendees the same wage as a regular officer, Wadsworth said. City mandate specifies the wage for reserve officers to be no pay, Wadsworth said.
Wadsworth estimates the city sent at least 10 officers to the academy under the policy, which was approved by the city attorney. He said unless the attorney general rules the policy is illegal, he believes he acted within the law.
Not following the policy would have left the police force understaffed, which is illegal, dangerous, and a liability to the city, Wadsworth noted.
“I was trying to keep the citizens of Ronan safe with what little bit of money we have,” he said.
Trevor is still a reserve officer for the Ronan Police Department. He completed an additional, separate training course required to become a reserve officer, Wadsworth said.
He added that allegations of nepotism are unfounded, because POST kept records and knew his wife and older son served with him on the Ronan Police force in the early 2000s.
“It wasn’t a problem then,” Wadsworth said.
Wadsworth also said plans were in place when Trevor was sent to the academy for another officer to be his supervisor once Trevor graduated.
Horsfall said it is unclear if POST will investigate the city’s policy or Trevor.
“The city’s going to have to decide what it wants to do with Trevor because there could be a problem if he doesn’t have the proper certification,” Horsfall said.
Wadsworth said he intends to appeal the case. His last day of work was June 20.
“I’m probably done, but I still want to appeal so no other officer has to go through this,” Wadsworth said. “It’s already cost me $10,000 but I’ll pay the extra cost. I want to thank all the people who have supported me, and thank all those who are still supporting me and know I wouldn’t do this. And for everyone who keeps asking: I’m fine.”
Ronan Mayor Kim Aipperspach said he could not speculate on if or when the city might take action on the matter.
