Merriman Claims Sources Within BPD Say Guns Among Items Missing from Property Room
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Dennis Maley
BRADENTON – This week, we learned that there has been an ongoing investigation into internal theft at the Bradenton Police Department's property and evidence room. Yesterday, former BPD number two and current candidate for mayor Warren Merriman claimed that sources within the department have told him there is not only missing money but missing guns and possibly narcotics involved.
On Wednesday, Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan issued a statement acknowledging that there is an active ongoing criminal investigation into the property room theft. Without naming Merriman, Bevan condemned "inaccurate and irresponsible verbal and written comments presented by candidates seeking political office" that "call into question the integrity and ethics of the Bradenton Police Department by casting doubt on our ability to effectively identify and investigate incidents of criminal misconduct."
Merriman held a press conference outside of Bradenton City Hall on Thursday, calling on Mayor Wayne Poston to resign, while blasting Bevan for not making the public aware of the investigation and not asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to do an outside, independent investigation.
"Inside sources at the Bradenton Police Department say there are missing guns," said Merriman, while holding a broom he said was to symbolize his pledge to clean up city hall when elected. "We have violent crime in Bradenton. She should have came out. If she knew there were missing guns, which Bradenton officials were told–by her–she should have came out with that, because that affects our community. Money? That's a problem, but when you have guns on the street that possibly came from our property and evidence room, I have a problem with that, and I had to bring that out."
Bevan has said that the department cannot comment on an ongoing
investigation, and that Merriman's bringing it to light could
hinder its outcome. However, she flatly denies that guns were involved
in the property room thefts. In an email response to Merriman's press
conference, the chief wrote:
"Statements made
today by Mr. Merriman are once again inaccurate, and have now reached a
level of what I deem to be reckless. All firearms at the Bradenton
Police Department have been thoroughly inventoried and accounted for,
and the criminal investigation has not revealed otherwise. To instill
fear in our community based on unfounded accusations is intolerable, and
this Department’s ethics and reputation will not be questioned or
compromised in an effort to further anyone's personal agenda. I cannot
continue to jeopardize the integrity of this investigation by repeatedly
responding to false accusations."
Bevan was hired seven months ago, when former police chief Mike Radzilowski retired. She now says she was hired by Poston, in part, to handle the property room investigation.
While Deputy Chief of Police, Merriman was placed on unpaid leave in September of 2014, after an internal affairs investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office claimed to have found 25 conduct violations related to accusations that he had regularly falsified hours for off-duty details.
The next month, Merriman was charged with three misdemeanor counts of petty theft. He steadily maintained his innocence and went to trial, where he was ultimately found guilty of just one count of petty theft for being paid for two hours of a McKechnie Field detail for which he was relieved so that he could leave early and attend a child's tennis match.
Merriman says that he was put under investigation almost immediately after bringing the certification issue to light and that the 18 months spent investigating and prosecuting what amounted to an administrative oversight was payback for opening his mouth about the department's failure to properly conduct property inspections. He says that his experience has led others to think twice about coming forward themselves.
"Officials inside the police department, they were afraid, because they saw what happened to me back in Sept. of 2014 when I came out about the accreditation and about the lack of the lieutenant over accreditation not doing the unannounced property inspections. One week later, they approved the accreditation and said they were in full compliance with all mandatory standards to include the property and evidence room. I brought that fact forward, I was placed on administrative leave."
In January of 2015, another report was submitted by the BPD to the state of Florida Commission for Accreditation saying the department was in full accreditation even after Merriman pointed out that it wasn't. Bevan did not come on as chief until the following year.
Merriman says that officials within the Bradenton Police Department who want to get the issue out came to him because he could do what they couldn't.
"Since I no longer work there, I can get it out there, because they're afraid," said Merriman. "They saw what happened to somebody who said there was something wrong inside the police department."
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