Crime analyst fired by her police chief lover slaps lawsuit on city of Columbia

Bridget Caffery's DUI mugshot. She is suing her lover and former Police Chief Randy Scott.  (photo credit:  Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center)

Skeletons continue to burst out of the closet of the Columbia Police Department (CPD).  The State newspaper just broke the news that embattled former Police Chief Randy Scott, along with the city of Columbia, has been slapped with a lawsuit by Bridget Caffery.

Former Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott's tearful resignation.

(photo credit:  wmbfnews.com)

Caffery, 24, was a civilian employee of the CPD and served as a crime analyst under Scott before his abrupt and mysterious departure.  Later Scott explained that he was suffering from PTSD related to the death of one of his officers two years prior.  Now it seems there may have been more to it than at first met the eye.

Caffery is alleging that she had an affair with Scott and that she was wrongfully terminated.  She was arrested for DUI in December, telling officers at the scene that she wanted Scott and interim Police Chief Ruben Santiago to be informed of her arrest.

Caffery is suing, among other reasons, because she says that she was assured that she would not be in trouble, but later Scott forced her to resign or be terminated on the spot.  Besides feeling that her personal relationship with Scott should have protected her, she also alleges that there are other CPD employees with DUIs still on the job.  To make matters worse, Caffery alleges that during her affair with Scott, he placed a tracking device on her vehicle to ensure that she wasn’t seeing anyone else, a misuse of CDP equipment.

So far there has been no immediate response from Scott.  But his successor, interim Police Chief Santiago abruptly resigned Thursday, making that six Columbia police chiefs come and gone in seven years.

Who's minding the store? Cola. PD investigated for slander, "black ops" scheme

Just as Columbians are settling down from the news of serious problems (including unaccounted for absentee ballots during the presidential election) within the Richland County Elections board, a preliminary investigation has leveled bombshell accusations against the very organization designated to protect and to serve – the Columbia Police Department (CPD).

Former Police Chief Randy Scott resigned in tears.

(photo credit:  thestate.com)

The CPD has been making the headlines recently almost as much as the criminals they apprehend, and for all of the wrong reasons.  This latest spate of troubles started when then Police Chief Randy Scott abruptly resigned in 2013 citing battles with posttraumatic stress. 

Acting Police Chief Ruben Santiago

(photo credit:  thestate.com)

Former Deputy Chief of Operations Ruben Santiago took over as the interim police chief.  Before the dust could clear, CPD Captain Dave Navarro was fired for allegedly recording secret conversations between him and a high ranking member of the police department.  Navarro fired back with a stunning allegation that Acting Police Chief Santiago had tried to involve Navarro in a so-called “black-ops” scheme to plant a stolen weapon and cocaine in the car of a Columbia city manager so that person would get fired and they could move someone else into that position.  Santiago promptly turned around and sued Navarro for defamation.

Former Police Captain Dave Navarro with allegations of corruption

(photo credit:  wltx.com)

Things turned so ugly so quickly that the matter was turned over for investigation to both the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).   Read the main findings of the 405-page investigative report in this article published yesterday by local newspaper The State.  In the face of all of the allegations, a special prosecutor for the matter was quoted as saying “no charges would be filed as a result of the investigation and that he considered the case closed.”  It is not known just yet why the investigation is being shut down and dismissed; but it is hoped that the corruption does not reach even higher than the CPD.

Candidates for Columbia Police Chief
(photo credit:  the state.com)

In the meantime, here are the finalists in Columbia’s search for a new police chief.  According to City Manager Teresa Wilson, they hope to have the new chief in place by mid-March.

Chaos, corruption, and miscounts; Richland County Elections Board fires director

Howard Jackson fires back at elections board after his termination. (photo credit: wltx.com)

Richland County Elections Board in Columbia, SC, is mired down in one of the biggest ethical fails since the hanging chad fiasco in Florida.  On Monday the board shocked the city when they suddenly announced that they were firing Richland County Elections Director Howard Jackson, effective this Friday, less than a year after they hired him.

Jackson did not go quietly.  He immediately announced that he had some startling revelations of his own and would hold a press conference the next day.  At Tuesday’s press conference Jackson came out swinging with fiery allegations of messy voting practices, missing absentee ballots, and racist hiring practices by the elections board.

Jackson inherited a sticky situation that he claims he was determined to clean up.  He was hired after a public outcry for the firing of then Elections Director Lillian McBride.  During the presidential election many of the local precincts were short of voting booths or had multiple voting booths that were malfunctioning, leading to some voters having to stand in line up to seven hours to vote.

 Former disgraced elections board Director Lillian McBride (photo credit: watchdog.org)

Instead of firing McBride, the board allowed her to resign, and then hired her right back as the Deputy Elections Director.  This lack of accountability is symptomatic of many of the problems that Jackson claims the board covers up rather than corrects.

After Jackson’s candid press conference, the board held an emergency meeting and voted to move Jackson’s last day from Friday to effective immediately.  Not to be outdone, Jackson said that he had evidence of corruption in the elections board that he planned to turn over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).  Thom Berry, SLED spokesperson, confirmed that Jackson turned in evidence to SLED on Wednesday, but declined to disclose the nature of the evidence pending investigation.