BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A deputy police chief who was put on paid leave after she disclosed she created a fake social media account returned to restricted duty on Monday and faces an eight-day suspension as discipline, a Vermont police chief said.
Last month, the chief in Burlington at the time, Brandon del Pozo, resigned over using a fake social media account to heckle a critic. Jan Wright, deputy chief, was named acting chief. But within hours, Wright, too, said she used a fake Facebook account to engage citizens in police policy talk. She was demoted to deputy chief and placed on administrative leave.
Jennifer Morrison was named acting chief earlier this month. In a letter to Wright made public Monday, Morrison said Wright must undergo social media training. She may not engage in inappropriate social media use and will not represent the department on social media until a plan for her to rebuild community trust is developed and completed, Morrison wrote.
The suspension includes five days of her accrued vacation time and three days that will be served unpaid, according to the letter.
“You are a valued member of the department and your 18-plus-year history as an exemplary employee has been taken into consideration in this matter,” Morrison wrote.
Wright, in a news release, accepted responsibility for her use of social media and apologized for the impact it has had on the department and the city.
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