Read list of arrests of Memphis firefighters (names redacted)
Read and watch the WTAE-TV story on Pittsburgh firefighter arrest records
Watch WLMT-TV series of reports on the Memphis Fire Department: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
We told you the other day that there was more to the story of the recent arrest of Memphis Fire Department Firefighter Lawrence Batiste on burglary, assault and drug charges. Batiste had been hired by Memphis despite being fired as a Shelby County firefighter because of a felony conviction he failed to disclose (Watch Parts 1 & 2 above from WLMT-TV).
WLMT-TV has been looking closely at the Batiste case, but reporter Jeni DiPrizio has widened her investigation. In a follow-up report (Part 3 & 4) she shows how more than 80 firefighters have been arrested in the last five years and that many have stayed on the department despite some serious charges.
DiPrizio showed a list of those arrested, the charges and any administrative actions taken. STATter911.com received a copy of the same information that we are told was released under a Freedom of Information Act request. I have attached the document in the form it was provided with the exception of the names of the employees. Since I am not doing the original reporting on this issue, I did not feel comfortable as being the source for those names (some names are in the report by the TV station).
One great irony in all of this comes in Part 5 and Part 6 of the series by reporter DiPrizio. It is the story of Michael Todd Highfill. Highfill is suing the Memphis Fire Department for discrimination, saying he was fired for failing to pass a test in a timely manner (he was one point off). Highfill claims others have been given many more chances when having the same problem and more serious problems (like arrests).
Highfill was hired by the Shelby County Fire Department, the very same department that fired current Memphis Firefighter Lawrence Batiste because of his felony conviction. Seems the departments made an unintentional swap of firefighters.
Memphis Fire Department Director Alvin Benson has been quiet throughout the TV station’s week-long coverage. He apparently is planning to sit down for an interview next week.
By contrast, Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones has been quite vocal about the number of arrests involving his firefighters. As we previously mentioned WTAE-TV “ran a criminal background check on all 630 Pittsburgh firefighters and found that, in addition to recent criminal cases that have made news, there are many others that have not.”
Here ‘s what reporter Jim Parsons found in Pittsburgh:
Court records reveal that a total of 53 Pittsburgh firefighters have faced criminal charges. Half of those cases — 26 in all — were drug or alcohol related. Some of those cases go back years. But Team 4 found 14 criminal cases against firefighters that are less than three years old, and 11 of those 14 cases are drug or alcohol related.
That pattern seems to hold very true in Memphis where drugs and alcohol seem to be behind many of the arrests.
Where Lawrence Batiste has been the face of the story in Memphis, Captain Frank Becker Jr. has played a somewhat similar role in Pittsburgh. Becker was arrested on DUI and cocaine charges in December and had another alcohol arrest last summer.
Becker’s brother, who is also a Pittsburgh firefighter, was involved in a serious alcohol related crash a-year-ago.
Also on STATter911 …
- Drug raid at Minneapolis fire station. Firefighter & others arrested. – March 28, 2012
- Memphis firefighter & son arrested at fire in their own home. Police say William Land complained about response time. – August 2, 2011
- How to handle the bad news: Albuquerque firefighter arrested in major drug & money bust. Chief doesn’t say it’s a personnel matter or under investigation. – January 28, 2012
- UPDATE – Chief resigns: Alcohol troubles again for Carlisle, Iowa chief. Latest off-duty incident follows previous on-duty EMS response. – March 26, 2012
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Yep , these are the guys I want to have my back. Sure. Yeh.
If you lived in Memphis then you would know why this is the norm and not the exception. Look at the stats of the firemen in question and you will see a striking difference; those that were fired and those that were not!
Its all part of the dumbing down of America! Departments in my area were recently forced to chage the math portion of their entry exams because the U.S. Justice Dept. determined that they discriminated against minorities! It was fifth grade level math! And how does a math test know the person taking it is a minority? When you are forced to hire candidates and keep them on the job based on anthing other than ability to do the job your department will soon reflect it.
One thing I noticed looking at the report is there are one or two cops very active locking up fire fighters!
HDMARK,
I believe those are the investigating officers for the fire department. You will find the names Payton, Ludwig and Jubirt on the command staff of the Memphis FD.
http://www.cityofmemphis.org/framework.aspx?page=769
According to this webpage, Deputy Chief Michael Jubirt is in charge of Human Resources.
Statter
This is the norm in Memphis.One interesting fact about the arrest record. If you could see the names along side the race of these individuals, you would notice that several of them that are listed as WHITE are actually African American, this was an attempt by the mostly African American command staff to make it look like just as many WHITES were getting in trouble as AFRICAN AMERICANS. I am the guy who FIOA the list and I have an MFD annual. If you want to know more contact me through here
As a current Officer on the MFD, I initially doubted the last statement that Michael Highfill made about reporting the wrong race of the employee on the roster of arrest records.
After conducting some research on my own, I can confirm that not only were (6) African American employees listed as white on the roster, but this error was not once made in reverse. There is not a single white employee that was accidently recorded as black.
You would think that in this day and age we could get past all of this sill race stuff and be fair and equitable for everyone. Evidently the MFD is still not there yet and clearly African Americans are racist too.
Name witheld for fear of retaliation…..I am white.
I wish a light could penetrate to the depths this department has truly plummeted to, but that will never happen. The simple fact is the command staff of the MFD and the union local 1784 work hand in hand to try and minimize bad press and potential racial implications. The union CAN NOT be trusted. The new union president, who is a retired chief, sure talked a big game about being a maverick and not bowing down to the administration when he was a chief, but if you ever had hearing with him, you would know otherwise!!!
The MFD has turned in to nothing more than an extension of the welfare system and a place for political cronies to get a job for their kids, nephews, cousins, etc. And that is sad for the guys that are there for all of the right reasons!
I agree with Mr. Highfill. MFD has given tests to certain races and even passed them to become EMT’s. Once chief was promoted to chief when he was arrested for beating a child.
i am glad that they caught lawrence batiste behind. What man hops on the fire department tail coat after having felonies and drug charges. WHat is wrong with memphis fire department they hire anyone. These are not the people we need saving us from fires. hell he probably come in there smoking weed and god knows what else. Now really would you want someone on crack to save you
Wow! I just came across this article. Todd Highfil was part of a team of medics that saved my lfe in 1990 when I was critically injured in a mva. I was later also fortunate to intern under him when I went through EMT school. There is not a better medic out there anywhere! He’s also a person of outstanding character. What a loss for the citizens in this community. As a mom of teens I can only pray that if my boys are ever in need of emergency care, there will be someone like him who ressponds to the call.
I hope you win in court Todd.