The outgoing Madison County grand jury noted significant improvements of the work of the officers of the Richmond Police Department Thursday in its final report.
During the January-June term, the grand jury met 19 times and heard more than 175 criminal cases investigated by Madison County law enforcement agencies.
“While previous grand juries have been critical of the (Richmond Police) department, we have no such criticism to make,” the report states. “The work of the detectives has been excellent. We thank Chief Larry Brock for his leadership of the department and commend him and all the officers and personnel of RPD for their efforts in correcting the problems encountered by previous grand juries.”
A grand jury report in July 2007 also commended the department for their improvements.
However, a December 2006 report by the grand jury listed multiple problems they observed in cases brought by Richmond police, including “incomplete investigations with insufficient follow-up work; bad judgment; procrastination; poor communication between officers and poor preparation.”
“The consequences of these problems is inconsistency that affects the ability to do justice,” the report stated. “Some officers did an excellent job with their cases; other officers, either from ignorance, laziness or attitude, presented poor cases that resulted in dismissals, amended charges, or required extensive efforts to make the case prosecutable. We believe proper supervision would eliminate most of these problems.”
Brock said he was pleased that the grand jury recognized the gains that the officers have made.
“The men and women of the Richmond Police Department have worked very hard over the past year to improve their performance and the delivery of their work product to the citizens, prosecutors and the courts,” he said.
“I would also like to personally commend the officers of the department for their hard work and dedication to making themselves better,” Brock said. “They are the ones who truly deserve the recognition for the gains we have made. I am very proud of them.”
In its report, the grand jury also thanked Madison Circuit judges Julia Hilton Adams and William T. Jennings, who both recently announced their retirement, for their service.
Adams said she would remain as a senior judge for five years, hearing cases as assigned.
“We thank you for your dedication to the rule of law and for ensuring that the citizens who appeared before you were treated fairly, equally and with the dignity and respect deserved by all,” the report states. “While your successors will no doubt continue the tradition of excellent judicial service we have enjoyed in Madison County, the standards you have set will be difficult for them to attain. Your wisdom, caring and work for the cause of justice has been greatly appreciated and will be missed by us all.”
Bryan Marshall can be reached at bmarshall@richmondregister.com or 624-6691.
Local News
Grand jury commends police officers
- Local News
-
-
‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.
Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).
Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
“I always felt like an old person trapped in a young person's body,” said Lambert, who is retiring after 43 years of service to Berea Community School. -
Special Olympics return for 18th year at EKU
Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year. -
Assault charges reduced, dismissed by grand jury
Two men arrested in connection with serious assaults had their charges reduced, and in one case dismissed, by a Madison grand jury.
Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report. -
Dump of the Day
The Dump of the Day is a recurring series the newspaper publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Page A7 in Sunday's paper to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day
Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
-
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed. - More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
