By Jamal Thalji and Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
ST. PETERSBURG — Officer Christopher Dixon went on trial last week on charges that he rear-ended a van with his marked St. Petersburg police cruiser, then sped off.
The trial exposed some embarrassing revelations for the St. Petersburg Police Department when Dixon testified that he disabled the tracking device on his police cruiser several times so that his superiors couldn't tell where he was or how fast he was going.
Other officers also testified that "it's no secret" how to disable the devices.
That's a violation of policy, one that could put officers at risk. If dispatchers don't know where they are, they can't send help.
"It's for their safety," police Chief Chuck Harmon said.
Any officer who breaks those rules, the chief said, could be disciplined. That goes for Dixon. Though ...