By CHRISTOPHER WALKER
The Patriot Ledger
QUINCY - A Quincy police officer who once risked his life to save a boy hit by a train is accused of faking documents allowing him to collect thousands of dollars in pay for days off he took for military service that he never performed, authorities said.
Patrolman William Horick of Weymouth, a 30-year department veteran, retired this week amid internal allegations that he submitted phony records related to his training schedule for the Coast Guard. Like many public agencies, Quincy police pay the salaries of officers who take time off for military service.
Horick, who earned just under $107,000 last year in base pay and overtime, was paid his full salary for a total of 62 days off he took over the last 2½ years, purportedly to train with the Coast Guard Reserve. Records eventually showed that he hadn’t attended a training drill since early 2003, police Capt. John Dougan said.
Horick continued to put in requests for military time off even after his formal retirement from the Coast Guard earlier this year, officials said.
‘‘We’re taking this situation very seriously, and this kind of alleged abuse will not be tolerated,’’ Dougan said.
Bruce Tait, president of the police patrolman’s union, called the department’s handling of the allegations against Horick ‘‘a disgrace.’’
Tait said Horick was called to Chief Robert Crowley’s office Friday and ordered to turn in his badge and gun, with little explanation.
‘‘He was treated like he was a criminal,’’ Tait said.
Crowley declined to comment.
In 1986, Gov. Michael Dukakis presented Horick with a citation for bravery for saving the life of an 11-year-old boy who was hit by a train at the Wollaston MBTA station. The boy’s leg was pinned against the platform, and Horick climbed down next to the electrified third rail and the train and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived.
Dougan said suspicion about Horick’s military service surfaced when Dougan was conducting a routine cleanup of police department files. During that time, Dougan said he noticed that the documents Horick submitted to receive military time off all had the same nine other Coast Guard members listed as participants in the training exercises and the name of the same commanding officer printed at the bottom of each request.
More than a dozen other Quincy police officers are in the military, and Dougan said none of forms submitted by anyone else were so similar to each other. With suspicions raised, police officials contacted the Coast Guard and were informed by that agency that Horick hadn’t been on a training exercise since January 2003.
The Coast Guard told Quincy police that Horick was not required to attend any more training drills as of January 2003, and that his retirement from the Coast Guard Reserve was final as of June of this year.
In fact, the commanding officer listed at the bottom of all of Horick’s several dozen requests for military pay was transferred to an unrelated position in 2003, although Horick continued to use the name through this year, Dougan said.
The investigation is continuing, and Dougan said it ‘‘hasn’t the reached the stage’’ for a decision on whether criminal charges will be sought. The officer was placed on paid administrative leave Friday and submitted his retirement papers Monday.
Tait, the union president, said Horick probably retired because of the way he was treated by Crowley, noting that he was close to retirement anyway. The chief has been the subject of heavy criticism from the union for several months, culminating in a no-confidence vote by the union last month.
‘‘He probably just decided that he couldn’t work for this guy any more after the way he was treated,’’ Tait said.
Horick’s retirement means the union would not be involved in any proceeding involving him, Tait said.
Your Views
What do you think about the decision to investigate allegations against Quincy police officer William Horick?
Write: Your Views, The Patriot Ledger, 400 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA 02169 Fax: 617-786-7393 Call: 781-340-3156 E-mail: editpage@ledger.com
Please include your address and telephone number
kwflatbed - I'm much more accurately quoted, but still not totally accurate, in this piece;
Quincy officer leaves under cloud Police investigate paid military leave
By April Simpson, Globe Staff | October 26, 2006
A longtime Quincy police officer, once hailed as a hero for saving a boy hit by a train, is accused by the Police Department of collecting thousands of dollars in paid leave for military service he never performed.
Patrolman William Horick resigned Friday from the Quincy Police Department amid allegations that for more than two years, he has been paid his full salary while faking documents that allowed him to take 62 days of paid leave to fulfill duties with the US Coast Guard Reserve, police and union officials said.
Neither the Coast Guard nor Horick could be reached for comment, and Police Department officials would not confirm Horick's salary, which The Patriot Ledger of Quincy reported yesterday was just under $107,000 last year, with overtime.
Horick officially retired Monday after 30 years with the department, said Bruce Tait, president of the Quincy Police Patrol Officers' Association, who criticized the department's handling of the case .
Horick was taken out of roll call at 4 p.m. Friday and told to relinquish his gun, badge, and license to carry firearms, Tait said, and then he was given a letter ordering him to leave the premises immediately . "It was an automatic presumption of guilt, and he was treated as if he were a threat to the community," Tait said.
Captain John Dougan said that while conducting a routine review of department files, he found something odd: The same commanding officer and other Coast Guard officers participating in training exercises were listed on the documents Horick submitted to receive time off.
The department has not sought charges against Horick, and the investigation is continuing , Dougan said.
Although Horick has retired and is no longer a member of the officers association, the union will represent him if the department pursues legal action, Tait said.
In 1986, Horick was awarded a bravery citation for the emergency first aid he performed on an 11-year-old boy who was struck by a train in Wollaston and had his leg pinned to the subway platform. Horick climbed down next to the electrified track and pressed the boy's arteries to stem the blood loss until an ambulance arrived.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops