Is it Internal Affair or Affairs?

As week two wraps up in the Levi Chavez murder trial, yet more sordid details of APD's internal affairs culture are confirmed. Defense Attorney David Serna and Prosecutor Brian McKay compelled APD Officer Nick Wheeler to admit and describe on the stand the intimate elements of his affair with former APD Officer Levi Chavez's wife and reported homicide victim Tera Chavez.
 

We're not going to dwell on Wheeler's actions as sad as they are. But what startles us most, this is not the first instance where an APD officer has had an affair with another officer's wife. We at the Eye have had dozens of reports where Officer X is sleeping with the spouse of Officer Y. And sometimes that spouse is themselves an officer.
 

And in some cases over the last few years, parties involved have tragically taken or attempted to take their own lives.

Think about that for a minute. In a culture where officers must trust each other with their lives, they don't dare risk leaving their wives or husbands alone with fellow officers.
 

And even worse, in the dozen or so cases of entanglements such as these, there has been a total absence of action taken either by the department or by almost all other officers.  Sometimes the failure to act is as bad as an actual act. An omission can be as damaging as a commission.
 

What does this say about APD? When a fellow officer is sleeping with another officer's spouse not only does Schultz NOT deal with this but officers don't step up and deal with it either. If the officers won't police themselves in such intimate personal matters such as this, it's even more doubtful they'll police themselves in other matters such as evidence, use of force, and misconduct.
 

The Eye also recently received a report which states not only was Schultz briefed on the need to put a lid on this activity but what the consequences of failing to act could likely be. From what we've read, this report from four years ago accurately predicted where APD was headed.
 

Our Eyes watching the Chavez murder trial tell us, more omissions and failures to act are forthcoming. And we are told they are much worse. With this Summer defined by this trial, and the disgusting internal affairs of APD playing out across the world, remember that the city's current Mayor HAD an opportunity to fix this mess.
 

But like so many others in APD, and just like APD's Chief Ray Schultz, RJ Berry failed to act resulting in consequences measured in blood, money, and tears.