A Cop on the Beat

First, she says, "The police department never should have taken nine months to investigate this situation. Not only do they put themselves at risk of liability, they are allowing a police officer who knowingly did all of these things to continue working in a patrol capacity, which I think is not a good decision.

". . . They should have taken him out of the field and put him in some kind of light-duty capacity, where he wasn't going to be allowed to continue using the discretion--the enormous discretion--that police officers have in doing their day-to-day job."

And second, "I think that's [reinstating Santos] highly dangerous for the Civil Service Board to do. I think if something happens down the road that they have no one to blame but themselves. For them to believe that seductive theory that it's because of this particular girlfriend, that that's why he was in trouble and certainly now that he's out of the relationship it's not gonna happen, is really, really ignorant."

Gina Arrieta could not be reached for comment. Santos refused to talk to New Times, other than to say that he's no longer involved with Arrieta.

That claim apparently swayed Civil Service Board hearing officer Janet Feltz, who concluded, "Appellant has made an effort to get his life in order and to remain away from Arrieta."

O'Dell insists Santos' involvement with Arrieta is a moot point.
"It's a typical myth that it's a relationship problem, that it's a dysfunctional relationship, whereas the truth of the matter is that violence lies in the heart and the choice of the batterer," she says. "And he will take that from relationship to relationship. So they're taking an enormous, enormous risk, returning him to duty.

The August 1 story "A Cop on the Beat" described a Phoenix Police Officer James Gibbs as having been fired from the force and then reinstated by the Phoenix Civil Service Board. The article stated that he now works for the drug enforcement bureau.