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South Florida officers punished for drinking during Hurricane Irma

Posted at 8:40 AM, Jul 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-06 08:40:06-04

NORTH BAY VILLAGE, Fla. (AP) — As Hurricane Irma approached Florida last year, not everyone was scrambling to get ready.

An internal affairs report shows some members of the "Landfall Team" in North Bay Village remained at city hall, drinking beer and talking football.

According to the records obtained by the Miami Herald, unit shift commander Lt. James McCready gave officers permission to drink, putting a cooler on a conference room table and then blocking a surveillance camera with a plastic cup.

The party continued on Sept. 9 as calls came in and the weather worsened. Officer Walter Sajdak walked in on them after midnight and later reported it to a superior officer.

Six officers admitted to violating a policy of drinking on the job. They received letters of reprimand and forfeited accrued time.