The husband and wife team at Miami Police who were fired by former Police Chief Art Acevedo after they allegedly attempted to cover up her car accident in a city SUV are back on the job.
So is Luis Camacho, a sergeant at arms who was relieved of duty after he was accused of helping to leak photos or the address of Mayor Francis Suarez and family on vacation in the Keys, and the former head of internal affairs, as well as three other officers. In total, seven officers were reinstated to their jobs or previous positions by the new police chief.
Camacho’s return was announced at the end of Thursday’s commission meeting, when Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla insisted on playing 20 seconds of the Welcome Back Kotter theme song in his honor. “We’re honored to have you back again with us,” he said.
Read related: Miami’s new Police Chief moves to fire husband and wife team after cover-up
The Dean seemed very happy. Reyes, too. Carollo was absent. Maybe ADLP wants Camacho to drive him around now that his other driver crashed while he was entertaining a lady friend in the back seat.
That was the song. The dance is what interim (read: permanent) Chief Manny Morales is doing to make sure his bosses are happy with him and keep him in the top job. Instead of having a police chief that is holding our elected officials and officers accountable, we have one that is in cahoots with them and will protect them no matter what.
Commissioners, particularly the Three Amigos, made no secret of the fact they weren’t happy with the dismissals by former Police Chief Art Acevedo and that was among the things that led for him to be forced out. They were particularly concerned about Camacho and former Deputy Chief Ronald Papier and his wife, Maj. Nerly Papier.
Camacho was fired the same day an arrest warrant was issued for former police officer, Frank Pichel, who was in the Keys at the time the photo was taken. Las malas lenguas say Camacho told Pichel where to find them. But not because Pichel was running a longshot race against Mayor Suarez. That was really just to bug him. It was because Pichel works as an investigator and sometime goon digging up dirt for Carollo.
Thursday, Camacho was in commission chambers as the sgt-at-arms. But the Papiers will be coming back in a few weeks, the Miami Herald reported.
Why? Did they get too comfy with early retirement? Or are they too busy running their new company, RLP MIA Holding LLC, which the couple formed in July, right after they were fired? Will this constitute a conflict of interest now? The Miami Herald also reported they would come back with the rank of captain. Is that so they can dedicate some time to their side gig?
Read related: Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo is out. vows to keep fighting Miami corruption
And will they be compensated for the salary they lost? Morales was very, very short on details. He wouldn’t even say why they were reinstated.
But political insiders know why. Morales is the gestapo for the Three Amigos: Carollo, Diaz de la Portilla and Manolo Reyes. He reinstated these officers because that’s what the commissioners wanted and had been publicly demanding in commission meetings for weeks.
That is also why he is the chief and why it was celebrated the day he was named chief with ironic music from The Godfather and big bear hugs. He serves the commission, not the taxpaying public.
Now they’re going to have the gratitude of the Papiers and Camacho, as well. Ronald Papier, las malas lenguas say, will be heading the Special Investigations Section, which is code for Commission Protection Section, investigating and harassing any political enemy or critic. And Nerly Papier, who video shows almost ran two pedestrians over when she crashed into a curb, will be head of police personnel. Perfect.
Maybe she can help the officer who had an accident in a city vehicle last week with Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla and another passenger inside.
That is her wheelhouse.
Miami Police staff fired by former chief are welcomed back with song and dance added by Ladra on
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