Public Safety
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom says the department is now reviewing every personnel record to make sure nothing else was missed in the vetting of its officers. He also says every polygraph will be peer reviewed by two examiners.
- Winstrom made both announcements at Mayor D.C. Reeves’ press conference. I asked what changes the department would make in screening and background checks so parents can feel comfortable around anyone in a Pensacola police uniform.
- Matthew Baxter, the former part-time officer arrested a second time by FDLE on child sexual abuse material charges, was trusted with security work at A.K. Suter Elementary and Echo Life Church in large part because of that uniform.
“I would rather be shorthanded than be cutting corners in our hiring process.”
Chief Eric Winstrom
Two Changes the Chief Announced
- Polygraph peer review. Winstrom said the department recognized that polygraph exams are “somewhat subjective” depending on the examiner and the reviewer. PPD now has two polygraph examiners on staff, and both will review each exam.
- A records audit. Beginning the day before the press conference, the staff that does background investigations started a thorough review of every personnel record. Their goal is to confirm nothing was missed. “So far there hasn’t been anything,” the chief said.
The Missing Polygraph Chart
The chief’s explanation: The physical printout of the polygraph chart was missing from Baxter’s background file. Winstrom called it “an anomaly” and said, “I can’t explain it because we’re going back years.”
- No one left to ask. Winstrom said most, if not all, of the people involved in Baxter’s hiring have retired from the department. That means the officials who could say whether Baxter took a polygraph, who reviewed it and what happened to the results may no longer be on the payroll.
“Broken Trust”
Impact on the department. Winstrom said “broken trust” is the best way to describe how the arrest has affected PPD. He said he met with his command staff before the press conference and that everyone there is outraged.
- He also spoke with the director of the Gulf Coast Kids House, which handles sex crimes against children and supports survivors. Winstrom said it matters that schools and churches know an officer has been properly vetted when they see the uniform.
Confidence in today’s process. The chief said he is “100% confident” in the current hiring process. He said he has personally reviewed applications from candidates PPD passed on and that other departments later hired. His stated goal is for PPD to be “the gold standard of policing.”
