Nov. 19--Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. said Friday evening that the Police Department's internal affairs unit will investigate 16 police officers who left early without completing their shifts.
The officers involved, who work the 4 p.m.-midnight shift in the Northeastern district, all left before 8 p.m. Friday. Their action came two days after Mayor Dave Bing proposed a 10% pay cut for police and fire personnel.
Whether the apparent walkout was part of a protest of the proposed cuts was unclear. Union officials couldn't be reached for comment late Friday.
"The timing of such has caused the issue to be investigated," Godbee said in a statement. "Preliminary information leads me to believe this is a concerted effort isolated to one shift at one district."
Godbee said resources were redeployed to plug the gap left in that unit and that "all operations are normal."
He said he planned to provide a more detailed briefing on the internal affairs' preliminary findings Monday.
Contact Lori Higgins at 313-222-6651, [email protected] or via Twitter @LoriAHiggins
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