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Show OTY - , Benzon Quits, Sickels Suspended in PCPD Shake -Up least one phone conversation between Sickels and the woman and determined the officer's story was correct. "Stijl." said Offrct. "he should have never driven the patrol car to Salt Lake." Offrct added Sickels was apparently taking the woman home when he allegedly unexpectedly ejected her from the vehicle. Park City resident Kenny Nuneviller complained at one lime he too had been subjected to "excessive" force during an arrest by Sickels. Cily Manager Arlene Loble said she did not call for Sickel's resignation because he is "basically a good officer". According to Offret, other specific incidents in the County Attorney's report indicate officers arc some-limes some-limes lax about patrols late at night, naming one who plays "pinball" during slow- periods of little traffic. Offrct said Iherc is no excuse for officers not making routine patrols. "Even if there is no traffic early in the morning," he said, "it is a delerant to crime to have a patrol car making routine rounds throughout the city." Offret called the entire investigation investigat-ion and its' outcome an "embarrassment" to the force. He concludes, "there has just been a lack of discipline and established procedures". proce-dures". Meanwhile, a panel of citizens and city officials is being formed to select a new Police Chief. Offret was appointed Chief by Cily Manager Arlene Loble after Mike Crowley resigned last week. Loble says Offrci will be invited to submit an application for the job but adds other candidates from ouisidc the area will be given equal consideraiion. An investigation by the Summit Countv Attorney's Office into Park City Police Department procedures has resulted in the resignation of one local officer and the suspension of another. Afler three years on the force, officer Ray Benzon resigned last Wednesday and Virgil Sickels. a recent addition to the department, was suspended by acting Chief Joe Offret for 30 days without pay. City Manager Arlene Loble said she offered Benzon the choice to either resign or face termination. Meeting in executive session sess-ion September 3. City Councilinen were presented, by Deputy Summit County Attorney Terry Christiansen, with a list of 24 documented , irregularities, and problems I hat had occurred w ithin the department during the past year. Several of the incidents were serious enough to warrant last Wednesday's disciplinary actions. Others, according to Offret and Loble indicate a lack of established departmental procedures and policies and the absence of internal discipline. Offrci said he had been ordered by the City Council and County Attorney to investigate each of the 24 infractions and take disciplinary discipli-nary action if necessary. Offret added he doubted if most of the alleged incidents would result in disciplinary measures. "In order to satisfy the Council and County Attorney, Attor-ney, we've got to come up with more departmental control con-trol and establish a concrete disciplinary policy." said Offret. "they're demanding a more professional administration admini-stration -- and I think we can give il lo them." he . concluded. The County Attorney's Office Of-fice began investigating the Park Cily Police Department afier an incident March l when a suspect claimed to have been hit with a night stick during his arrest in Park Cily. .lack Higgins of Logan. Utah, made the complaint afler being booked into the Summit County jail on alcohol related charges. Officers Benzon. Sickels and Newland responded late March l to a reported fight at .lodv's (now ihe Black Pearl), a private club on Main Street. At the club. Sickels look Higgins into custodv and placed him in his patrol car parked in front of the Main St. rendezvous. He ihen joined Benzon back in ihe e! ub w here another fight had reportedly btoken out. At this time. Newland had apparently left. Benzon and Sickels left Jody's and found Higgins had driven off in Sickel's pairol car. The two officers got into Benon's vehicle and pursued pursu-ed the suspect, eventually apprehending him in Swede Alley behind the old Masonic Hall. There. Sickels apparently appar-ently angered at the incident, inci-dent, pushed Higgins who fell and hit his head on the corner of ihe building. The suspect was taken to the Family Health Clinic where he received 'si itches and treaiment for a headwound before being transported to Coalville. ' According to Offret, the report submitted by senior officer Benzon indicated Higgins slipped on ice after a snuggle with the- officers. The ensueing investigation proved that statement false and Sickels admitted pushing push-ing the suspect. The Atf" ey could find no ev; e that H'-'"-1 had been hit with 'io.i, .-.lick. I. at i". according to Offret, he-County Attorney found evidence that Benzon had offered a "bottle of Scotch" to a Taft Security officer if he would "forget what he saw" the night of the incident with Higgins. Last year Benzon was suspended for ten days after admitting stealing a safety inspection sticker from the City shop. More recently, a Salt Lake City resident saw a woman and baggage pushed from a Park City patrol car late at night in that city. The resident reported the incident inci-dent to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. Chief Crow-Icy Crow-Icy was told of what the witness had seen and determined deter-mined Sickels was the driver of the car. Crowley suspended Sickels August' 29 pending an investigation into the matter. Sickels maintained the woman wom-an was a "girlfriend" with whom he had a somewhat turbulent relationship. At Sickels request. Detective Detect-ive Lloyd Evans recorded at |