Internal investigation dismisses allegations of fraternization and unbecoming conduct between former Police Chief Larry Giddens and department attorney Donna Perry.

LAKELAND — A five-month internal investigation by the Lakeland Police Department Office of Professional Standards into allegations of fraternization and unbecoming conduct between former Police Chief Larry Giddens and department attorney Donna Perry has been ruled “unfounded."

The investigation wrapped up July 15, and Police Chief Ruben Garcia announced the findings Aug. 16.

Giddens sent an email to The Ledger with a written statement concerning the allegations that he was having a relationship with a subordinate.

“To be clear, that investigation continued even after attorney Donna Perry resigned, at her insistence, as she wanted to clear her name and mine,” he said. “As a former Chief of Police and a former prosecutor, we both shared a desire for the truth to be known, which is exactly why she insisted the investigation continue when others would have allowed it to be administratively closed."

Giddens noted that the “disgruntled former employee” that he had to discipline while he was police chief should apologize.

“Pat Guity worked with others that I had to discipline or refuse to promote due to their laziness, who were trying to discredit the decades of service I gave to this community for nearly 35 years, sacrificing more than anyone could ever know,' Giddens said. “The attacks on my reputation were disappointing and surprising."

“Neither of us deserved the public scrutiny caused by the articles that were published without regard to the lack of substantiating evidence for the allegations,” he added.

In a text message, Perry said, "I join in his sentiments entirely," but had no further comment.

The investigation

The Internal Affairs 41-page review of the investigation included interviews with several LPD staff members. Investigators said regarding the first complaint that Giddens knew Perry prior to her employment, “of all the persons interviewed, none knew of any personal relationship between the two prior to her employment.” As for the alleged intimate relationship, investigators said after examining emails and text messages, they “did not find any that elude to this allegation.”

Former public information officer Gary Gross, who retired from the department recently, told investigators he first learned of the relationship on Feb. 20, when Perry told him they had been dating since Giddens resigned Feb. 1, according to the review.

Perry’s legal assistant, Christine Ford, also told investigators Perry came to her either on Feb. 11 or 12 to tell her she had been dating Giddens since the beginning of the month.

When the Office of Professional Standards investigators spoke with Sonny Polk, the asset forfeiture investigator, he said he was told by Perry that she and Giddens had gone to speak with City Manager Tony Delgado and City Attorney Tim McCausland because they wanted to have a relationship, but didn't want to be in violation of policy.

Others who learned of the relationship included Assistant Chief Rick Taylor, who said he had a conversation with Perry about 10 days to two weeks after Giddens’ last day, and added that Perry said the two had a conversation with Delgado in December about moving her under the city attorney’s directorship. That request was denied.

When investigators reviewed Perry's email after Giddens' retirement, they learned she was sending emails between her personal and work accounts which contained her applications for jobs with other law enforcement agencies. According to reports, on Feb. 11 and Feb. 18, she sent an email from her city account to her personal email containing a copy of a marriage settlement agreement for Giddens' divorce from his wife.

Garcia comments on review

Garcia noted that the investigation discovered “numerous” interactions between Giddens and Perry, such as telephone contact, time spent at the office and meal breaks.

“However, Ms. Perry was a direct report of former Chief Giddens and would be expected to have a higher volume of contact than other employees, such as the Assistant Chiefs or the Chief’s Office Assistant would, also being direct reports to the Chief of Police,” Garcia said in a memo on the review.

Garcia added that while many of the employees interviewed learned of a personal relationship between the two, nobody could give testimony that the relationship advanced beyond a professional work relationship until Giddens’ retirement date of Feb. 1.

"I must acknowledge, many of the direct reports and co-workers of Ms. Perry made statements of a very challenging work environment once the relationship was publicly known," Garcia said. "This conduct may have well led to intervention or investigation had Ms. Perry remained in the employment of the Police Department. However, that conduct is not the subject of this complaint."

The chief acknowledged there was testimony that Giddens requested to have Perry moved to the city attorney’s office to become a direct report of the chief city attorney and remove the direct reporting between she and Giddens.

“It appears that this request was made at the time to prevent a policy violation,” Garcia said, “if the former Chief and Ms. Perry decided to pursue a personal relationship.

“Only two individuals, Giddens and Perry, know the true date of the advancement of their relationship beyond a work relationship and both elected not to give an interview in the matter. As former employees, neither could be compelled to be interviewed in this case.”

Kathy Leigh Berkowitz can be reached at kberkowitz@theledger.com or at 863-802-7558. Follow her on Twitter @kberkowitzthel1.