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A Multnomah County parole supervisor has resigned after admitting to stealing marijuana from a department property room and smoking it in front of co-workers at a holiday party, officials said Friday.
Shadman Afzal, admitted to forging paperwork to make it appear that the marijuana had been destroyed as part of a normal purging of property, an internal investigation by the department found. The Portland Tribune first reported the story Friday after obtaining records from the county through a public records request.
Steve Liday, interim director of the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice, said Afzal volunteered to resign.
"The public has to know that the people who are charged with enforcing the law are following the law," Liday said.
Afzal, 43, started working as parole officer in the early 1990s and later became a supervisor. Afzal has not been to work since the Dec. 9 holiday party at his house during which he pulled out the marijuana and began to smoke it, said department spokesman Robb Freda-Cowie.
"The employees who were at the party were extremely uncomfortable . . . and indicated they were going to report this," Freda-Cowie said.
One of the employees recognized the container the marijuana was in. Department employees earlier had seized the container and its contents -- which amounted to less than an ounce of marijuana -- and logged them into the property room of the department's north office.
Liday said the department is looking into whether any employees assisted, knew about or covered up Afzal's removal of the marijuana and possession of it.
Afzal reported his actions to a supervisor the day after the party. Afzal was put on paid administrative leave Dec. 12, and supervisors notified the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. No charges have been filed but the case remains open, officials said.
County records show that e-mails among employees reference "serious medical issues" going on in Afzal's life, but they don't expand on conditions. In a Jan. 5 e-mail, staff talk about whether to notify Afzal that he can bring a representative to a meeting, given that "he doesn't seem to be understanding the gravity of the situation."
Afzal signed a resignation agreement Jan. 25. Since then, he has used vacation, holiday or sick time. His resignation will become effective March 19, and his county health benefits will cease April 30.
Newshawk: CoZmO - 420Magazine.com
Source: OregonLive.com
Author: Aimee Green
Contact: aimeegreen@news.oregonian.com
Copyright: 2007 The Oregonian
Website: OregonLive.com: Everything Oregon
Shadman Afzal, admitted to forging paperwork to make it appear that the marijuana had been destroyed as part of a normal purging of property, an internal investigation by the department found. The Portland Tribune first reported the story Friday after obtaining records from the county through a public records request.
Steve Liday, interim director of the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice, said Afzal volunteered to resign.
"The public has to know that the people who are charged with enforcing the law are following the law," Liday said.
Afzal, 43, started working as parole officer in the early 1990s and later became a supervisor. Afzal has not been to work since the Dec. 9 holiday party at his house during which he pulled out the marijuana and began to smoke it, said department spokesman Robb Freda-Cowie.
"The employees who were at the party were extremely uncomfortable . . . and indicated they were going to report this," Freda-Cowie said.
One of the employees recognized the container the marijuana was in. Department employees earlier had seized the container and its contents -- which amounted to less than an ounce of marijuana -- and logged them into the property room of the department's north office.
Liday said the department is looking into whether any employees assisted, knew about or covered up Afzal's removal of the marijuana and possession of it.
Afzal reported his actions to a supervisor the day after the party. Afzal was put on paid administrative leave Dec. 12, and supervisors notified the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. No charges have been filed but the case remains open, officials said.
County records show that e-mails among employees reference "serious medical issues" going on in Afzal's life, but they don't expand on conditions. In a Jan. 5 e-mail, staff talk about whether to notify Afzal that he can bring a representative to a meeting, given that "he doesn't seem to be understanding the gravity of the situation."
Afzal signed a resignation agreement Jan. 25. Since then, he has used vacation, holiday or sick time. His resignation will become effective March 19, and his county health benefits will cease April 30.
Newshawk: CoZmO - 420Magazine.com
Source: OregonLive.com
Author: Aimee Green
Contact: aimeegreen@news.oregonian.com
Copyright: 2007 The Oregonian
Website: OregonLive.com: Everything Oregon
