In 1992, Detective Art Acevedo was terminated for conduct deemed disruptive to the police department’s operations. He was found to have encouraged junior officers to bypass the chain of command by reporting alleged misconduct directly to him, and to have disseminated confidential police records. These actions were considered violations of departmental rules and detrimental to the department’s efficiency and morale. The termination was upheld by the City Merit System Board and affirmed by the trial court, which found that Acevedo’s speech, while concerning matters of public interest, was outweighed by the department’s interest in maintaining order and discipline.
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