Suspended without pay

The president of the Professional Police Officers Association has been suspended for a full work week - and his wife said she believes that it's retaliation for his outspokenness about a pay raise for peace officers.

Adrianne Mercer, Cpl. Terry Mercer's wife, said her husband's suspension wouldn't begin until Tuesday, and he won't be back on duty until April 1. Adrianne Mercer was speaking for her husband because he wouldn't comment on the suspension.

"They do it at the beginning of their work week," she said. "That's four days of unpaid vacation that Terry doesn't want or need. He works 10-hour shifts and works four days a week - so that's an entire week without pay."

Capt. Chuck Moad said police department officials wouldn't just suspend the corporal without a reason.

"This was absolutely not retaliation," Moad said. "This doesn't involve anything involving the PPOA or the pay raise. This is about current and past problems. There's more to this than we can say."

Adrianne Mercer said her husband was suspended after a radio interview with KCRS-AM a few weeks ago. That interview was also broadcast on MyNews 16 televsion.

"What happened was he did an interview with KCRS about the raise," she said. "He was in his uniform, and he didn't know that it was televised on Channel 16. He was off duty."

Even though Adrianne Mercer said her husband was suspended for the interview, she said believes there's more to the story.

"I think they found a way to get back at him for the pay raise," she said. "I think they were waiting for something to happen."

Cpl. Terry Mercer was a vocal proponent of an 18 percent pay increase for police officers that the PPOA was backing. He spoke in favor of sending the issue to a vote on the May 10 municipal ballot. However, on March 10, the PPOA and the city reached a pay increase compromise.

Meanwhile, according to a disciplinary letter signed by Interim Chief John Blanco, the suspension was a measure taken because of more than one disciplinary problem.

"Your disciplinary history indicates that prior instances of discipline for policy violations have not been effective in preventing subsequent violations. Continued policy violations cannot be tolerated," stated the letter, which was supplied to the OA by Adrianne Mercer.

According to the letter, Terry Mercer "willfully failed to follow specific orders of a supervisor or higher authority."

Moad said Mercer's suspension is part of the police department's "progressive discipline."

"If there's an incident that comes into play, we look at that and past incidents, and see what needs to be fixed," he said. "If an officer does violation A, and they get counseling, if they do something similar to violation A later on, we're not just going to do counseling."

While Moad said the interview wasn't the only reason for a suspension, he also said Mercer shouldn't have been in uniform during the telecast.

"If you're going to represent the Professional Police Officers Association, you need to do it when you're not on taxpayers' time or in the police uniform," Moad said.

Adrianne Mercer said the police department also stripped her husband of his Field Training Officer pin and his Crisis Intervention Unit certification, which means a smaller paycheck for the Mercer family - despite the recent pay increase.

"That's $3,600 a year that's out of our pockets now," she said. "This is crazy and uncalled for."

She also said he was stripped of his badge, OPD identification card and weapons on the day of suspension. Those, however, will be returned once the suspension's over.

Cpl. Mercer can't be involved in any police activities or have police powers during the four-day suspension.

Despite the suspension, Blanco said in the letter that Mercer is an asset to the department.

"Corporal Mercer, you are a valued employee and an asset to the Odessa Police Department," Blanco wrote. "I trust that you will take whatever steps may be necessary to ensure conduct of this nature does not recur."