Parma, Ohio is a mid-size city of around 85,000 citizens. Since 1995, David Ferrante served the Parma police force as a sergeant. He had been a police officer for 18 years. On the Parma force, Ferrante was the field training sergeant who oversaw the training and evaluation of rookie officers. He also served as lead advisor for a youth group of police explorers.
Ferrante is also an author, having published a book on police practice called "Police Ethics - Not an Oxymoron." The book jacket contains the following in its description of the contents of the book.
"Police Ethics is Not an Oxymoron is great manual to guide Police Officers, Police Supervisors, Chiefs, Security Directors, and Training Coordinators. The keys to successful hiring, training, and retention are clearly presented. Law enforcement agencies typically neglect what they take for granted-ethical behavior. A strong foundation begins with this book!”
Why is this significant? Yesterday, Ferrante was arrested and appeared in Parma Municipal Court charged with two third degree felonies. News reports describe the felonies as tampering and falsification. These same news reports said another investigation (of Ferrante?) led to evidence Ferrante cheated on the examination process that led to his hiring by the Parma police force in 1995. When his cheating became known, Ferrante resigned from the force on May 13, 2010. Articles leave it unclear whether either of the current criminal charges are based on his cheating during the examination process.
So, a man who literally "wrote the book" on ethical behavior for police, who trained police, and who police held up as a role model for youth, resigned in disgrace over unethical behavior and stands charged with criminal behavior as well. If the title of his already discussed book is not ironic enough for you, consider his next book. A website describes this "soon to be finished" book as bearing the title "To Protect and Abuse." The description does not indicate whether it is an autobiography.
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