Corruption: The LPD and sexual assault

Since the end of 2020, seven police officers have come forward from the Lincoln Police department accusing individual police officers and the police station as a whole of misconduct against female officers. Chief Teresa Ewins very recently became Lincoln’s new police chief in 2021. She arrived in a situation where several of her officers, who have been around longer than she has been, are conducting themselves in inappropriate ways to others.

The accusations were made of several officers, some who had left LPD and some that are still on the force. Sarah Williams was the first officer who made allegations in December of 2020. This was before Ewins was hired as the police chief. “I always swore that if I ever became chief that I would do exactly that — fair across the board,” Ewins said. “You weigh the evidence, you hear both sides, and then you make a decision."

Three of the police officers accused of misconduct were kicked out of the police department, but the official reasons given were not all related to the allegations. When she was an officer, Ewins had made complaints to the former chief but nothing was done. One of the earliest incidents involved in this case occurred in 2014 to officer Erin Spilker. She was assaulted within her home but said nothing out of fear. According to a 34-page report, Spilker continued to face assault throughout her time on the force.

Ewins has made strides in working internally to bring out the corruption in her department. She started by creating a place in Internal Affairs that specifically deals with situations like this, involving misconduct. She also wants the cases of misconduct to go all the way to court for the facts to be revealed. She has also made a portal for anyone to make complaints of police misconduct directly. This portal is specifically for the general public, whereas the department within Internal Affairs is for complaints made by police officers.

The large amount of corruption within the LPD has been around for many years. Ewins is starting to make small changes to make a department that is easier for her officers to come forward. Her attempts could lead to a safer department.

By TJ Pittenger