"Look at me like a man. You want to grow up and be a man? Look at me like a (expletive) man."
Dalton Police Department Officer John Gurrieri didn't mince words when he spoke to a bus filled with 30 to 50 Dalton Middle School students on Monday, Nov. 11. And the curse words got Gurrieri and fellow officer Steve Collins disciplined by the department.
Gurrieri, who started with the police department on Oct. 1, 2012, and Collins, a Dalton Police officer for seven years, were both suspended for two days without pay and required to complete 40 hours of service at local youth programs for cursing at the students, according to a press release from the police department. They will also receive a written report in their personnel file and will undergo more verbal communication training, the release stated.
Police Chief Jason Parker called the officers' actions "out of line with department and community standards." Parker said that Gurrieri used a curse word four times and Collins cursed once.
Parker said he was "very disappointed to hear about this incident," adding that "this type of behavior is not acceptable (from Collins and Gurrieri)."
The police department received a complaint about the incident that evening from a parent of a student on the bus and investigated. The department's internal investigation found the officers did use inappropriate language that is "inconsistent with the department's mission."
"We do not normally publish personnel actions," Parker said in the release. "But after discussing it with the officers, and considering the circumstances, it seemed appropriate to inform the community about what happened and what actions we have taken."
Dalton Public Schools officials said because they outsource their bus service with First Student they don't know the name of the driver. No one from First Student's local office immediately returned several phone messages left Monday evening.
A number for Collins or Gurrieri could not be found late Monday.
Collins and Gurrieri were called to the bus by 911. A school bus dispatcher called 911 after the bus driver said she felt students were "getting out of control."
School administrators said they reviewed a video from a camera on the school bus and didn't see any unruly behavior from students that put the bus in danger or required police intervention. The video also contains audio.
"No disciplinary action was taken against any of the students aboard the bus," said Craig Harper, chief administrative officer with the school system. >>more<<
No, these police shouldn't be in any trouble for swearing, face it that is the only way your going to get the brats to listen. Yeah they may act all offened by the words being dished out, but what comes out of the little darlings mouth is a million times worse and what they do to bus drivers is crazy too. You figure the bus drivers job is to transport the students to and from school safely, but many times buses are overcrowded, with a few disrespectful kids who in turn get everyone else all wound up. While the bus driver has to keep their eyes on the road and find a safe place to pull over to get said children to calm down and if that doesn't work they have to radio in for school security, who has taken over an hour or more to get to said bus, do not call the police under any circumstances because that may cost you your job, and pray to god a student or parent doesn't physically come at you and assault you, because you have to pretty much take it and that is no fault of the drivers. What they put school bus drivers through is insane.
If you don't believe it, I have several bus related blog posts through out the years right here on my blog.
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