By
Scott Thomas Anderson
Last year, Jackson Police detectives successfully investigated and arrested a Little League president for embezzling money while abusing the position of trust he had with the community. However, they never would have guessed they would soon have to launch a similar probe into one of their own employees.
Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday that a well-known dispatcher and clerk who worked for his department would likely face criminal charges for stealing public funds. Morrison had already fired the staff member, 36-year-old Renee McKinney, on Aug. 17.
Morrison and his captain, Christy Stidger, first became aware that a potential problem was brewing in-house after they discovered anomalies in the parking citation and towing account. Launching an internal investigation, they began to monitor the office with a video surveillance system. They also ordered a complete audit of all revenues coming into the department.
According to Morrison, images caught on video revealed McKinney swiping cash funds from the account in question through various methods, money that he later determined she'd spent on her own personal needs.
The news came as a body blow to the small, close-knit police department, where McKinney was considered almost family to many of the officers and staff. "She was friendly and very well-liked by everyone," Morrison said. "She was close to a lot of people here. We're shocked and saddened."
McKinney had worked for the department since 1998, with a small break in service before returning up until her termination last month.
Members of Jackson Police who were conducting the investigation recently brought McKinney to Amador County Sheriff's Office to be interviewed by them, with outside law enforcement also present. The details of that interview are yet to be released; however, Morrison confirmed that the investigation against McKinney was in the process of being forwarded to the Amador County District Attorney's Office for "review and further action."
To be hired as a dispatcher-clerk at the Jackson Police Department requires a background check nearly as extensive as a patrol officer, including having one's history cross-referenced with all available criminal records, the California Department of Justice database, the FBI fingerprint archives and even public school records. McKinney passed all of those hurdles in the background check without problems.
