Tenn. police officer fired for smoking in precinct

[Fuji Vice]

NEWBERN, Tenn. (AP) -- A Tennessee police department says it has fired an officer after 17 years on the force because he repeatedly smoked cigarettes inside the precinct in violation of the city's no smoking policy.

Newbern police Sgt. James Bishop was terminated last week. A 2007 city policy prohibits smoking inside all municipal offices and buildings.

According to the termination letter obtained by the State Gazette, Police Chief Harold Dunivant said he had complaints that his employees were smoking inside their offices and issued a warning that disciplinary action could be taken (http://bit.ly/yAUKOE ).

Dunivant said he continued to get complaints about Bishop smoking indoors and was forced to fire him.

A phone number that the city of Newbern had on record Bishop him was disconnected, and messages left by The Associated Press at other listings for James Bishop weren't immediately returned.

I can't really decide whether I'm ok with this or not. On one side I think he needed to go because he wasn't following the rules but its hard to just fire someone with 17 years of service.

 

[Swamps]

While it is hard to let go a loyal employee after such a long time, I feel that it was necessary in this case. It has been almost five years, according to the article, since the city implemented that no smoking ban in the buildings, so why couldn’t an employee of so long just walk conform to the rules and smoke outside of the building. When I was working at one department, we were allowed to smoke inside of the building my first year there, but then the City Manager no longer allowed it, so myself and the other officers just stopped smoking inside of the building.

Like I said, it sucks to let go of a longstanding employee, but he has got to set an example and abide by the rules of his employer. Working is a privilege that not many people have these days so its his own fault for taking it for granted.

 

[TroyTheAverage]

employees were smoking inside their offices and issued a warning that disciplinary action could be taken

Well if he continued to do it even after the threat of disciplinary action than he is a dumbass and needed to be fired. Like Swampy said as well, it had been 5 years. How is he supposed to uphold the law and rules if he cannot abide by them?