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On Tuesday, 81-year-old veteran lawman Jerry Glover was arrested on charges related to misconduct and assault upon an unidentified woman. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the sheriff’s deputy abused his authority and exploited a woman while in uniform. Allegations against him also include violations of the oath of office and false imprisonment.
As per Fox News, the Lafayette Police Department asked the GBI to help investigate the allegations on May 11. Glover was fired on May 27, and arrested by the Walker County Sheriff’s department 4 days later.
All you need to know about the Jerry Glover case
According to Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council records, Glover began his law enforcement career with the Atlanta Police Department in 1967. After over 10 years of service, he began working with the sheriff’s office in 1978, carrying out numerous stints over the years.
At the time of his arrest, Jerry Glover was working as a court officer amidst a recent seven-year stint as a deputy. The Daily Beast reported that his responsibilities included courtroom security and serving civil process. He had no reported history of disciplinary issues in the past.
A spokeswoman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation made an official statement about the crime to the Post:
“The investigation revealed that Glover had s*x with a woman without her consent while on duty and in uniform.”
Speaking to WTVC, Sheriff Steve Wilson alleges that Jerry Glover arrived at the woman’s home in uniform. In an abuse of his authority, it is reported that he forced her into having inappropriate relations with him. She said:
“As I was briefed on the investigation, it was extremely disappointing to hear the evidence that was being told to me, and that’s when I decided last week that it reached the level that he had to be terminated.”
Police misconduct across the nation
Unfortunately, the case of Jerry Glover is not an isolated incident. According to CNN, a report conducted by Bowling Green State University shows police officers in the US were charged with forcibly violating civilians 405 times between 2005 and 2013, with an average of 45 cases a year. General misconduct was even more widespread, with 636 cases reported.
Jonathan Banks, a research assistant with the Cato institute’s project on criminal justice, indicated that the reported cases are not representative of how common this behavior is among law enforcement officials.
The report stated that the data was still incomprehensive. It said:
“Police s*xual misconduct and cases of police s*xual violence are often referred to as hidden offences, and studies on police s*xual misconduct are usually based on small samples derived from officer surveys that are threatened by a reluctance to reveal these cases.”
While Jerry Glover may have to face consequences for his actions, these reports show that his actions are indicative of a widespread phenomenon among authorities.
