Donna Perry consents to $17,296 severance bundle, plus $900 in car allowance, after working at the Lakeland Police Department for best six months.
LAKELAND — Lakeland Police attorney Donna Perry, accused of violating regulations by having a romantic dating with former Police Chief Larry Giddens, is leaving the department.
She signed a $17,296 severance package Tuesday after running there for handiest six months. The package consists of her profits via May 31 plus a further $900 in automobile allowance she could have been paid in the course of the months of April and May.
Perry has till Tuesday to decide whether she wants to terminate the severance settlement. She and City Manager Tony Delgado both signed the agreement Tuesday.
Perry answered the cellphone Friday, however, could no longer respond to questions about her departure. She later could now not reply to text messages asking why she determined to go away the department.
The agreement between the metropolis and Perry describes the go out as “certainly one of convenience for the Parties, and shall no longer be construed as an admission of any misconduct via the EMPLOYEE.”
“Employee acknowledges that upon execution of this Agreement, she is relieved of her day to day obligations and shall don’t have any in additional duties in the function of Police General Counsel, for the Lakeland Police Department,” the settlement states.
At the request of Perry, an inner investigation into any wrongdoing by means of her or Giddens shall hold.
“Execution of this settlement shall have no effect at the progress of that research and on the request of the employee, it shall continue to a final dedication on the allegations therein,” the settlement states.
In a criticism filed in March, former Sgt. Pat Guity accused Perry, 38, and Giddens, 55, of violating several guidelines, such as untruthfulness and conduct unbecoming.
Perry started out on the department Oct. 8.
Delgado said Friday it turned into great for both facets to element approaches.
“This is voluntary and considered one of the conveniences of each event,” Delgado said. “It’s not a end result of any misconduct at this factor.”
Once the separation is very last, Delgado said, City Attorney Tim McCausland and Police Chief Ruben Garcia will begin a look for a new legal professional. In the intervening time, the branch will hold an outside organization for any paintings that is wished, he said.
Garcia defined the departure as a mutual settlement.
“Anytime we’ve personnel adjustments we’ve some effect, but it’s been minimal,” he said. “We have a larger assignment than that one character.
“We’re greater concerned with serving the citizens of Lakeland,” he said.
Perry became hired with the aid of Giddens, McCausland, Assistant Chief Rick Taylor, and former Assistant Chief Vic White to replace retiring police attorney Roger Mallory. She was chosen over eleven different applicants interviewed with the aid of video for the task that pays $one hundred and five,000 a 12 months.
About 5 weeks after Perry started at LPD, Giddens had talked with Delgado in November approximately leaving the branch because of issues at home. In December, Giddens asked whether Perry, his subordinate, can be transferred to paintings at City Hall rather than at the police department. Perry’s new boss would have been McCausland
On Jan. 7, Giddens announced his retirement powerful Feb. 1.
The Ledger has persisted to request data from Perry’s cellular phone, for which she acquired a monthly $40 stipend.
A review of Giddens’ smartphone facts shows 24 texts related to town enterprise among Perry and Giddens. But the town has now not produced the ones equal textual content messages from Perry’s telephone.
A request of texts from Perry’s smartphone produced 4 texts despatched and received after Feb. 1. Kevin Cook, a spokesman with the city, wrote that Perry instructed him that there were no text communications among her and the chief.
After a request was again made for textual content messages, Perry spoke back to McCausland, the city lawyer, in an electronic mail that “No such records exist. Any texts that a few might argue appear commercial enterprise related might possibly have been texts that have been transitory in nature and no longer required to be retained.”
On Friday, the branch launched five text messages from Perry’s telephone that were saved on a document on her paintings laptop. Except for one message, the communications were the same texts the department despatched The Ledger in March.
