Why did Internal Affairs in Boynton Beach report clear officials without interviewing them?
BOYNTON BEACH — An internal affairs investigator has cleared two Boynton Beach police officers of misconduct while handling a crash investigation without speaking to them. The expert asked how the investigator could clear them without doing so.
Both officers smelled alcohol on Chelsea Harness, the girlfriend of city commissioner Thomas Turkin. He arrived at the scene and told police that Harness was his girlfriend. Harnesses are never charged or asked to take a Breathalyzer.
Mark Sieron, a Jacksonville-area DUI attorney, spoke to The Palm Beach Post at the newspaper's request.. He said the smell of alcohol alone may not be enough to trigger a DUI investigation, but it almost always is when vandalism occurs.
Harness crashed into a stationary car with a flat tire, and the car went into the gate of the High Point retirement community, causing extensive damage to the board. Both cars were perfect.
Officer Desiree Rosas in her patrol car investigating a possible DUI involving the girlfriend of Boynton Beach Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin. A complaint was filed with the County Ethics Commission alleging that Turkin interfered with the police investigation. Rosas resigned shortly after the COE launched its investigation.
The Palm Beach County Ethics Commission investigated whether Turkin violated the code of conduct by showing up at the scene to help Harness. In the end, the ethics commission concluded that there was insufficient evidence to find that Turkin had improper influence on the police, but the ethics commission investigator found that his conduct was “relatable.”
The Post filed a public records request with the police department to find out if it conducted an internal investigation. Records show Police Chief Joe DeGiulio requested one after hearing about the ethics commission's investigation.
The department provided The Post with a summary of the report filed by Sgt. Christine Naulty. The Post filed another request for the report itself.
Boynton Beach Deputy Mayor Thomas Turkin leaves the scene of the accident to speak privately with the police officer investigating whether his girlfriend should be charged with drunken driving. Shortly after the interview, the police gave Turkin a notice indicating that he would not be arrested. The policeman turned off his body camera so that the conversation could not be recorded.
The summary revealed that neither officer — Thomas Coppini or Desiree Rosas — was interviewed. Instead, the IA investigator relied on the testimony Coppini gave to the ethics commission. Rosas resigned in April, before the IA investigation began, but the commission's investigation has just begun.
The ethics commission tried to interview Rosas, but police refused to provide a forwarding address. Phil Terrano, who initiated the commission's investigation, was also not interviewed. He says Turkin told him the night of the crash that Harness was drunk and that he was “lucky he wasn't going to jail.”
Coppini turned off her body-worn camera to talk to Turkin. The IA report did not address whether that conduct violated the requirement that the officer state on camera why his camera was off. Coppini made no such statement.
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DeGiulio said in an emailed statement to The Post that an officer can turn off the camera when the communication or incident is over. DeGiulio said Coppini turned off his camera after confirming on camera when responding to Rosas that he would not proceed with the DUI investigation.
As for why the police never interviewed him, DeGiulio said the IA reviewed “the final closing report (of the ethics commission) and the statements given to our officers and determined that there are no further questions.” The ethics commission, however, noted in its report that its review focused on Turkin's conduct and not the extent of the law enforcement investigation.
Louis Dekmar, a retired LaGrange, Georgia, police chief and former president of the International Association of Police Chiefs, reviewed the internal affairs report at The Post's request. Dekmar has been practicing law for over 50 years. He is an adjunct professor at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, and a self-employed police management consultant.
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Boynton Beach Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin
Dekmar is worried that the police did not interview him.
“The Ethics Commission's investigation was narrowly focused on whether the commissioner violated ethics,” Dekmar said. “The report is inconsistent with acceptable law enforcement standards and practices. That failure and inadequate investigation can undermine public confidence.”
Dekmar also said that he was upset that the body-worn camera was turned off while another police officer was talking to the commissioner.
The IA summary contradicts the major findings of the ethics commission. The IA report states that “at no time did the commissioner (Turkin) communicate directly with the police during the initial investigation.” The ethics commission, however, found that Turkin arrived at the scene while the police were investigating the accident. He told them that Harness was his girlfriend. Body-worn camera videos confirm the findings.
When he learned that Harness was Turkin's girlfriend, Rosas said: “What am I getting myself into?” Body camera videos show Turkin laughing with officers and berating them after the decision was made not to charge Harness.
Both Turkin and Terrano arrived at the scene of the accident at about the same time, at 2 a.m., on May 24, 2024. Harness called both of them for help. He was employed by Terrano at the time. Terrano filed a complaint against Turkin, saying he told her that Turkin convinced officials not to charge Harness.
The ethics commission concluded that Terrano's version could not be independently verified. Turkin claims Terrano acted negligently because the city canceled a contract with him to develop a Little League baseball field.
Meanwhile, The Post has learned that Turkin's appearance at the scene cost Boynton Beach taxpayers $4,200. The city authorized payment to a Tallahassee-based attorney, Jennifer Blohm, to represent Turkin before the ethics commission. He was paid $400 an hour, and was reimbursed for his flight from Tampa to West Palm Beach, as well as $337 for a one-night hotel stay at the Hyatt in West Palm Beach.
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Mike Diamond is a reporter at The Palm Beach Postpart of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Covers Palm Beach County government and homeowner association issues. You can find him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Register today.
This article first appeared in the Palm Beach Post: Boynton internal affairs report clears officials but findings questioned
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