By Sam Wildow
TROY — Two officers with the Troy Police Department were suspended from duty this month following internal investigations, which cited “sexual misconduct” as part of the city policies they allegedly violated.
Ptl. Cody Compton was suspended for 18 shifts, and Ptl. Lucas Schlumpf was suspended for 12 shifts. According to memos from Patrick Titterington, the city’s director of Public Service and Safety, Compton and Schlumpf are believed to have violated two articles from the Canons of Police Ethics, seven subsections within the department’s Code of Conduct and Appearance policy, and three subsections within the city of Troy Policy Manual, the latter of which are in regard to sexual misconduct, ethics of public employment, and off-duty conduct. The Canons of Police Ethics articles they are alleged to have violated are in regard to conduct toward the public, as well as about gifts and favors.
According to a memo from Chief of Police Shawn McKinney, between March 2019 and January 2021, Compton “met with, exchanged text messages, communicated through a variety of apps, had in-person, and phone conversations, both on and off-duty, with two women that have records and convictions related to illegal drugs, drug overdoses, and other offenses.” McKinney states in the memo that the conversations Compton had with the women “had sexual overtones to include receiving and/or viewing explicit photographs and/or videos from both women.”
According to McKinney, the communications with these women led them to believe “that they would receive special treatment if they engaged in sexual activity with Officer Compton, or that Officer Compton had engaged in sexual activity with others in exchange for beneficial treatment during the investigation of criminal acts.”
The memo and internal investigation also claim Compton asked a “personal male friend,” who has drug-related convictions, to do an “unofficial and non-medically supervised drug detox” for one of those women.
The internal investigation in regard to Schlumpf involved his interactions with one of the women involved in the internal investigation into Compton’s actions. According to a memo from McKinney, Schlumpf also met and communicated with a woman who has previous drug-related convictions. McKinney states the “communications had sexual context to include receiving and/or viewing explicit photographs and/or videos from her,” and he goes on to state this led the woman to believe “she would receive special treatment if she engaged in sexual activity with Officer Schlumpf, or that Officer Schlumpf had engaged in sexual activity with others in exchange for beneficial treatment during the investigation of criminal acts.”
According to a disciplinary recommendation from Mark Wendling, assistant director from Public Service and Safety, Schlumpf’s actions “were at best a demonstration of extremely poor judgement and, at worst, an abuse of his position and his power as an officer of the law.”
According to the investigation, Schlumpf has also previously been counseled in his career about “inappropriate relationships.”
The officers received their suspensions earlier this month.
