Monday, November 10, 2008

Mentally handicapped possibly?


Pretty reprehensible no?




This wasn't a one-time oops either and she and others have been misusing handicapped placards down around the Bexar Courthouse for years. Periodically the news stations will look into this and find some County employees who misuse the handicapped placards of relatives to avoid paying for parking.




I also find the complaint of Deputy Leal that her parking stipend isn't enough, sort of ludicrous.


Deputy Allegedly Misusing Handicapped Parking Placard
Diana Leal Wants More Than Current $60 Parking Stipend

SAN ANTONIO -- A Bexar County sheriff's deputy is being investigated on allegations she misused a disabled parking permit and kept parking stipends provided her by the department.

Deputy Diana Leal was observed hanging a disabled tag on her truck and parking in a metered space near the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center without having to pay.
She was observed using the placard and parking at a pay meter without being ticketed on multiple days. When asked by the KSAT Defenders, who were prompted to investigate after a viewer complaint, Leal said she was given the placard after a knee surgery gone wrong.
"The doctor felt he messed it up so bad," she said.

Leal said the $60 a month she receives as a parking stipend isn't enough, even though she admits to using a parking meter for free with her disabled placard.

"It's quite embarrassing, quite frankly," said Deputy Chief Dale Bennett. "This person is not on light duty, this person is on full duty, and there's isn't any reason why this should be occurring."
Bennett said the county declared Leal fit for active duty six months ago, and that active duty deputies can't be disabled to perform their job duties.

The case has been forwarded to the Public Standards and Integrity Division of the sheriff's department for a discipline inquiry, Bennett said, and Sheriff Rolando Tafolla has ordered an investigation and said he condemns this type of behavior.