AS THE TITLE SUGGESTS, MAY NOT BE ENTIRELY SAFE FOR WORK.
DISCLAIMER: All of Xave’s Faves contain re-posts and/or excerpts from anonymous police message boards. The quoted authors are unknown unless specifically credited, and no statement is made as to their truthfulness or accuracy. In other words, this section may contain gossip, nonsense, BS, unsubstantiated rumor and/or flat out lies, and I don’t know who wrote a lot of it. I put things here because I found them enjoyable to read and thought you might, too.
NOTE: I have edited only for readability, my notes/clarifications in brackets — XO.
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Well dudes and duchesses, here’s the twisted tale that brought me out of blogger semi-retirement. A picture says 1,000 words:
Left to right: Major VanReeth, minor VanReeth, naked hooker name unknown, Officer VanReeth, Officer Penque
From
Jose Lambiet at Gossip Extra:
The snapshots of Major Robert VanReeth (above), commander of [Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office] Internal Affairs, with a very naked young woman during a 2005 invitation-only golf tournament surfaced Thursday on pbsotalk.com.
By the way: Next to VanReeth is his son, then a high school senior, Joe VanReeth, the major’s nephew, and Lou Penque. Joe VanReeth and Penque are currently West Palm Beach Police officers and Penque is the treasure of the Police Benevolent Association [union].
Let’s go to the boards:
News Writer: The back story from what I heard: A pimp brought this prostitute to this private golf event. The pimp and the hooker were doing cocaine out in the open and the [cops] … took turns [getting] blow jobs [from the hooker]. I wonder – even the minor? It is unknown if the fellows in the photo were partaking in the cocaine.
Who are these guys?
Anonymous poster: The guy in the gray shirt is Office Lou Penque from West Palm Beach Police and also the Treasurer of our beloved Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association [union]. The guy in the green shirt next to him is Officer Joseph VanReeth from West Palm Beach Police, and also Major Bob VanReeth’s nephew. Bob worked hard to get Joe hired at WPBPD before he retired as Assistant Chief. The new police chief at WPBPD would be very interested in this photo.
The young man in the yellow shirt is Jeffrey VanReeth, Major VanReeth’s son, and of course the slender gentleman (pun intended) in the salmon colored shirt is Major Robert VanReeth, director of the Management Services Bureau at PBSO. Major VanReeth oversees hiring (as he is in charge of Human Relations), training (oversees the Training Division), employee issues and policy violations (as he oversees Internal Affairs and Employees Relations Divisions), and directs policy (as he oversees Staff Inspections).
I am also sure if you got the roster from this tournament, you will find other higher ups from PBSO, and of course the PBA, were there.
Nothing to see here
The usual suspects showed up selling the usual kimchee:
Anonymous poster: OMG. You guys post pics from a Golf Tourney that raises 10′s of thousands of dollars FOR KIDS and happens every year? I suppose none of you guys never got drunk and drove either? Never been to a strip club? Never had a lap dance? The hypocrisy here is beyond amazing. Keep up the good work. Clown Colleges are accepting applications. I also suggest a Monestary if Clown College won’t take you.
Anonymous poster: Um, no. This WAS NOT and NEVER WAS a charity tournament. It is for the personal enjoyment of the players, PERIOD. Nice try though . . .
Good clean fun for the whole family, police officers and a hooker many feet from the nearest private residence.
Anonymous poster: So please tell me what is illegal about what they were doing? I don’t go to strip clubs and don’t really care about a golf event where a dancer takes off her clothes. Where is the illegal activity? Clearly the person who took/provided the photos was there as well.
The debate goes on for quite a while.
Anonymous poster: I’m trying to grasp what happened in these photos and I’m wondering what is scarier. The fact the Sheriff said these cops didn’t do anything wrong? Or the fact these cops actually behaved this way, in public view on a golf course bordered by single family homes? Or is it the fact Major Van Reeth, a man who determines if the agency’s deputies acted appropriately and “played by the rules” doesn’t know this conduct isn’t how any cop should act. For god’s sake, he had his son with him. Some father figure. I’ll bet his son will turn out to be a wife beating bully who doesn’t respect women just like he is.
Anonymous poster: The person who took the photos was not a cop, public official, civil servant, teacher, priest or even married, and got no play from the damsel in question. They were paid to take the photos by the people in them.
The details of the man who brought her to the party (Scott Wheeler) are pretty special in and of themselves. The poster has
a lot more detail, which I’ve edited down:
Anonymous poster: Scott Wheeler owed the club [where the pictures were taken] almost $10,000 – yup, that is TEN GRAND. He was told personally, by the general manager, well before this event that he was not welcome on the property until the bill was satisfied.
[The people who] run the tournament were all informed of this by the general manager, and out of respect were asked politely NOT to invite him to their tournament for this reason. Furthermore, ALL of them knew about Wheeler’s coke/pill problem, his penchant for nudist females (this was not the first time he brought a “girlfriend” to the club), his… extensive prior history with local police, and the fact that he, as well as others at the tournament, was among the many defrauders of the mortgage industry at the time (by his own admission).
These abusive, entitled sleaze bags, out of blatant disrespect to the general manager and the club, invited Wheeler anyway, hired HER SON … to take photos at the tournament without his prior knowledge of exactly what he was going to be exposing, in order to willfully compromise her position and his. Again, he (the photographer) was told by many parties that if he informed his mother (or anyone outside of the already enlightened circle) of their shenanigans, negative consequences would be forthcoming…
The girl, incidentally, left the property after the golf was over, as her job was over, and the wives who arrived for the party were not to see her…
Also, during the golf tournament, both Wheeler and the girl bragged how they had both been up for over 3 days straight on coke. Wheeler, specifically on the tee of hole number 3, annoyed the hell out of his foursome as he made a spectacle of himself; “I’m too fucking high to hit this ball right!” he exclaimed. “Too much drugs in my pockets!” he exclaimed, as he reached into his pocket and tossed two light brown, glass vials of coke out onto the tee and proceeded to finally take his drive at the prompting of the other players. The third hole sits directly alongside Lyons road by the way.
More on the beloved VanReeth:
Anonymous poster: Major Van Reeth has resigned as of 11:30am today…
Anonymous poster: Yeah right. You are in a dream world kid. Let’s just review a small portion of Major Robert VanReeth’s seedy past in police work, as well as his personal life. We have this photo showing his parenting skills. We know about the gambling ring he confessed to running while a member of WPBPD. We know his boasting about[Sheriff] Bradshaw (then Chief at WPBPD) calling him in for overtime to count money with his then girlfriend, and now wife, Laure VanDusen. Bob laughs when he tells this story. How much money did he and Laure pocket? How much money did they share with Bradshaw, or did he just hold this over VanReeth’s head when he promoted him to IA Commander at WPBPD and later at PBSO?
VanReeth has an ego almost as big as Bradshaw. He isn’t going anywhere, unless it is in handcuffs. Wouldn’t that be poetic justice, VanReeth in handcuffs.
Surely the guys shown in the photograph are embarrassed and remorseful, right? I mean they’re going to get punished, aren’t they? Somebody posted the statutes that were violated.
Anonymous poster: I was at the PBA today. Ernie, [PBA President John] Kaz[anjian] and Lou [Penque, in the gray shirt] were yucking it up, thinking the photo was funny. The had a lot of really nice things to say (NOT) about the prostitute and the event.
Anonymous poster: Did anyone actually believe the Sheriff would do anything to his right hand man, his do-boy, his ass kissing chum? Come on now. This is just another example of those in the small inner circle being able to get away with anything. I had to laugh with the Sheriff saying he can’t control his employees’ off duty behavior. What a joke that is.
Didn’t IA investigate a former female Lieutenant who was doing the nasty with one of her subordinates off duty? Didn’t IA investigate a former female Captain, and demote her, over allegations of off duty lesbian behavior at a school in Quantico Virginia? Didn’t IA investigate a black male deputy that was DJing at a private party off duty? We could go on and on, but what sense would that make? They weren’t within the inner circle, so that rule doesn’t apply.
With liberty and justice for all.
Citations from anonymous posters:
PBSO Code of Ethics, Second Paragraph:
I will keep my private life unsullied as example to all; maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others, honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life. I will be exemplary in observing the laws of the land and the regulations of my agency.
Section IX, Paragraph 59:
CODE OF ETHICS FIR PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
Sheriff’s Office personnel shall strictly adhere to the Code Of Ethics and Canon Of Law Enforcement Ethics, and shall not violate the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees as set forth in Florida law. (Violation subject to reprimand or dismissal.)
Section IX, Paragraph 59:
USE OF PROFANITY OR VULGARITY
Sheriff’s Office personnel shall not use profanity or vulgarity in speech or gestures. (Violations subject to reprimand or one (1) day suspension.)
Section VI, Paragraph 25:
PERSONAL NEGLECT
Law enforcement and corrections deputy sheriffs shall maintain personal body weight in proportion to height in accordance with employment requirements and Standard Operating Procedures governing personal appearance. (Violation subject to reprimand and/or one (1) day suspension, with progressive disciplinary action each month violation continues or until a voluntary weight control program is undertaken pursuant to Standard Operating Procedures.)
Canons of Police Ethics:
Article 6: Private Conduct
The law enforcement officer shall be mindful of his special identification by the public as an upholder of the law. Laxity of conduct or manner in private life, expressing either disrespect for the law or seeking to gain special privilege, cannot but reflect upon the police officer and the police service. The community and the service require that the law enforcement officer lead the life of a decent and honorable person. Following the career of a police officer gives no person special prerequisites. It does give the satisfaction and pride of following and furthering an unbroken tradition of safeguarding the American republic. The officer who reflects upon this tradition will not degrade it. Rather, he will so conduct his private life that the public will regard him as an example of stability, fidelity, and morality.
Article 11: Attitude Toward Profession
The law enforcement officer shall regard the discharge of his duties as a public trust and recognize his responsibility as a public servant. By diligent study and sincere attention to self-improvement, he shall strive to make the best possible application of science to the solution of crime, and in the field of human relationships, shall strive for effective leadership and public influence in matters affecting public safety. He shall appreciate the importance and responsibility of his office and shall hold police work to be an honorable profession rendering valuable service to his community and country.
Anonymous poster: Yeah, well I guess none of these officers bothered to read them. Looks like Major Van Reeth didn’t bother to read the laws on exposing his juvie kid to an unclothed prostitute running that he and his friends were groping on a public golf course. Every last one of these officers should be fired and prosecuted criminally.