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CLEAR Temp: 46 °F Wind: WNW at 6 mph Tuesday, April 1, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 28, 2003 On-duty intimate relationship leads police officer to resign By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A Medford police officer has resigned in the midst of an internal investigation into whether he had sex on duty with a woman he met through his job. Steve Banry left the force March 1 after investigators said he apparently had violated department standards of conduct by having sexual contact, calling and visiting a woman while he was at work. He first met the woman when he was called to a neighborhood dispute at an apartment complex in late May, the investigators’ report said. The woman, a former exotic dancer and model, told investigators that Banry came into her apartment to talk with her about the dispute. Several days later, in early June, Banry, in uniform and driving a police car, returned and asked the woman to dance for him while he was on break, she told investigators. They had sex that day and maintained an intermittent relationship until investigators began looking into the situation in February. In the report, the woman claimed that she had sex with Banry so he would make a misdemeanor theft she had been cited in "go away," and so he would find a man she suspected of slashing her car’s tires in July. The theft charge was dismissed because the alleged victim didn’t sign the complaint, although the woman said Banry took credit for the dismissal. The tire-slashing case hasn’t been solved. The department started its investigation when a Medford resident told police and city officials that he believed his neighbor was getting preferential treatment from police because of her ongoing relationship with Banry. Wayne Botta, a Teamsters union representative who helped Banry during the investigation process, said Banry voluntarily resigned and wasn’t charged with criminal misconduct. The police department closed the internal investigation when Banry resigned. Banry didn’t return phone calls seeking comments for this article. "There was an impression the MPD was favoring (this woman) and that impression had to be stopped," Lt. Tim George, the department’s patrol commander, said in the report. Investigators interviewed the woman’s neighbors, who said she talked about having sex with Banry. Neighbors also said Banry, in uniform and driving a police car, visited the apartment complex regularly and neighbors provided dates and times of some visits in January, the report said. Police records of where officers go on duty didn’t show Banry visiting the apartments that often, according to the report. The woman said Banry called her from a police department cell phone in his police car throughout the summer, the report said. She also called him on that phone. The calls and visits stopped after August and resumed at Christmas. The woman told investigators Banry gave her boyfriend job leads to get him out of the house and referred her to a car dealer where she could get a good used car cheaply. In a memo sent Feb. 13, Banry’s supervisor, Sgt. Dave Ryder, who worked on the investigation, ordered Banry to avoid the apartment complex while on duty. Any calls there were to be assigned to other officers, the memo said. On Feb. 20, police set up and recorded a call between the woman and Banry. He coached her to tell investigators she knew him from police business and attending the same church. He told her to say nothing had happened between them, the report said. Investigators also taped a statement from the woman that day. A lie-detector test conducted on Feb. 24 showed that she had been truthful about her relationship with Banry, the report said. On Feb. 21, police suspended Banry with pay until the completion of the inquiry. Investigators set an interview to question Banry about the case on Feb. 27, but he instead resigned, which ended the investigation. "We wanted to get to the truth and take appropriate action," said Randy Schoen deputy chief of operations. "We never got the opportunity to hear his side, so this isn’t a judgment on him." Schoen said the department investigates all complaints about officers, especially if they concern violation of department standards of conduct. "We have very high standards of conduct for our officers, higher than for the general public," he said. "We must maintain them to keep public support." Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S