West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Araujo announced Friday the termination of five command-level officers following a nearly two-year administrative investigation into overtime misconduct, marking the latest development in what has rocked the department since 2020.
West Palm Beach police command staff fired in double dipping probe
“Yesterday, following a thorough, nearly two-year administrative investigation, and after careful review of the findings, I made the difficult decision to terminate five command-level officers,” Araujo said during a Friday morning press conference.
The firings — which included three captains, a major and an assistant chief — come as the culmination of an investigation that began after a 2020 audit commissioned by the city uncovered nearly $20,000 worth of “double dipping” on timecards and thousands of hours of questionable overtime payments within the police department.
The controversy dates back to 2020 when a third-party audit examined the finances of multiple city departments. The audit revealed what officials called “pretty egregious” overtime spending patterns within the police department that had gone undetected for years…