A District of Columbia police commander pulled a traffic ticket barely an hour after it was issued to an official in Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration, The Examiner has learned. Seventh District police Cmdr. Joel Maupin confirmed to The Examiner Friday that he ordered a ticket that had been issued to Isha Foster Lee brought to him Thursday night. He said he wanted to “review” it for irregularity. Police general orders state that officers aren’t supposed to turn in traffic tickets until the end of their shift. They are put into locked boxes and sent to city traffic court. The traffic court is supposed to decide whether the tickets are valid, according to general orders.
Maupin said he asked to review Lee’s ticket after Lee, a neighborhood services coordinator for Fenty, called him on his cell phone Thursday night to complain about the officer’s conduct.
When Maupin asked for the officer’s badge number, Lee said it wasn’t on the ticket as required, Maupin said. If true, that would have “spoiled” the ticket and required separate paperwork.
“I had the officer turn in the ticket because the ticket was incorrect,” Maupin said. “It’s part of the responsibility of the supervisor to make sure that everything is correct.”
Asked for a copy of the ticket Friday afternoon, Maupin said he hadn’t seen it yet because he had been at a promotion ceremony all Friday morning. Half an hour later, he said that he reviewed the ticket and found that the officer’s badge number was in fact on the ticket and Lee would have to defend it in traffic court.
“I don’t play politics,” he said. “She didn’t call me to get the ticket canceled. She called me to tell me the officer had said something [inappropriate] to her.”
Lee was pulled over in the 2100 block of Alabama Avenue, SE, Thursday night, for driving while talking on her cell phone. According to one police source who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, Lee was indignant about the encounter.
She told the officer, “I’m going to call Maupin and take care of this,” according to the source.
Lee didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Police union chair Kristopher K. Baumann said that his group has asked the police Office of Professional Responsibility to look into the matter.
“I’m not going to comment further because these are serious allegations,” Baumann said. “And you have to let an investigation take place.”
Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, who was appointed by Fenty, said via e-mail that she has asked her staff to look into the matter, but declined further comment.
Fenty spokeswoman Carrie Brooks declined comment.
Got a tip on the D.C. police? Call Bill Myers at 202-459-4956 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
