High Springs police chief reinstated with warning after extra-duty pay probe

City Manager Jeremy Marshall reinstated Police Chief Antoine Sheppard on Tuesday following an internal investigation that found he had improperly assigned himself extra-duty shifts, misreported compensation, and allowed officers to receive extra-duty pay for ineligible activities; Sheppard received a final written warning rather than termination, and an audit will be conducted to determine how much he was overpaid. Hundreds of residents packed City Hall for a commission meeting that evening, many intending to speak during public comment, but commissioners unanimously voted to postpone the gathering to July 23 after the elevator to the second-floor chambers failed, raising ADA accessibility concerns. The reinstatement drew both public support and calls for greater transparency about the investigation’s findings.

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Sources: WCJB TV20

Investigation clears Alachua County Animal Services of most whistleblower allegations

An outside attorney hired to review Alachua County Animal Services concluded that the facility’s practices do not require intervention by the Board of County Commissioners. The probe, completed July 1, found that staff and county resources were sufficient to properly care for animals and that no laws were broken. The investigation was triggered by a 15-page complaint filed in March by a former employee who had resigned in February, and the report found most of the allegations unsubstantiated.

Sources: WCJB TV20 · The Gainesville Sun