For reasons that aren't clear, Police Chief Mike Marshman yesterday placed two senior police officials on leave.
Captain Kevin Modica and Captain Derek Rodrigues were both reassigned to the Portland Police Bureau's Personnel Services Division on March 8, Marshman wrote in an internal statement, "due to ongoing internal investigations that began under former Chief Larry O’Dea III."
"I have appointed Lieutenant Stephanie Lourenco as Acting Captain of the Family Services Division and Lieutenant Bob Gorgone as Acting Captain of the Youth Services Division until further notice. I understand that many of you have questions, but as with any internal personnel matter, I cannot share additional details at this time."
This is the second time Marshman has shuffled Modica and Rodrigues during his tenure as chief. Both men were part of a seismic shakeup the chief set into motion hours after being sworn in last June—with Modica being demoted from assistant chief to captain, and Rodrigues being shifted from head of the bureau's Internal Affairs Unit to Family Services.
Marshman explained the decision at the time by telling the Mercury: "I felt over time a need to just kind of reset the organization. Not a restart, but kind of shaking out the cobwebs a little bit."
But it was worth noting, then and now, that Rodrigues was head of the bureau's Professional Standards Division when former Chief O'Dea mistakenly shot a friend nearly a year ago. The city's Independent Police Review (IPR) is investigating the bureau's handling of that case, and why an internal investigation wasn't launched when O'Dea admitted the incident.
IPR Director Constantin Severe tells the Mercury that the investigation is still underway, but should be concluded soon. KOIN first reported the suspensions.