JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Action News Jax has uncovered another allegation of wrongdoing against the man who runs Jacksonville’s Emergency Services Division.
Investigator Emily Turner found Chief Todd Smith was investigated by the city’s Office of Inspector General after a whistleblower report.
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The report says the Todd Smith, who was an Assistant Chief at the time, “falsified training records... in order for the whistleblower to be eligible for promotion.” It also says that “may have been done on more than one occasion.”
The report was filed in 2017, just after Smith moved from his position with training to the Emergency Management Division, which he currently heads up.
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In the Inspector General’s response, it says its review “determined that the complaint contained criminal matters” and advised the whistleblower to contact the State Attorney’s office,” because the Inspector General’s Office doesn’t investigate misconduct by firefighters because of the “Firefighter’s Bill of Rights.”
The State Attorney’s Office has not yet responded to question about if it ever received a complaint against Smith.
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Action News Jax also reached out to both the City of Jacksonville and JFRD about why this is also absent from Smith’s file and why he went on to be promoted to the Chief of Emergency Services.
The city says it didn’t know about this investigation because the Inspector General’s Office doesn’t share it’s finding with the Mayor’s office.
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