Three police officers disciplined for Lexie Glover case
The Prince William County Police Department has disciplined three police officers for not following policy during the Lexie Glover case.
The department has completed an internal investigation about its handling of the girl’s case and is making several changes because of it, police department officials announced Monday.
“Part of our responsibility is to safeguard children from harm, and it is deeply disturbing to me that we failed to do so in Lexie Glover’s case,” Chief Charlie T. Deane said in a statement.
He added that “there are some things we could have, and should have, done differently within prior investigations with [Glover’s] family.”
Monday, Alfreedia Gregg-Glover pleaded guilty to killing 13-year-old Alexis, as well as to abusing her and filing a false police report.
During the plea hearing, police listed more than a dozen incidents of abuse of Lexie Glover that were reported to the police and the Department of Social Services since 2004.
A police department report released Monday lists the problems encountered in Lexie’s case and changes that can be made to fix them.
One problem was that Gregg-Glover “intentionally mischaracterized” Lexie, the police department report states.
Gregg-Glover led the police department, the Department of Social Services and various healthcare professionals to believe that Lexie was “severely mentally and physically challenged” and that she was lying about the abuse, the report states.
Another problem arose from the poor communication between the police department and the Department of Social Services.
The internal investigation revealed that there needs to be a better and more consistent way for police officers and social workers to share information about a case.
A third problem the report identified is that police officers and detectives who investigated Lexie’s case used inconsistent techniques.
The police department’s report recommends improvements in training, communication between investigating officers, police department policy and communication between the police department and other agencies, including the department of social services.
Among the changes that will be made are changes to the police department’s policy regarding child abuse and neglect complaints.
The revised policy will require detectives or school resource officers to follow up and investigate every report of child abuse and neglect.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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Reader Reactions
Good Lord, how many times has this happened in DC - where children die at the hands of their ‘caretakers’, and after investigation- it is found that there were signs for months and months prior to the deaths/injuries. PWC isnt exempt from ‘big city’ crime anymore - we house the same money hungry, crazy St. Elizabeth rejects/welfare scabs as DC and PG county. Every child’s complaint should be taken seriously. And if a child is pulled out of school, send someone daily until you find the real reason why. This is one area - the one involving children- where we cant afford to cut the budget - for any reason!!!
Alfonso, you’re right - 30% actually have the time to give a darn for the legal criminals living here. The rest are chasing down illegal immigrant criminals in the county.
I agree, the ball was dropped everywhere! If these comments after my submission were directed at me, thats fine, like I said, we are fortunate enough to voice our own opinions. My real problems are with the comment that only a small percentage of law enforcement actually care AND how does a woman like this actually end up with a child not born to her but placed in her care and no one realizing that she wasn’t capable? I’m not close minded, I appreciate everyones comments and views, though I must say….....I don’t understand where some people come from!! But thats just me!!
Let’s hold on here. The police ‘themselves’ admitted to “inconsistent techniques.“ Read the article… So what is the problem.
There is plenty of blame to go around here. No one is putting all the blame in one place, but you have to admit the police did drop the ball.
Calling people ‘stupid’ is not a good way to get anyone is going to listen and give credence to your point of view…
Auntwendi - It appears that you have joined us…the dumb and ignorant people, w/ your comments.
Let me see any of you with your dumb comments about the PWCPD put on a uniform and go out and deal with ignorant people like you every day with such stupid comments! What did the social services ever do who are the ones that should have been investigating this whole situation!!!
I’m with you Rich, I was going to comment yesterday on the remark made about the majority of police officers just “picking up a paycheck”...Coming from a law enforcement family, these remarks boil my blood!! I’m not ignorant, I realize that with every profession there are those who are doing what they do as a means of living and not necessarily in it with heart and soul….but to say only about 30% of officers actually “give a darn” just doesn’t seem fair to me. I’m sure in this type of situation and field, there is a lot of “red tape” per say and legalities, but I see it as a major failure of Social Services. I will never understand how this little girl with obvious medical problems (but she was well enough to tell someone her mother was going to kill her) was actually placed in a home with this monster?? Were there NO signs at all when this woman was interviewed to become a foster/adoptive parent? I’m sorry, I just have a hard time accepting this!! We are fortune enough to be able to voice our own opinions, no matter how indifferent they are, but I truly believe that a major investigation needs to go into the agencies that handle placing these children in homes. You hear of these horrifying stories and everyone just gets sickened by them, but whats the answer? I pray that these poor abused and murdered children hopefully find peace in death with a loving God!
Just another way to push the blame away from Department of Social Services. I think the Police do the best they can and should not be blamed for this one.
Exactly…
Posted by ( vmj ) on July 06, 2009 at 8:28 pm
“inconsistent techniques.“
What the heck does that mean?
It means that the police admitted “wrondgdoing” in the Lexie case.
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