Woman cop fired over whipped-cream licking

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A 23-year veteran of law enforcement has been fired after letting a subordinate officer spray whipped cream on her neck and chest and lick it off at a birthday party.

An internal investigation by the Largo, Fla., Police Department found that Sgt. Joan Short, 42, jeopardized public confidence in the department during an Oct. 21 celebration at the Green Iguana bar in St. Petersburg.

The party was held in honor of the 30th birthday of officer Melinda DeKyle, who was suspended for 10-days for her part in the incident.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Short allowed DeKyle to lick the chocolate-flavored cream from just below her collarbone twice during the gathering, while two other Largo officers watched. The sergeant was also photographed with another woman grabbing her breasts.

"I didn't know what to do when it was done to me," Short told police officials. "It was no big deal at the time. ... It was her just being silly and intoxicated and I didn't want to make a scene."

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It's possible Short might have kept her job, but she had been cited three times since 2004 for disrespectful behavior, with one incident resulting in a five-day suspension last month.

"The real shame is that she's an extremely talented officer," Deputy Chief John Carroll told the Times.

Short's supervisors recommended to police chief Lester Aradi that she be given a five-day suspension and lose her rank as sergeant, but Aradi decided on firing her.

"With all the sensitivity to supervisor-subordinate relations and the conduct of employees, the chief has been very clear about what his expectations are," Carroll said. "He felt that this situation warranted termination."

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