Off-duty NYPD captain quietly resigns after drunkenly pulling over a driver 

An NYPD captain accused of drunkenly pulling over a driver has quietly resigned after 33 years on the force.

Wilfredo Camargo, 57, was found guilty at a June department trial and placed on dismissal probation before resigning in a case that was never made public. 

He was the second-in-command at Transit District 12 in the Bronx and in September 2016 was accused of stopping a driver improperly while drunk and fleeing the scene when officers were called by the motorist. 

The New York Daily News revealed that this is just one of four cases in which officers involved in drunk driving incidents have been given a second chance, rather than being fired, and the case was not made public. 

Wilfredo Camargo, 57, was found guilty at a June department trial of drunk driving and placed on dismissal probation instead of being fired. He retired in June after 33 years on the force at Transit District 12 in the Bronx (pictured)

The motorist Camargo pulled over had noticed the off-duty officer had been drinking, sources told the Daily News.

The driver called 911, but Camargo had driven off by the time other officers arrives. 

However, the driver wrote down Camargo’s license plate and gave it to police. Internal Affairs eventually traced it to Camargo’s car.

In June, Camargo was found guilty of driving under the influence, being unfit for duty and misleading the Internal Affairs Bureau. 

He was also found guilty of using a department car for personal use 38 times, disciplinary records acquired by the Daily News show. 

As a result, he lost 60 vacation days and was placed on dismissal probation, which meant he could be fired if he committed another offense. 

Instead, he chose to retire.

His case, however, was never made public because the NYPD says it is bound by a 1976 state law. 

Sources tell the Daily News dismissal probation is considered a second chance. 

‘It’s a second chance, but it is the last chance,’ a high-ranking cop said. ‘If you f*** up one more time, you have to go.’  

Four officers, including Captain Camargo, were found guilty at their department trials but were given a second chance by New York Police Commissioner James 'O'Neill (pictured) 

Four officers, including Captain Camargo, were found guilty at their department trials but were given a second chance by New York Police Commissioner James ‘O’Neill (pictured) 

This is not the first time an officer has been given a slap on the wrist for drunk driving. 

Officer Kevin Bryant was caught drunk driving and speeding in North Carolina in April 2017, while Sgt Lynda Chervoni was arrested in Long Island on the same offense in December 2016. 

Neither of their cases were made public because the NYPD said they only alert the media when their officers are arrested within the five New York City boroughs.

Chervoni walked away with 35 hours of community service and $1,000 fine. 

The fourth officer, Detective Michael Gries, was the only one to be arrested when he was found drunk behind the wheel in Brooklyn in October 2017. 

He had his license suspended and had to pay a $300 fine. 

All four officers, including Captain Camargo, were found guilty at their department trials but were given a second chance by New York Police Commissioner James ‘O’Neill.   

NYPD spokesman Phil Walzak said the four officers went through a ‘comprehensive process to determine appropriate discipline based on work history, previous disciplinary history and a matrix of other factors, including an evaluation by the officer’s current and former supervisors.’

‘The process emphasizes consistency, outcomes commensurate with incidents and fairness,’ Walzak told the Daily News.  

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk