(WXYZ) — Through the years, plenty of police departments were willing to hire officer Mark Aldrich. But today, not many were eager to explain why.
During a tumultuous career in law enforcement spanning four departments, Aldrich would be accused of dishonesty, road rage, engaging in sex acts with a woman he’d arrested and destroying evidence.
But instead of losing his badge, a 7 Action News investigation reveals that Aldrich kept finding new departments willing to hire him.
Along the way, our reporting reveals, some police chiefs may have violated the law designed to keep bad cops off the streets.
“Shame on us if we allow people like this guy to victimize the citizens that we took an oath to protect,” said Ron Haddad, who spent 14 years as the Dearborn police chief and reviewed Aldrich’s employment history for 7 Action News.
“To hire someone like this will clearly erode the integrity of the department,” he said.
‘Highly recommended’
As an officer with Belleville Police, records show Aldrich obtained a vehicle from a towing company to give to a “needy family.” Instead of donating the car, according to police records, the vehicle showed up on eBay.
Aldrich said he sold the vehicle “for extra income,” according to a police memo. He would later claim to 7 Action News that the vehicle was always intended for his own use.
There were other controversies in Belleville, according to police memos, and before long, Aldrich wore out his welcome. He was asked to resign, according to then-Chief Hal Berriman.
Aldrich did. After turning in his badge, he started looking for his next one.
According to Everette Robbins, the chief in Huron Township, Aldrich came “highly recommended.” Robbins said there was no mention of past misconduct in Belleville. He was hired in Huron Township in 2015.
RELATED: A Detroit cop faced firing for Greektown punch—until Eastpointe gave him a badge.
But within his first six months on the force in Huron Township, records show Aldrich would be accused of egregious misconduct. He responded to a vehicle crash that involved an exotic dancer, then arrested the woman for OWI and marijuana possession.
A week later, while the charges were still pending, he met up with her at the strip club where she worked. Aldrich received lap dances, records show, and oral sex.
Aldrich was later accused of harassing the woman, sending texts that “creeped” her out, according to an investigation by Huron Township. When questioned by police, Aldrich was deemed “dishonest if not outright deceitful.”
“I shudder to think of what his attitude or actions may consist of if he were allowed to continue employment," Huron Township Lt. Leo Girard wrote in March 2016.
Aldrich resigned, giving up his badge in Huron Township, but not his career in law enforcement.
‘Huge gamble’
The small village of Carleton, Michigan wouldn’t be on the list of most police officer’s dream jobs. With just over 2,300 residents, the entire department is less than 10 people. But Aldrich was looking for work.
After receiving Aldrich’s application, police chief Roy Johnson conducted a background investigation that revealed allegations of Aldrich’s sexual relations with an arrestee, the vehicle that was supposed to go to a needy family and other improprieties.
“I am taking a huge gamble,” Johnson would later write, “and (Aldrich) better have all of these issues behind him.” He hired Aldrich in 2017.
While in Carleton, Aldrich racked up complaints as minor as speeding and running stop signs, to more significant ones like conducting an illegal traffic stop and dishonesty.
He was hit with multiple citizen complaints over his anger, and last October, was accused of road rage.
During a dispute over a parking space, a female shopper at a Kroger in Plymouth Township said Aldrich lifted his shirt to reveal his gun, then asked, “Do you want to see my badge?”
Aldrich called the woman a rash of expletives, she later told police, but she elected not to pursue charges.
By phone, Aldrich denied brandishing his gun. But when he was questioned about what happened, Chief Johnson deemed he was “not truthful."
Perhaps the most serious allegation against Aldrich came back in January, as he prepared to leave Carleton.
According to the chief, while reviewing body cam footage from citizen complaints against the Aldrich, he noticed one of the videos had been deleted. Aldrich, the chief believed, had done it.
But instead of pursuing the issue, the chief dropped it. He would later write in a memo, “I have decided not to pursue criminal charges for the destruction of evidence due to the fact that Aldrich has resigned.”
That same day, Johnson reported to MCOLES that Aldrich had resigned in “good standing.”
By phone, Aldrich told 7 Action News: “I don’t have any recollection of deleting that body cam.”
Reached by phone, Johnson said he reported that Aldrich left in “good standing” because it wasn’t until later that day—after he submitted his separation documents to MCOLES— that he suspected Aldrich had deleted the body cam footage.
By reporting that Aldrich left on good terms, it prevented MCOLES from flagging his license, making it easier for another agency to hire him.
It wasn’t long before one did.
'Blown away’
At a February city council meeting in Lake Orion, Council President Jerry Narsh gushed about the department’s recent hires.
“I’m blown away and impressed by how well Lake Orion PD and Chief (Todd) Stanfield is doing in recruiting,” he said.
Just a few weeks earlier, his department had announced the hiring of its newest officer, Mark Aldrich, on its Facebook page.
Stanfield, who had just been named chief in December, had declared to the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) under the penalty of perjury that he had reviewed Aldrich’s personnel file from Carleton Police, making him acutely aware of the circumstances that led to his departure.
Except he never did.
Stanfield never reviewed Aldrich’s personnel file from Carleton, he would later admit, and never reached Chief Roy Johnson by phone, though he said he did leave several messages.
Chief Stanfield declined to be interviewed by 7 Action News. Earlier this month, he was approached by reporter Ross Jones at a recent city council meeting.
“Why would you hire an officer without doing a complete background investigation?” Jones asked.
“I have no comment,” Stanfield said, before ducking behind a locked door.
Later on that night, the city council voted to demote Stanfield from chief to lieutenant. City Council President Jerry Narsh would not say if Aldrich’s hiring was the reason why.
Last year, 7 Action News revealed how a troubled Detroit police officer who faced firing for an unprovoked punch and dishonesty was able to find a job with Eastpointe police.
Detroit police wrongly reported to MCOLES that the officer, Kairy Roberts, had left in “good standing” when, in fact, he was under investigation and facing termination.
In response to our reporting, MCOLES issued an emergency suspension for Roberts’ license and Eastpointe forced him to resign. He is no longer an actively licensed police officer.
Aldrich was placed on administrative leave at the end of January, according to Lake Orion Village Manager Darwin McClary, but remains an employee of Lake Orion Police.
But according to MCOLES, Lake Orion "separated" Aldrich from the department, which places his law enforcement license with the state in an inactive status.
He cannot be a police officer, MCOLES says, unless his license is returned to active status.
Aldrich declined repeated requests from 7 Action News for an interview.
“Why would Lake Orion hire an officer like that?” Jones asked city council president Jery Narsh.
“Well, I guess that’s a good question,” Narsh said. “Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you.”
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
