A local law enforcement officer was recently disciplined for slacking off on the job. His name? Officer Doolittle. Sergeant James A. Doolittle served as the K-9 handler for the West Linn police department. During the entirety of 2012 and 2013, he responded to exactly one police call. Nevertheless, Doolittle was paid $8,000 in premium pay, and during that time was also allowed to use an official police cruiser, with gas and insurance paid for by taxpayer funds. Doolittle claimed he was attending training exercises twice a month, developing his capacity as a dog handler. However, very little of his time could be corroborated by other witnesses, and investigators could not reliably confirm the veracity of his claims.

As a result, Doolittle was given a 30-day unpaid suspension; however, the city of West Linn allowed Doolittle to retire in 2014, keeping the dog and $2,000 to support vet expenses. Inexplicably, the city also agreed not to divulge any of his misconduct to the press or other police agencies. The Oregonian, the state’s main daily newspaper, found out about Doolittle after making a public records request from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

Possible Preaching Angle:

We dishonor God when we shirk the responsibilities we're given and lie about it afterwards. We should not expect others to follow our lead when we’re not willing to follow through on our regular commitments.