Four months after her arrest - and only a month after she was put on probation in August 2008 - she became one of the school district's newest police officers. Under school policy, she wasn't tested for drug use.
Her case is by no means an aberration for the school police, an unarmed force of 386 full-time and 50 per diem officers who are hired by the school district's human resources department and operate independently of city police.
Record checks conducted by The Inquirer turned up more than a dozen school police officers who have been arrested on drug, assault, theft, and other charges in recent years - either before they were employed by the district or while they were on active duty.
One case involved assault by motor vehicle by an officer - still working for the district - who was charged with "knowingly, intentionally, and recklessly" driving a car into a man's leg, "causing bruising requiring medical treatment," according to court records.
In another instance, which did not result in arrest, a uniformed officer was spotted on surveillance video swiping Naked orange juice and frosted Entenmann's chocolate doughnuts from a Roxborough Wawa while he was supposed to be on duty at the local high school, according to an internal district document. The store agreed not to press charges if the items were returned.
Liam S. Boyle - a former officer who was hired despite a prior arrest for heroin possession - said it was easier to get a job as a school district policeman than to be hired at Walmart. A Walmart employee had flagged his previous arrest during the hiring process.
"I get the school district job. Yet I can't get the Walmart job?" he asked.
