Yep. There could be almost any amount of cash or high end valuables (jewels, large bricks of drugs, etc) on the break room table, for weeks, untouched. Possibly even ignored.Everywhere I have gone is like this. You could leave a 20.00 laying around, it will still be there. Leave some equipment, kiss it goodbye. Had a flashlight lifted from my office while I was out handling business.
It's pretty common across the bigger depts. The rover or traveler as they're sometimes called, cover off days, backfill call offs, vacations, etc. A couple of depts close to me pay extra for being a rover since they always have to go to a different station. They would know what valuables each station has and it would be easier to conceal a drug habit not being assigned with the same group of guys/gals every shift.Read the article. The guy was a "rover," or not assigned to any one station. Maybe that's normal in the Phoenix system, but I suspect only "special" guys get put into that unit.
My best, wholly uneducated guess is, there is a drug issue somehow involved in this mess.
Our guys rove on a seniority basis. If you are the new guy, you don't get to stay at your home station much. I've seen $20.00 bucks or more lay on a table for four or more days, as the guy who bought dinner forgot to pick it up. On the other hand, we did have a thief at one time. We had an idea, there was a camera set up, and within an hour the local pd had him in for a discussion, the door codes were changed, he never worked another day for us. 5 years or into a career and done. Word was drugs. It sucks, but it happens. Setting fires takes it to a new level.It's pretty common across the bigger depts. The rover or traveler as they're sometimes called, cover off days, backfill call offs, vacations, etc. A couple of depts close to me pay extra for being a rover since they always have to go to a different station. They would know what valuables each station has and it would be easier to conceal a drug habit not being assigned with the same group of guys/gals every shift.
As far as being special or different, there are a few in each dept. We try to weed them out quickly or they get assigned a particular station and Captain. They usually either step up their game or get fired. Most rovers like the position because it gives them more experience and diversity working different assignments each shift.
I will go along with your assessment and say drug related, and throw in a dash of PTSD. So he can have a flimsy excuse. Back when I started 30 yrs ago, we would have had a rescue training op with him. Where he would have been secured to a backboard and everyone would take a turn hitting him with the leather strap from their radio holder.