Former Officer Allegedly Spies On Youth Camp
Teamsters, FOP Strained Relationship May Be Contributing Factor
POSTED: 6:43 pm CDT July 15,
2007
UPDATED: 8:50 am CDT July 16,
2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The battle for control over Nashville's police officers has turned ugly as a former police lieutenant is charged with spying on a youth camp.
Video: Former Police Lieutenant Arrested On Spying ChargesFor 50 years, police said relationships between kids and cops have been built at the Fraternal Order of Police Youth Camp. But this week a very strained relationship allegedly led to broken laws at the camp.Kristen Helm, of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said Calvin Hullett, a former police lieutenant and current Teamster official, hid small cameras in a cabin where FOP counselors sleep."We found some highly sophisticated video surveillance equipment," said Helm. She said Hullett hid cables behind walls and drilled holes in the floor so nobody would see the equipment.A counselor eventually did spot the devices after they began thinking that someone was trying to get them in trouble.Brock Parks, a FOP attorney, said that a tip came into police on Tuesday alleging that counselors were drunk and children were in danger. He said metro officers searched the campgrounds for alcohol and did not find any -- but the tips continued."They heard through e-mails, 'Go out and take a look,'" said Parks.Helm said an informant eventually led the TBI to Hullett and investigators set up a sting. She said that on Saturday night investigators caught him trying to take off with the surveillance equipment.Hullett said that investigators don’t have the whole story."There is much more to this than what meets the eye. I was not at the camp stealing anything," said Hullett.Parks said the act was a simple attempt at making the FOP look bad."This was done in an attempt to smear the name of the fraternal police," said Parks. He said that the drama is fallout from police trying to return to their old FOP organization after becoming unhappy with the Teamsters."It's a sad day for law enforcement that it's come to this," said Parks.Hullett was released from the Wilson County Jail on $5,000 bond on burglary charges with more charges possible as TBI examines the over 80 hours of footage his cameras caught.
Video: Former Police Lieutenant Arrested On Spying ChargesFor 50 years, police said relationships between kids and cops have been built at the Fraternal Order of Police Youth Camp. But this week a very strained relationship allegedly led to broken laws at the camp.Kristen Helm, of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said Calvin Hullett, a former police lieutenant and current Teamster official, hid small cameras in a cabin where FOP counselors sleep."We found some highly sophisticated video surveillance equipment," said Helm. She said Hullett hid cables behind walls and drilled holes in the floor so nobody would see the equipment.A counselor eventually did spot the devices after they began thinking that someone was trying to get them in trouble.Brock Parks, a FOP attorney, said that a tip came into police on Tuesday alleging that counselors were drunk and children were in danger. He said metro officers searched the campgrounds for alcohol and did not find any -- but the tips continued."They heard through e-mails, 'Go out and take a look,'" said Parks.Helm said an informant eventually led the TBI to Hullett and investigators set up a sting. She said that on Saturday night investigators caught him trying to take off with the surveillance equipment.Hullett said that investigators don’t have the whole story."There is much more to this than what meets the eye. I was not at the camp stealing anything," said Hullett.Parks said the act was a simple attempt at making the FOP look bad."This was done in an attempt to smear the name of the fraternal police," said Parks. He said that the drama is fallout from police trying to return to their old FOP organization after becoming unhappy with the Teamsters."It's a sad day for law enforcement that it's come to this," said Parks.Hullett was released from the Wilson County Jail on $5,000 bond on burglary charges with more charges possible as TBI examines the over 80 hours of footage his cameras caught. Copyright 2008 by WSMV.com. All rights reserved.
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