HAMPTON--Hampton Police Chief Charles Jordan Jr. is on administrative leave with pay while the city investigates an undercover cigarette sting.
In a statement to media outlets, City Manager Mary Bunting says Jordan halted the sting operation earlier this year following allegations that money was misused.
The 19-month operation was supposed to crack down on black-market cigarette traffickers.
The chief ended it after another officer reported that his fellow undercover officers were benefiting from misuse of money issued for individual expenses associated with travel.
While the undercover operation was underway, it reportedly brought in millions of dollars, but no arrests resulted from the investigation.
Bunting says that Chief Jordan is being placed on administrative leave in keeping with the standard procedure of placing law enforcement officers on leave when their actions and/or decisions are under review.
She says placing Jordan on administrative leave will ensure a thorough investigation without the perception of influence.
Bunting also has directed a financial review by an outside accounting firm. A municipal law attorney will examine the operation's policy development, enforcement, oversight and management.
The city manager says she wants to have a 'complete, unbiased, independent understanding of what happened and what, if anything needs to be fixed moving forward.'
