Sharing ideas on deterring civilian misconduct

By U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Public Affairs OfficeJuly 6, 2015

Sharing ideas on deterring civilian misconduct
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KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Professionals from Installation Management Command-Europe who oversee civilian misconduct programs came together at U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz recently to discuss best practices in their field.

The two-day USAG-RP Civilian Misconduct Round-Table began June 18 at Pulaski Barracks. During opening remarks, Col. G. Shawn Wells Jr., commander of USAG-RP, stressed the importance of getting the word out about civilian misconduct to young people in the community.

"This is a great venue to share different ideas and best practices," said Wells, who shared his concerns about misconduct among youth in the local schools. "We've had some issues recently. What trends do we see and what do we need to do?"

On the first day, they talked about how the civilian misconduct program interacts with law enforcement and the Army's staff judge advocate. The second day brought talks about working with human resources personnel and local school officials.

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz hosted similar roundtables in years past. This year officers came from across the region to discuss issues from their communities. The roundtable included presentations by USAG-RP's Rick Anderson and Robert Leist. Walt Tobash of USAG Wiesbaden and Kimberly Minor of USAG Vicenza -- an Army post in northern Italy -- also shared discussed their programs.

"It brings a lot of insight," Leist said, especially in dealings with German police compared to Italian authorities. "It's quite a different story as far as law enforcement goes."

Some common forms of civilian misconduct include assaults, drunk driving, drug use, disorderly conduct, truancy, domestic disturbances, misuse of ration cards and postal privileges. Shoplifting also continues to be a problem.

Debbie Reynolds, deputy to the garrison commander, said she often explains to newcomers how civilian misconduct works at overseas posts. She stresses what civilians and military family members can face, if they should get caught stealing, for example.

"If they go to the PX and slip something in their pocket they didn't pay for, they are going to get caught," Reynolds said. "There are ramifications."

If civilians break local laws or violate regulations and policies, Army civilian misconduct personnel may take administrative actions to revoke offenders' privileges. Depending on the offense, that could mean suspending or revoking access to the commissary, PX, clubs, government quarters, rationed items, vehicle licensing or registration.

In some cases, offenders can be barred from post access. Problematic family members can also be sent stateside, Leist said, known in the military as an "early return of dependents."

Later discussions focused on juvenile offenses. Wells suggested that Soldiers should volunteer time in local schools, to serve as an example to the youth.

"We can get the word out to our young people about what looks right," Wells said.

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