Tooele cop couple’s firing centered upon inappropriate relationship
Nov 03, 2009 | 3327 views | 3 
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Jorge Cholico
Jorge Cholico, a former lieutenant over the patrol division, and his wife, Jamie Gutierrez, a former detective, had been on the force for 12 and 10 years, respectively, when they were fired on June 23. According to disciplinary records obtained by the Transcript-Bulletin through a GRAMA request, the couple were terminated for “acting unprofessionally and making false statements to an investigator during an official internal investigation.”
The records, which were heavily redacted by Tooele City officials, indicate Gutierrez’s termination was related to allegations she had an improper relationship with a private citizen that involved her visiting the citizen’s home repeatedly while on duty, supplying the citizen with alcohol at a time when the citizen was underage, drinking alcohol herself while in uniform, and lying to investigators when questioned about her relationship with the citizen.
Cholico’s termination was due to the fact that he was aware of the inappropriate relationship between his wife and the citizen and neither reported the relationship nor attempted to prevent it. He was also alleged to have violated police department policy by transporting the citizen in his squad car without notifying dispatch. In addition, he was fired for lying about these allegations during an investigation.
Tooele City Police Chief Ron Kirby declined to comment on any specifics of the allegations or the reasons for termination, citing the need to protect the couple’s privacy.
Only Cholico appealed his termination. Through that appeals process, Cholico’s termination was reclassified as a voluntary resignation as part of a settlement agreement with Tooele City.
The conclusion of Cholico’s appeals process revealed the additional details regarding the events that led up to the termination of the couple, which police and city officials had refused to discuss previously to protect the rights of the officers, according to Kirby.
State law requires police agencies to inform the Utah Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) of any allegations of misconduct against officers. The organization then conducts an additional separate investigation to rule whether further action needs to be taken in relation to an officer’s certification. According to Capt. Kelly Sparks, deputy director of POST, the agency has completed its investigation into the couple’s case and ruled that no further action will be taken against either officer.
Though Kirby feels like the termination of two employees gives his department a black eye, he said his office acted professionally and appropriately throughout the process.
“We take complaints seriously and we investigate them thoroughly, and we take whatever action is appropriate,” he said. “That’s in general. I’m not speaking to this case specifically. We do that on all cases.”
Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com
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Having lived in many other cities, typically much larger and more populated than Tooele, I am very impressed with TPD. Chief Kirby seems to "run a tight ship" and adheres to and promotes ethics and procedures that are required of all police departments and their officers. It can't be easy having to dismiss officers like this knowing the public will soon learn of it, as they should. Thank you for your hard work. My family and I appreciate it very much.