Conduct Unbecoming

Yet last week, while I was being questioned for Whitman's internal investigation, it seemed like Gavito was still under the gun. Block wanted to know when I had talked to Gavito. He wanted to know how many times I had talked to Gavito. And he wanted to know why I had talked to Gavito.

Block was also interested in an unnamed source cited in my article and angled to find out whether Gavito had passed along that source. I told Block I wouldn't tell him where I'd gotten my information: Like cops, we have rules regarding confidential sources.

"In your opinion," Block then asked, "at any time, did Sergeant Gavito say anything, or act in any way in an unprofessional manner?"

No, I said, Gavito was candid and clear in all of his conversations with me. We never talked "off the record." As a public servant, Gavito had expressed an admirable "I've got nothing to hide" attitude.

After Block turned off his tape recorder, he confirmed that the internal investigation had been requested by Chief Whitman's office. "We're looking at some of the comments that appeared in the article," he said. "We're checking to make sure that the police department is conducting itself in a professional manner."

Whitman, the "accessible" new chief, did not return phone calls.