St. Pete Police Review Board Disciplines 2 Officers

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Two members of the St. Petersburg Police Department were disciplined by the department’s Command Review Board for violating professional standards, announced Police Chief Anthony Holloway.

On Dec. 12, the board took disciplinary action against Officer Reginald Mitchell for soliciting a prostitute and Sgt. James D. Lofton for engaging in a verbal dispute with a fellow officer.

According to a press release, while off-duty Mitchell, a 22-year-member of the police department, agreed to engage in an act of prostitution. Undercover officers conducting surveillance in the area reported that a known prostitute entered the passenger side of Mitchell’s car. When he spotted the undercover officers, Mitchell sped away at a high speed but was stopped at 1351 34th St. N. Mitchell received a 160-hour work suspension. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of soliciting for prostitution.

Lofton, an 18-year member of the St. Petersburg Police, was accused of visiting a fellow officer’s home while on duty and armed, and then getting into a shouting match and throwing a bullet at the other officer. As a result, Lofton was demoted to the rank of officer, removed from all specialized units and received a mandatory referral for anger management therapy.

Image via St. Petersburg Police