DeLAND, Fla. – A captain of the DeLand Police Department was officially fired this week following a monthslong investigation into derogatory statements he allegedly made at, about and around his co-workers.
[WARNING: Graphic, abusive and culturally insensitive language documented below]
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Francisco “Frank” Williams began working at the DeLand Police Department in August 2021, having moved to Florida after a more-than 26-year career with the Jersey City Police Department in New Jersey, according to the city. The external investigation of Williams’ alleged actions and statements since joining the Central Florida department began in February of this year, at which time Williams was placed on administrative leave. The investigation resulted in an internal affairs report that details 15 allegations made by at least 10 employees.
Within the 15 allegations were 20 violations findings, according to independent investigator Bill Cameron, a former Florida sheriff and current president of Bill Cameron and Associates Consulting, Inc., the company retained to look into Williams. In the end, 11 of the 20 violations findings were sustained, five were not sustained and four were exonerated, as in they occurred without violating policy.
[WARNING: Graphic, abusive and culturally insensitive language documented below]
Review summaries of the allegations, the investigation’s results and the violated or thought-to-be violated department policies below:
Note: Violation findings that were not sustained will not be described in greater detail.
Allegation 1: Referred to Black people near a scene as “f***ing darkies” in January 2021 | Not sustained
Allegation 2: Made sexual comments and gestures about a female Stetson College representative at the Me-Strong 5K event in February 2023 | Sustained (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Witnessed by a sergeant and lieutenant who both reported they found Williams’ comments and gestures improper. Williams told Cameron that he was only commenting about how the department should be hiring more physically fit recruits. Follow-up interviews with the sergeant and lieutenant once again turned up identical retellings of events, as well as clarification from both officers that Williams said nothing about recruitment while describing the woman’s body and clothing, at one point mimicking her breasts on his chest.
Allegation 3: Made sexual comments about a woman in the police department’s lobby | Not sustained
Allegation 4: Referred to DeLand officers as a “bunch of dumb f*** rednecks,” referred to department practices as “country bumpkin f***ing s***” | Sustained 2x (1.2.25 don’t ridicule the department, its polices or members, 1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Witnessed by a sergeant, lieutenant and captain during a meeting, as well as two detectives outside of the meeting room. Williams denied making the comments outright.
Allegation 5: Used the term “f****t” multiple times while conducting a training course with another department’s officers in attendance | Exonerated (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Witnessed by several sergeants with DeLand police and two members of the Orange City Police Department. Williams said that he did use the word, but explained that he used it as “an example of the kind of language that fellow officers could use when talking to each other during friendly banter, but that would be inappropriate for supervisors or higher-ranking officers to use when talking to subordinate officers in their agency,” the report states. Another excerpt of the report’s conclusion for Allegation No. 5 reads, “The word f****t was offensive to some participants in the class and may not have been the best word to use during this training.”
Allegation 6: Called a detective “f***ing f****t” in a meeting | Sustained (2.10.2 no derogatory comments on race, gender etc.)
- Two lieutenants were adamant they heard Williams use the term to describe a detective who had requested a water cooler be installed somewhere, reportedly adding, “If he gets a water cooler, I want a cappuccino machine.” Williams owned the cappuccino machine statement, but denied the slur.
Allegation 7: Called a female training officer “a f***ing c***” | Sustained (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Witnessed by a lieutenant who Williams was talking to regarding the training officer’s perceived strictness. Williams denied saying this, adding he “doesn’t even use that word,” the report states. Though only one person witnessed this incident, Cameron noted multiple reports of Williams using the term to describe women.
Allegation 8: Raised a middle finger at detectives working traffic control in a 2022 DeLand Christmas parade | Sustained (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Witnessed by two officers, as well as a third who saw Williams drive up to the location but not the hand gesture. Williams told Cameron that “the hand gesture was something he learned in the Coast Guard, which meant ‘get to work.’” Follow-up interviews with the two eyewitnesses rendered two more statements of “absolute certainty” that Williams had only shot the bird.
Allegation 9: Made flippant comments feigning romantic attraction to a male colleague during an informal Hurricane Ian prep meeting | Not sustained
Allegation 10: Swore repeatedly at and singled out a detective during a training officer meeting | Exonerated (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- A detective allegedly presented an incomplete story when reporting Williams’ use of swear words, directed at them, during a meeting, at one point singling them out and telling the group “not to be like” the detective. The investigator found that the detective was being disrespectful and using the foul language themselves, concluding that Williams was more or less putting his foot down.
Allegation 11: Ridiculed civilian employees working in the department’s animal control unit as “dog walkers” | Sustained 2x (2.10.1 don’t ridicule others, 1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- This was witnessed by a captain in addition to those involved. After a co-worker brought up her concern of unequal treatment between sworn officers and civilian employees in the animal control unit, Williams reportedly said that he didn’t view sworn officers and “dog walkers” in the same light, allegedly causing the co-worker to leave the meeting in tears. Williams told Cameron that he had actually used the term “dog catcher,” claiming he visited the co-worker’s office the next day where he apologized and made sure they were both “okay” with each other. When Cameron followed up with the co-worker in question, she told him she was positive the term “dog walker” was used and denied that Williams had ever visited her to apologize and make up.
Allegation 12: Repeatedly referred to a female co-worker as “kid” and “kiddo,” referred to her husband as her “sweetie,” “honey” and “man toy.” Placed hands on the co-worker’s shoulders and an arm around them on two separate occasions. Frequently used the words “f***” and “c***” around the office. | Exonerated / Not sustained / Sustained (2x 1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Williams told Cameron that he would call the co-worker and her husband those nicknames, but added he didn’t know she had a problem with it because she had never told him. The hands complaint was not sustained. Regarding the swearing, Williams said that he did in fact use the “F” word at work, but “denied he ever used the word ‘c***’ around the office.”
Allegation 13: When filling in for the captain who normally oversees the Investigations Unit, Williams allegedly commented he was there to “babysit” detectives. Williams at some point, in this role, excessively stamped a training request with the word “Denied.” | Not sustained / Exonerated (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Williams said that the stamping incident was a joke, claiming he had already approved the request and was only stamping a copy of it. It could be noted here that the training request had been made by the officer who reported Allegation No. 1. The “babysit” complaint was not sustained.
Allegation 14: Called the female director of the Daytona School of Emergency Services a “c***” | Sustained (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Williams again told Cameron that he didn’t say the swear and never says it. The report seems to again rely on the sheer number of witnesses who agree that “c***” appears frequently in Williams’ lexicon.
Allegation 15: Entering a room during a break in a sergeant refresher class, Williams proclaimed, “Did you say you were going to take it in the a**?” | Sustained (1.2.1 conduct unbecoming)
- Witnessed by one sergeant, however they and another sergeant could think of at least two different occasions when Williams said roughly the same thing. The statement was denied by Williams outright.
Vicki Karr with the DeLand Police Department on Tuesday provided News 6 with the following statement from the city:
“After a thorough internal affairs investigation, the City Manager and Police Chief have determined that Captain Francisco Williams’ employment can no longer continue with the city. Williams was terminated effective Tuesday,” the statement reads.
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