Police Training Error Causes Embarrassment

A training error last week caused embarrassment for the Lyons Police Department and the innocent woman who was linked to a made-up misdemeanor. Lyons Police Chief Wesley Walker said training for new officers was being conducted at the police station when the mistake occurred. He said the officers were inputting a test report into the department’s computer system and inadvertently used the name of a real person involved in a 2006 traffic accident.

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The software system randomly accessed the accident victim’s name, Nell S. Waddell, of Vidalia, which was used by officers in the May 7 test report. The trainees assigned charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness to the test case.

The report made its way to the department’s secretary who issued it as a press release to area media that aired and published the report.

“We have never had anything like this happen, and we have taken steps to ensure it does not happen again,” Chief Walker said. He has been in touch with the media and Mrs. Waddell in an effort to rectify the error.

“I take full responsibility for this mistake and want to publically apologize to the victim and the community,” Walker said.