Forged papers led to officer’s firing, police say

A former Wilton Manors police officer was charged with submitting forged paperwork when he applied to work for the department, the Broward state attorney’s office said Monday.

Wilton Manors Police Chief Paul O’Connell fired Douglas John Dickinson, 29, of Haddon Township, N.J. on April 27 after he had worked seven months for the agency and was still on probation.

At the time, O’Connell would only say Dickinson, whose salary was $52,042, was under criminal investigation.

Dickinson surrendered to the main jail in Broward County Saturday, paid $1,000 bond and was released Sunday.

He is facing one felony charge of uttering a forged or false instrument for allegedly filing two letters and a form that he presented as being from his former employer, Camden County Police. He had worked at that department in New Jersey for three months, according to his arrest report.

Camden County Police fired Dickinson after learning he was charged with simple assault prior to his employment there and was later convicted of the offense, according to the Wilton Manors police arrest report.

Dickinson currently works in construction and his certification as a law enforcement officer is threatened by this incident, his attorney Glenn Roderman said Monday.

“It’s a document case,” Roderman said. “He and I arranged for him to surrender here in South Florida, which he’s done. There is a court date to be set and hopefully that will be a final resolution to this legal matter.”

A hearing for Dickinson to enter a plea and to be sentenced will be set for sometime in November, prosecutor David Schulson said.