Atlantic City’s fire chief, accused of dropping his pants at a metal detector in front of a female security guard, has retired.
Chief Dennis Brooks had been on administrative leave in early March after he allegedly pulled his pants down to his thighs after a woman working at the front of the city’s Public Safety Building asked him to remove all metal from his person, according to the newspaper Press of Atlantic City.
According to the newspaper, Brooks submitted his resignation on Friday and it takes effect today, Wednesday, April 1.
Video from a security camera was released on March 17 and it appears to show Brooks unbuckling his pants and pulling them down midway then immediately pulling them back up. He then shrugs at the guard who said Brook remarked; “I am having a bad day,” the newspaper reported.
The day of the incident, March 5, was the day after a City Council meeting where the Beach Patrol said it no longer wanted to be under the control of Brooks. The chief’s daughter tried out for a lifeguard position, but didn’t make the squad. Some on the Beach Patrol feared retribution as the chief allegedly tried to interfere with the lifeguard selection process, the newspaper reported.
Since Brooks was placed on administrative leave, the fire department has been led by Deputy Chief Vincent Granese. He and Deputy Chief Scott Evans are the two members eligible to fill the vacancy created by Brooks’ departure, according to the newspaper.
