Internal affairs investigation launched over BSO sergeant carrying box on car

Sergeant Matthew Baldwin placed on desk duty

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Broward Sheriff's Office on Monday launched an internal investigation after a 17-year veteran was photographed using no restraints to hold down a box on the roof of his patrol car.

The photographs sent to share@local10.com showed Sgt. Matthew Baldwin driving down S.R. 84 near Ikea in Sunrise on Sunday morning, said officials. The viewer said his arm was sticking out of the driver's side window, holding the box that rested on top of his car, and the car's emergency lights were activated.

"This is something that, definitely, we don't want to see our patrol vehicles used for. It doesn't appear the package is strapped down and the first think you think of is safety and what could have happened," said Veda Coleman-Wright with the Broward Sheriff's Office. "Clearly, there does appear to be a violation of policy and it is something we take seriously and because those photos were sent to us, the sergeant has been called in."

Baldwin was placed on restrictive duty and had his patrol car taken away, Coleman-Wright said. He works out of Pompano Beach.

In March 2012, a Miami-Dade police officer who was seen carrying a mattress on top of her patrol car was relieved of duty.