While the clichéd definition of insanity is “doing the same things over and expecting different results,” according to a Psychology Today article, the legal definition of insanity pertains “to a defendant’s ability to determine right from wrong when a crime is committed.”

The article even quotes the first sentence of the law.com’s legal definition of insanity as “mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.”

In the case of North Miami Police Officer Jodlyn Antoine, both the hackneyed and the legal definitions of insanity seem to apply.

During the course of his career in law enforcement, Antoine has had a long history of abusing his position, especially where it concerns his untoward – and most unprofessional – treatment of women.  While, most of his behavioral problems have occurred during his tenure at the North Miami Police Department since he was hired on July 26, 2004, he was also written up seven times while he was working for the Village of Biscayne Park Police Department, where he was employed from 2002 to 2004.

One of those “incidents” involved his inappropriate behavior with a woman in the neighboring Village of Miami Shores, where he had been caught “visiting a married woman, who claimed to be separated from her husband at the time.”

While on duty.

In his official police vehicle!

Once he got to North Miami, he simply continued his harassment of women.  This pattern of deviancy alone qualifies Officer Jodlyn Antoine’s behavior as insane, both metaphorically and legally.

By virtue of that same description, North Miami Police Chief Leonard Burgess’ response to Antoine’s disciplinary problems could also be defined as “insane.”

Chief Burgess knows full well that Jodlyn Antoine is a sexual predator.  No matter how many times Antoine is caught behaving badly, each time the Chief gives him yet another  chance, he foolishly expects that this time  Antoine has learned his lesson.

In fact, Chief Burgess has continuously put his own job on the line by gambling on Antoine’s promise to change his ways.

On September 12, 2014, despite a recommendation of termination by a disposition panel, as well as Antoine’s chain of command, Chief Leonard Burgess instead chose to enter into a Last Chance Agreement with Officer Jodlyn Antoine.  In exchange for not getting fired for stalking women, among other things, Antoine agreed to abide by all department rules and regulations for a full year.

Many of Antoine’s colleagues made gentleman’s bets with each other as to whether Antoine would stalk another woman before or after the twelve month agreement expired.  There was never any question of if  Antoine would succumb to his illness and violate the agreement.  Only when!

Well, no one need wonder any longer, because on or about July 28, 2015, a complaint was filed with the North Miami Police Department against Officer Jodlyn Antoine by a man who alleges that the officer not only harassed his then-girlfriend, but that he threatened him with arrest, and ultimately caused the breakup of his relationship.

Mr. Greggory Swift of Miami-Dade County told me, and other members of the media, that in April, Antoine and another officer were called to his North Miami home because of a domestic dispute.  In order to diffuse the situation, Mr. Swift was asked by the officers to leave the home until both parties calmed down.  While Mr. Swift was packing to leave, he noticed Antoine talking to his girlfriend near his police car.  At the time, he thought nothing of it, and he returned to his home the next day.

During the coming weeks, however, his girlfriend started receiving unwanted and unwelcome phone calls and texts from Antoine, some of them coming from a “restricted” number.  Mr. Swift learned that Antoine had also come by his house when he was at work on several occasions.  His girlfriend had become alarmed to the point that she changed her phone number so that Antoine would stop calling her.

Sometime in June, the couple had another disagreement.  This time it was Mr. Swift who called the police, and he told me that Antoine showed up on the call.  While at Mr. Swift’s home, Antoine threatened him, telling him that because he was on probation (which he has since served), he could have him arrested.  This was despite the fact that his girlfriend had not filed a restraining order, nor was she the one who wanted Mr. Swift to leave the home.

Mr. Swift and his girlfriend, unfortunately, did break up and he has since moved out of North Miami.  They are still on good terms and speak frequently.  He told me that Antoine was still showing up at her home for no reason, which led to his making a formal complaint with the North Miami Police Department.

It has been over a month since Mr. Swift made the complaint, and he has yet to hear back from anyone at the department as to whether or not an investigation was initiated, or whether or not any disciplinary action will be taken.

On September 1, 2015, I made the following public records request:

I am requesting copies of any citizen complaints made against North Miami Police Officer Jodlyn Antoine since 9/12/14, whether verbal, in writing, over the telephone, via email, or any other method of communication, including but not limited to any complaint made by Greggory Swift of North Miami.

If any complaints have been made per the above, please provide me with copies of memos, emails, investigation reports, notes, communications, etc., with respect to how such complaint or complaints were handled by the North Miami Police Department once received, including the findings of such investigation(s).

It will be interesting to see if I will receive my request in a timely manner or if it will be stonewalled.

In the meantime, however, Mr. Swift gave me permission to write about his experience as he related it to me.  He also advised me that he is considering filing a lawsuit against the City of North Miami for, among other things, negligent retention.

Since Chief Leonard Burgess has refused to weed his police department of officers who display aberrant behavior, and is obviously protecting Jodlyn Antoine for whatever reason, I believe it is important to put the women of North Miami on notice that a potential predator is in their midst.

City Manager Aleem Ghany told me in March that Burgess refused his directive to fire Antoine.  As a result, Aleem also told me at the time that he was going to either “terminate or demote” Chief Burgess.  That obviously hasn’t happened.

Now that Officer Jodlyn Antoine has apparently breached the terms of his Last Chance Agreement, and it appears that neither Chief Burgess nor City Manager Ghany plan to do anything about it, it is incumbent upon the Mayor and Council to step up and protect the residents of North Miami.  Especially the women who live in that city.

To date, neither Chief Leonard Burgess nor City Manager Aleem Ghany have answered for their negligence.  Instead of playing politics, they should have concentrated their efforts on averting what could become an explosive situation.

Aside from the fact that the City of North Miami has been, and continues to be, exposed to a huge potential monetary loss, the more dire consequences to this gross negligence could result in the daughters, sisters, nieces, aunts and cousins of the Mayor and Council becoming victims to Officer Jodlyn Antoine’s sexually deviant behavior.

They should consider themselves forewarned.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”