New security chief for School District

The Philadelphia School District has a new head of school security with a bumpy past.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Carl Holmes started in the district last week, replacing Chief Inspector Cynthia Dorsey, who held the top safety job for less than a year.

Holmes, who has held multiple posts in the department, was recently investigated by the Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau in connection with two incidents.

The incidents, first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News, included allegations of inappropriate behavior with a subordinate and shooting a raccoon outside his home.

Those allegations were not sustained, said Lt. John Stanford, a police spokesman.

In 2008, Holmes was demoted to the rank of captain after allegations of sexual impropriety surfaced. His rank was reinstated after the Fraternal Order of Police filed a grievance on his behalf.

The city has also settled three lawsuits involving Holmes.

Holmes' history will not affect the district, and none of the allegations against him involved children, Stanford said.

The change in command was a Police Department decision, district spokesman Fernando Gallard said. For the last few years, the school system's top safety official has been on loan from city police.