COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. -- Five Cochise County employees have been terminated or resigned after it was discovered they were inappropriately using county computers.
County administrator Jim Vlahovich says in late January the interim IT director for the county received an email about employee Internet usage. A number of employees had been visiting entertainment websites like Netflix, and pornography sites, Vlahovich said.
The IT director began an investigation, and Vlahovich says by April the employees had resigned or were terminated.
Vlahovich said there are no criminal charges pending.
Not only was it inappropriate for them to visit the sites, Vlahovich says, productivity was a concern as well.
While the issue was disappointing, Vlahovich says, it impacted a very small number of county employees. There are about 850 employees that work for Cochise County, Vlahovich said.
Vlahovich could not release the positions or names of the employees who have left, but says they have dealt with it internally. There are now protocols in place that will limit county employees access to the Internet.
According to the Sierra Vista Herald, there are 10 Cochise County Sheriff's Office employees who are under investigation. KGUN9 reached out to a spokesperson with the department for comment.
