The probe now is essentially in the lap of Assistant Police Chief Wayne Tarwater, who will review reports and make a recommendation to Chief Jon Greiner.

Tarwater said Wednesday he does not expect the inquiry to take much longer.

Lt. Tony Fox said he wrapped up his share of the investigation two weeks ago. Lt. John Stubbs said he is not finished with his portion.

Greiner said in an e-mail Wednesday that investigators have been dealing with "reluctant victims," among other issues.

Jones was suspended July 27, hours after Mayor Matthew Godfrey linked him to a van that had been parked around the city for the previous 10 days, which hoisted a banner blaming the mayor for a new pay policy that officers believed tied their raises to the number of traffic citations they wrote.

Though Greiner called Jones' involvement an "embarrassment," he has insisted that his decision to suspend Jones that same evening was a coincidence. He said he had intended to suspend Jones earlier that day.

Jones is being investigated in connection with reports of stolen wallets during traffic stops and during a search.

Jones said Wednesday he has been given no date for when the Ogden Police Department might put him back to work or initiate disciplinary action.

"You'd think if they had some evidence, they would have fired me by now," he said. "If they don't have evidence, I don't know why it's taking so long."

Jones is being paid while on leave, but was stripped of his badge and gun and so is not able to earn supplemental income working as a security guard.

An investigation by Weber County Attorney Mark DeCaria, requested by the mayor after the public uproar over Jones' suspension, questioned the chief's assertion of a coincidence. It also noted that a lieutenant that day advised Greiner against suspending Jones or any other officer in connection with an alleged wallet theft.

Nonetheless, Greiner probably had sufficient reason to put Jones on leave, given that the officer was on duty the two times that Latino citizens reported wallets stolen during traffic stops, DeCaria said in the report.

The DeCaria report found insufficient evidence to believe Jones committed any crime July 15 or Feb. 18, the two times that Latino citizens claimed wallets were swiped. kmoulton@sltrib.com