Within days the department transferred the precinct's commander and four other supervisors, fired three officers who had joined in the drinking binge and announced disciplinary steps against nine other officers.

But such disciplinary steps usually provoke "endless" litigation, Mr. Breeden said, and can take months and sometimes years to put into effect.

Poor Planning Is Found In addition, the unit and company commanders, a captain and a major, are being transferred from their positions and "disciplinary steps should be considered," the investigation concluded.

Officials are studying whether disciplinary steps are warranted, he said.

When the typical disciplinary steps by teachers and administrators fail to have the desired effect, mental health professionals are brought into the picture.

If she did not apply herself to her lessons, her father had left instructions with the MasterHealer Ginia to take what disciplinary steps would be required to see that she did.

He also repeated his call for zero tolerance of misconduct in the schools and for teachers to be shielded from lawsuits resulting from their disciplinary steps.

It is a common replacement, in non-unionized workplaces, for the progressive disciplinary step of suspension without pay.

"Serious lessons have been learned, corrective actions initiated and disciplinary steps completed," the firm said.

One other officer in Northern Ireland was "cautioned," a milder disciplinary step, and charges against another were dropped, a spokeswoman for the Royal Ulster Constabulary said in Belfast.