Wilmington Police Department detective suspended, under investigation

Matthew Prensky, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read
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Aricka Sidbury, detective with the Wilmington Police Department, stands in front of the department headquarters in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, August 17, 2020. Sidbury is one of the 40 Under 40 honorees for 2020.
Aricka Sidbury, detective with the Wilmington Police Department, stands in front of the department headquarters in Wilmington, N.C., Monday, August 17, 2020. Sidbury is one of the 40 Under 40 honorees for 2020.

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A Wilmington Police Department detective has been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation for possible financial misconduct.

Aricka Sidbury, 33, was suspended on April 19 after Wilmington police learned that she was the subject of an investigation in California, according to information provided to the StarNews by the city of Wilmington and the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office. Her employee file specifies she's on "administrative leave - suspension/investigation," though the file doesn't specify the cause for the suspension.

The investigation is "financial in nature," according to a letter District Attorney Ben David sent to the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys on April 20. In the letter, David asked the NC Conference of District Attorneys to assign a prosecutor since his office has a conflict of interest in the matter, and "due to the amount of money involved."

The letter doesn't specify what police agency is investigating Sidbury or what allegedly happened.

The Wilmington Police Department declined to comment on the situation, stating in an email that the department "... doesn't comment on any possible personnel matters." The StarNews also left a voicemail for Sidbury Monday seeking comment.

Sidbury joined the Wilmington Police Department as a cadet in 2012. Since then, she's risen up the ranks to the role of detective, and was even featured by the department in its series "Behind the Badge" during Women's History Month in 2021.

She received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and master's degree in business administration from East Carolina University.

Sidbury was born and raised in Wilmington, and is the daughter of Wilmington City Clerk Penelope Spicer-Sidbury. Three years ago, Sidbury was honored as one of Wilmington's 40 under 40, an award reserved for those in the community who are helping the Cape Fear region prosper.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington Police Department detective suspended, under investigation