Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Tedesco scoffs at calls for his resignation; outside investigation needed


TEDESCO
Police Chief John Tedesco on Monday scoffed at calls for his resignation - and rightly so.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Mayor Lou Rosamilia gave day-to-day command of the TPD to Commissioner Anthony Magnetto about a year ago and since Tedesco has been left out of the loop.
BACOTE

I suppose Rev. Willie Bacote, who is leading the charge, could call for Magnetto’s resignation but he was one of the ones who wanted Magnetto appointed in the first place. Plus, those calls would be moot since Magnetto is headed back into retirement in about a week. Appearing on Talk1300, Tedesco said he thinks Bacote might be in "somebody's pocket."

Meanwhile, Tedesco is also calling for an independent investigation into the melee at Kokopellis that ended with six patrons arrested and six officers in the hospital. At issue is whether or not cops used excessive force, which a 44-second clip of the chaotic scene seems to indicate, or whether they used only force enough to get control of the situation.
Set aside all the fringe concerns and that’s really the only question that needs answering. The bar’s tumultuous history, the fact police were expecting problems by setting up the MobileCommand Center at 10 p.m. Friday and putting four extra patrols on duty in that zone, the inevitable, if unwarranted, racial component and the turmoil among the TPD hierarchy are all irrelevant.
I don’t know the answer to that central question. I don’t think anyone does at this point in time.
And the answer can’t be had by an internal investigation. I agree with Tedesco in that an outside agency should investigate for two reasons: If the officers are exonerated it dispels the already loud cries of a cover up, and if they are found to have used excessive force then the city would have no choice but to take the appropriate course of action. 
If the officers did use excessive force, they should pay the penalty if they didn't they shouldn't. It's really as simple as that. 

In other developments:
-The Record finally caught up with the story four days after the fact - The Gazette, based in Schenectady, which hasn’t covered a Rensselaer county story in who knows how long, even beat The Record. The Times Union, also late to the game, has a strong editorial in Tuesday’s edition calling for an external investigation. Channel 13 has, in my opinion, been leading the pack.

- Bacote, at a well-attended community forum, made four other demands of the city in addition to Tedesco’s resignation and a call for an independent investigation. One of them is placing the officers involved on unpaid suspension pending investigation’s outcome. I don’t think the city can do that, but it can place them on paid leave for a month, which is not a bad idea for their own safety and to help diffuse an explosive environment.
-Again, I don't know if officers used excessive force or not but if they did I really don't think race was the motivating factor. Two of the four recent, high profile cases of abuse or alleged involve white suspects. That's 50 percent for anyone who doesn't have a calculator handy.

-Rosamilia is standing by his guys and for that I give him credit. Nobody knows what happened and until we do the officers are, like anyone else, presumed innocent. I think he should have held the press conference initially slated for Monday but later cancelled. If I were him, though, I wouldn’t want to answer questions either but then again, I’m not the mayor and that’s what mayors are supposed to do.

-City Councilman Bob Doherty, D-District 4, and Council President Rodney Wiltshire have vowed to get to the bottom of what happened. If they were smart, though, they will stay out of it and wait for an investigation, be it internal or external, and not fan the flames by trying to score political points.

-I hope both sides, the police and the black community, show some restraint in the coming days. Police were ready for a fight – evidenced by setting up the Mobile Command Center hours before the melee and putting on extra patrols – and six ended up in the hospital. I don’t think cops have short memories. Some in the black community, judging by a slew of derogatory and threatening comments on social media directed at the police, also need to sit back and let the process play out. I’m sure there will be civil suits filed regardless of if there is an investigation or not and more violence will only make matters worse.

28 comments:

  1. Interestingly enough - this was on The Record site Saturday:
    http://www.troyrecord.com/general-news/20140126/six-arrested-after-early-saturday-morning-brawl-at-kokopellis

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  2. Yes, the arrests and the fact six officers went to the hospital but nothing about the video or charges of excessive force.

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  3. External investigation. If internal they probably Wil end up filing the paperwork wrong and everything will be thrown out. Better leadership is needed. Get politics out of the police dept.. it brews nothing but trouble.

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  4. External investigation. If internal they probably Wil end up filing the paperwork wrong and everything will be thrown out. Better leadership is needed. Get politics out of the police dept.. it brews nothing but trouble.

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  5. Jim is that you with the 2 black eyes ?

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  6. Why isn't Mayor Lou or Dep Mayor Ryan publically explaining to the minority community that Chief Tedesco has had no duties because of the direction of the mayor. Commissioner Magnetto has been in charge of the police department........if that's what you call it.

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    1. Where is the deputy commissioner? What is he doing to earn his pay?

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    2. Deputy commissioner? Fitzy?

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    3. He's out raking leaves.

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  7. These thugs with badges have been running loose and beating people without accountability for the last few years. A cop was somebody people used to look up to and respect. no longer. unfortunately some of the younger cops and not all of them have no respect for the people they are there to protect and serve. This has nothing to do with race, they beat anybody that dares to ask a question and cover each others ass.Internal investigation is a joke. Any investigation regarding their conduct should be external period.They will never ever roll on themselves.

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  8. Remember fellas treat people the way you would want to be treated. All people. If you want respect you gotta give some to receive some.

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  9. Someone please call Magnetto out it his poor leadership and see that teddy has his guys backs and is fair about the situation. Maybe Lou will open his eyes and let teddy do what he is being paid to do Honorably run a police department. Get rid of this phony Magnetto. Turtle had better leadership skills

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  10. Put Sheeran in charge of the police. He runs codes with an iron fist. Well him and the engineer. Put bill Sheeran don't take no ones shat

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    1. Sheeran did crack the Vencino ice cream caper. That was a major case with the only clues being cream around the mouths of city employees. When you hear the high tops squeak you better watch your p's and q's.

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    2. Enough with the stupid ice cream scandal. Final report from the commission on ice cream states there was no scandal just lack of communication. Now back to important stuff like when can Mark McGrath come back and how long do we have to deal with this Gordon kid.

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    3. An organic peanut butter sandwich & a protein power bar went missing from the 5th floor fridge today. Did the Jolly Green Code Guy need an appetizer? He was flexing by the elevators too.

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  11. Mayor Who has been exposed.

    This administration has focused on pushing people out of their positions to make jobs for Dems, and nothing else.

    Cheif Todisco is getting paid 100K to stare at the wall. I thought the Mayor was an accountant, but he can waste tax money for polical purpose. Not good busness.

    Who Rolamila is a patsy.

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    1. Its Time for Lou to grow a pair of Balls
      Fire Vito
      Fire Bill Chamberlain
      Desolve the ZBA Board
      Clean House on Code and make all of them take the Civil Service Test over or Just Hire New People with no political affiliation.

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    2. I agree. Code is NOT doing their jobs well. In my neighborhood (north central), they placard buildings as "unfit for human habutation" with a date that the tenants must vacate BUT... the code officers don't bother going back to the address to see if the tenants actually did vacate!

      And then when they finally do bring the police and evict the tenants (weeks after the vacate date), they don't bother to secure the building. As soon as officers leave, the scurvy drug selling tenants come right back.

      DPW needs to stock up on particle board and 3 inch screws... and not be afraid to use them.

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  12. It's really chapping a lot of people's asses that Chief Tedesco is the only one in this mess who actually sounds like a leader. Our mayor looks like a deer in headlights, Magnetto is nowhere to be found, and the council president preens and postures for the camera. I wonder what race Rodney will choose to be for this debacle.

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    1. Yes especially the clowns that tried to push Tedesco out last year. Notice they're gone, Tedesco still here and taking charge, while Magnetto and Lou have their heads up their asses. Great job guys

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    2. Notice their pal Fitzys awful quiet lately too. My my how things change in a year for the pro-PBA bunch. Felon McGrath and Nutty Nina gone, mayor cowering and hiding, Magnetto with one foot out the door. Chaos in the streets

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  13. If Magnetto's comments in "THE RECORD" today don't bring in the feds nothing will. He can't be serious that the investigation will only look at what happened to the police!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  14. Looks like it is time to update the latest odds on next years mayors race after the events of the last few weeks.Lou R. 10-1. Rodney 8-1. Lynn 10-1 Cindy D.12-1. Mark Mc 6-1 Harry T 50-1 Dean B. 100-1 Jim G. 100-1 Field 5-1. Certainly looks like its a wide open affair at this point. This odds maker thinks someone we will soon emerge and take control.

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  15. Same old mean spirited, slanted comments made by the same three people! Good to see the former mayor and hid people have a forum again to post their mean spirited, one sided, slanted, dumb comments! When will these people go away, it's over!

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    1. Thanks b dunne for your input.

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  16. Bet Rodney could have subdued that guy with his tongue.

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  17. The chief is the honorable one here..the one who cares the one who.deserves respect. You have mine sir

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