Chief proposes changes, bashes "Mr." Bacote and Kokopellis owner

TEDESCO

If anyone has any doubts about who should head up the Troy Police Department after Commissioner Tony Magnetto steps down on Friday, they should just watch Chief John Tedesco’s speech at Wednesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting.

He wasn't at the one-sided, dog-and-pony show Magnetto and Mayor Lou Rosamilia had on Tuesday where no new real light was shed on anything, but a day later he addressed the Kokopellis incident with a strength and common sense not seen by either side of the Jan. 25 incident that has spiked racial tensions.

Tedesco defended his officers, as he should, but did not comment on their guilt or innocence because, he said, all the facts are not yet reviewed. He did, however, recognize problems police have within certain communities and proposed structural changes including the need for stronger community policing and changes in how the department disciplines officers who screw up.

He said community police positions should come out of the contractually mandated bidding process so officers can stay on the detail for longer than a year without the threat of being bumped because someone simply has more seniority. That way, he said, stronger relationships can develop between the community and the officers.

Disciplining an officer who does screw up – and they are human so they do screw up – should be a swift, fair and consistent process to benefit the victims if they suffered harm and the officer should the claim be unfounded.  

He did take exception to some comments made by “Mr. Willie Bacote.” No, he did not call him “pastor.” Some, like Tina Urzan, the long time, well respected proprietor of Olde Judge Mansion in North Central, bypassed the “mister” and just called him “Willie.”

Bacote was not at Christ Church for Wednesday’s meeting, though he led a march through the streets of Troy prior to last week’s meeting.

“Here we have a man who for the past 18 months has repeatedly alleged that people of color, many of whom are in his congregation, have been mistreated at the hands of Troy police officers,” Tedesco said. “Last week, Mr. Bacote stated that he is ‘tired of mothers brining their children to him beaten by Troy police officers.’ He then went on to proclaim he would ‘no longer tolerate such abuse and hold city officials accountable.’ Mr. Bacote, I would ask if you were here, did you notify city officials? Besides the media did you notify anyone? I am publically challenging Mr. Bacote, when he hears of my remarks, to produce these victims so their claims can be properly investigated.”

The chief did tip his hat to Alice Green, of the Center of Law and Justice. Last week she agreed with Tedesco’s stance all along that an independent investigation is the only way to satisfactorily answer the question of whether or not police used excessive force.

“Your call for an independent investigation by the Unite Stated Department of Justice is welcomed not feared,” Tedesco said. “On behalf of the officers involved in the Kokopellis riot, we know an independent investigation is the only mechanism that will provide them relief for the stigma attached so unfairly attached to their actions that night.”

After Bacote, Tedesco laid into Barry Glick, one of the owners of Kokopellis, who last week compared Troy police officers to the Klu Klux Klan.

“Let me express my profound sense of repulsion at your analogy of Troy police officers acting in a manner akin to the Klu Klux Klan,” Tedesco said to a round of applause. “How dare you exploit one of the darkest periods in our nation’s history in attempting to deflect the blame from yourself for the outrageous conduct you permitted to take place in your establishment on Jan. 25.”

While last week Glick said Roshwan Donley, the man who got hit with a nightstick, was working two jobs and was looking for a third so he could we his fiancé, but Tedesco pointed out that Glick omitted the fact Donley has an outstanding weapons charge and is currently being prosecuted for failing to pay child support.

 Police Benevolent Association President Bob Fitzgerald, who is rarely on Tedesco’s side of anything, also bashed Bacote and called on him to resign from the Troy African American Pastoral Alliance. Peggy Kownack said “just because you call yourself a minister doesn’t mean you’re one.”

“Bob is speaking for the PBA and himself and not representing the administration,” Public Safety Committee Chairman Bob Doherty said while introducing Fitzgerald, which is odd since I can’t figure out why the president of the PBA union would represent the administration in anything. Fitzgerald then in turn bashed Doherty for showing up at the New York State Liquor Authority on behalf of the owners of Kokopellis.

“I don’t care if it’s your right, your constituent or your friend,” Fitzgerald said as Doherty tried to cut him off. “How can you make any objective decision on this case when you are walking hand in hand with this guy to the Liquor Authority? The members of the Troy PBA are demanding an explanation and an apology. And the chief of police and his staff deserves an explanation and an apology.”

He also criticized Glick for his KKK comments and the way he and his son Joseph operate the bar.

There were other speakers, but Tedesco did steal the show. It’s going to be interesting to see if Rosamilia tries to put someone else over the chief’s head. Then again, at this point in time, who would want if for $30,000.

 

 

Ethics Committee to look into Dhoerty's SLA visit

DOHERTY

The city’s Ethics Committee will send out notices indicating that it will begin a “preliminary investigation” into Councilman Bob Doherty’s decision to join the owners of Kokopellis when they appeared in front of the New York State Liquor Authority.

Co-Chair John Cubit said the notices - which will go to Doherty, other Council members and Mayor Lou Rosamilia – are necessary because Doherty is an elected official. Once notice is given, the committee will determine if Doherty violated any laws by showing up in person to support Barry and Joe Glick.

Specifically, provided the preliminary investigation determines there is enough information to proceed with a full blown investigation, the committee will look into whether or not there was a conflict of interest in Doherty, as an elected representative, advocating for an entity that has business before the city in front of another governmental body.  There are both state law and sections of city code that deal with conflict of interest, Cubit said.

Doherty chairs the Public Safety Committee. He hosted a forum last week following a protest march lead by Rev. Willie Bacote. It was well attended and emotionally charged as more than a dozen speakers complained about widespread police brutality was in the Collar City. Another meeting is slated for Wednesday when the Police Chief John Tedesco will speak as will other police supporters.  

The Ethics Committee is co-chaired by Cubit, Rev. Eric Shaw and members include Kim Mazor, Norris Benbow, Larry Ellis, Corey Jamison and Ruth Bennett.

The committee is slated to meet on Feb. 20 but the notices can go out at any time, Cubit said. He was unclear if the committee will call a special meeting prior to that.

 The Glicks were called to the SLA to give their side of the story regarding a melee at their club on Jan. 5. Police were called at 2:37 a.m. by two callers on 911 that stated there were “hundreds” of people fighting in the bar. Police entered the bar 10 minutes later and surveillance video shows the crowd gathering coats and leaving in an orderly fashion. Minutes later, as police were arresting Roshawon Donley surveillance and cell phone video show the 25-year-old getting hit with a nightstick and chaos ensued.

In all, police arrested four other people for a variety of infractions from harassment, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Eight officers were injured, six required treatment at the hospital.

  

Did police walk into an inferno or throw gas on a candle? (UPDATED)

I may as well head right into the “Questions” segment of the program because that’s all I have regarding the melee at Kokopellis Saturday morning. Let me first say, however, this isn't about supporting or not supporting the police ... it's getting to the bottom of what happened. If the police screwed up they should be held accountable  - just like anyone else. If they didn't, they didn't. It's really as simple as that and only an outside investigation will answer the question.

-On Wednesday, Troy police released radio transmissions from officers outside the bar calling for help in controlling an unruly and aggressive crowd, but they are not time stamped so when they were the calls made? The department also released transcripts of two 911 calls made at 2:37 a.m. One by the bartender and another by an unidentified caller, who claims there were 100 people fighting. Despite media reports, there was no audio of the 911 calls released to the public.

-There is 30 minutes of video, from four different angles, taken from inside the bar beginning at 2:47 a.m. which disputes the 911 transcript in that it looks like a pretty orderly crowd. On Thursday, on the Times Union website, bar owner Barry Glick said there was a disturbance but it was under control by the time police got there. We don’t know what happened prior to 2:37 a.m. outside of the 911 transcripts. Again, did the radio transmission occur before or after the video footage? Is there any footage of outside the bar?

-If there was chaos outside the bar at or before 2:47 a.m., however, why did half a dozen officers decide to come inside the bar? (photo to the left is of Roshowan Donley, who police arrested in the bar. It can be seen on the videos.) The question then becomes did police use excessive force when they arrested Donley or did they use only the force necessary to place him under arrest?

-Why is it the incident reports, also as reported by the Times Union, claim police showed up at the bar and were greeted with chaos when the Mobile Command Center was set up on Fourth Street at 10 p.m. Friday and were there until at least 3 a.m. Saturday? In other words: Police were already there, and there with an extra four officers on special duty in anticipation of problems. So when, and how, did everything get so out of hand?

-Where is Mayor Lou Rosamilia? I give him credit for backing up the police pending an investigation but he needs to make a public appearance and not just issue a statement. Obviously, there is a good chunk of the community who thinks police used excessive force and a good chunk who don't think they did. the mayor should be front and center to diffuse what is an already explosive situation.

-Why isn’t anyone in city government calling for an independent investigation outside of Chief John Tedesco. I find it kind of ironic that he and Rev. Willie Bacote are on the same side of anything, but they are on this one. Police Commissioner Anthony Magnetto, Rosamilia – as reported on Channel 13 – and Police Benevolent Association President Bob Fitzgerald all say the investigation should be done in house by Internal Affairs. Why, though, would they want to keep it in house?

-And the question everyone wants, and deserves, an answer to is: Did police throw gas on a candle or did they walk into an inferno?

I don’t know the answer to the last. I wasn’t there. And there is more to the story than just watching the video and/or listening to radio transmissions. What I do know is the only way to get an answer that satisfies everyone involved is if someone besides the Troy Police Department conducts a thorough investigation as the chief, Bacote and the Times Union are calling for.

-Two other questions readers came up with are: Does Donley have a criminal record and if Kokopellis had been issued nuisance abatement points in the past? Anyone know the answers?

  

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.