Wednesday, November 27, 2013

It's all about control of the TPD


One thing we have to remember about the Police Benevolent Association’s decision to file a complaint against Chief John Tedesco for releasing the findings of an Internal Affairs investigation is that it has nothing to do with the fact he sent the letter to the complainant - it has to do with control of the TPD.

It’s all about control of the Police Department when, or if, Commissioner Anthony Magnetto retires early next year. I think a couple commenters on this blog summed up the open questions nicely.

TEDESCO
MAGNETTO
One question is why the PBA waited seven months from when Tedesco issued the letter to Frank Fogarty telling him that Officer Kyle Jones did indeed used excessive force during a Dec. 23, 2012 arrest. Tedesco issued the letter to Fogarty in April and the PBA didn’t file a complaint about it with IA until this month.

As a commenter said:  “Someone (i.e. the PBA) is playing a trump card.”

First, as I mentioned, can you imagine if the report wasn’t released? If a black guy filed a complaint about getting beat up by white cops and the report was buried. Also, the city gave Brian Houle a letter telling him that Jones did not use excessive force when Houle was arrested in June, 2012 and nobody made a stink about that one. As far as I can tell, it is standard operating procedure to release an IA finding to the complainant.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the PBA started making accusations against the chief shortly after Magnetto started telling people he may retire early next year. And that means the PBA, which is a driving force behind getting Magnetto appointed, has to start dirtying up the chief again so Mayor Lou Rosamilia feels obliged to appoint another commissioner.

If you remember the PBA, behind President Bob Fitzgerald (pictured right), started dirtying up the chief the day he was appointed with the absurd allegation that he got the job in return for covering up a drug investigation into the administration of then Mayor Harry Tutunjian.

I don’t think I have to repeat the fact the PBA doesn’t like Tedesco because he is a staunch disciplinarian and initiated all sorts of changes in an effort to make the department run more efficiently. The PBA knew it was coming, didn’t take kindly it when it did as it would just as soon see the status quo and by that I mean overtime.

In addition, Tedesco is threatening to sue the city claiming his constitutional rights were violated by the city imposed gag order and for curtailing of his power and duties. I think everyone hoped Tedesco would just throw up his hands and retire, but obviously that’s not happening anytime soon.

All that may be true, but Rosamilia (pictured left) is well within his right to appoint a police commissioner – yes there is some ambiguity about whether it should be a police commissioner or public safety commissioner but the basic premise is the same. The mayor wants his policies initiated and winning an election gives him that right but the question remains: Who is driving the bus, the mayor or the PBA.

Tedesco’s attorney, Brian Premo (pictured right), has mastered the art of getting at the underlying dirt - God knows, he had enough practice during voter fraud and his representation of others like Rensselaer Chief Rick Fusco - and he is asking a bunch of questions the PBA, the administration and the Council would just not soon answer. Also, he and Tedesco are asking the FBI look into the PBA’s allegations and his decision to release the Fogarty letter. Given the animosity among command staffers, an outside agency taking a look is the only way we will get an unbiased determination on whether the chief acted appropriately or not. And even if the Feds don’t come in, the seed is planted.

The commenter also asks why the PBA is protecting Jones. I think it would do the same if it was Officer Smith – obviously that’s not an indictment of any Officer Smith but a way to say it could be anyone.

In the end, this is a high stakes poker game and the pot is who gets to control the day-to-day operation of the Police Department – The PBA or the chief.

16 comments:

  1. Now that we have learned the PBA has been acting as an employer hiring off duty PBA members for private security jobs, hopefully the IRS will step and make sure these policeman have been paying their fair share of taxes.

    This should be public information........time for the PBA to come clean.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Whatever happened to the Ethics Committee? Weren't they supposed to meet monthly? And what about the Police Objective Review Committee, Jim...did you ask their thoughts on this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to hear about this too! Funny thing is that Rev. Shaw is on BOTH the Ethics committee AND the Police Objective Review Committee. Hmmmm, I'd like to know how that came about because it seems to be a bit of a conflict of interest being on the two committee's like that at the same time. Oh I do love Troy and it's political appointments. Tsk, tsk and to think people don't see these things.

      Delete
  3. Heard they were thinking of hiring John Wright as the new commish if Tony retires --again!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fitzy has drained the PBA coffers on his lawsuit against the city, the chief, and the ex mayor. The city refuses to settle and the claim has gone from millions to just a couple thousand dollars. He promised the PBA a huge win and big raises in a new contract all Lou won and he got Magnetto in. So far the cops got nothing but disappointment. Well, some got to go to NYC for some holiday shopping and a meeting with real cops in the NYPD. Imagine how much that trip cost the city.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Its pretty pathetic to be living in a city where the Police Chief has to call in the FBI to investigate his own department due to personal vendetta's and attacks on his character. How embarrassing it must be for the professional men and women who work down there amongst what amounts to be a cat fight, and they say women are drama in the workplace? There is more drama down at TPD than there is at H.S. Cheerleading tryouts!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Who is driving the bus? Please these guys are bought and paid for. Lou by Fitzy and Pete by his inlaw Millington.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Perhaps if they made Monica the commish everything would be perfect. She would look like she's actually doing something and the the chief would be allowed to do what he wanted and actually ran the departmt and ran it right because we know the less Monica has to do the better

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sure it is Walt. As funny as her job performance --go make a tee shirt

      Delete
  8. Sounds like Bill is posting about Monica. Pete and Lou like her. They don't like Dunne.

    ReplyDelete
  9. former councilman LaPosta ran the 5k Thanksgiving morning in 36:01. no sign of Franco or councilman M McGrath.. Must have been left in the dust.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I just delivered a fruitcake to my mommy

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey Brother --I heard Carmella was back at it at the BOE wanting the votes counted again. Yay! Carmella in 2015!!!! Keep throwing her out there and eventually, she'll stick to the wall

    ReplyDelete
  12. How bout a new PBa prez? That would fix problems. Perhaps rabdall he knows a lot about jail or bobby cox he has a resume a mile long only heard half before vandenburgh told him to sit down like a dog and he did

    ReplyDelete