Abolish that department and Dagostino for Commissioner!!!
If this happens then this present cycle will just continue. Nothing will change. Just like nothing changed with Chaires, because he was and obviously still is working under the same old system of the good ole boys club.
Contract it out to the State Police and let one of their own be the commish. If we continue to recyle the same people and just move them around the county from one position to another.....nothing will ever change. Self serving, revenge, political favors and political motivation will continue with little or no regard for the taxpayers.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
EDITORIAL Stratton’s warnings to police are too little, too late
We’re glad that Mayor Stratton was motivated by our Wednesday editorial to meet with Schenectady’s police officers and tell them this is a “critical moment,” that things — i.e. their lousy attitudes and criminal or unethical actions — must change if the department is to survive. Although this may be stronger than the mayor’s previous warnings and admonitions, it’s not going to work any better than they did, so invasive and persistent is the infection. The city should acknowledge that the situation at this point is beyond pleas and threats, that reform is no longer a realistic possibility. It needs to abolish the department and try something else. Stratton has made a good-faith effort to reform the department, the most dramatic move being the hiring of former state police Superintendent Wayne Bennett as public safety commissioner. Bennett talked tough and started strong, but has proved no more effective at fundamentally changing anything than his predecessors were — and now, by closing what was to be a public hearing for an errant officer, has unilaterally given up a key part of the disciplinary authority he had claimed. At a recent city council meeting, Bennett made the remarkable acknowledgment that the cops’ attitude toward attempts at supervision and discipline is “in your face.” For all the changes in rules and supposedly increased scrutiny, the misdeeds — unauthorized time off, drugs stolen from the evidence locker, off-duty drunken driving, et al. — have actually seemed to get worse since he arrived. Officers assume they won’t get caught (maybe because they know the “good cops” won’t blow the whistle), and if they do get caught, that the union or state-appointed arbitrators will protect them. So pardon us if we say to Stratton’s latest, well-intentioned warning, we’ve heard this before. And it isn’t going to make a difference. If he’s not actively exploring what can be done after abolishing the department, he should be. As mayor in the 1950s, his father helped the city and made a name for himself by busting gambling rings. This is another kind of corruption that is costing the city dearly, in terms of reputation and taxes. Schenectadians, who will pay $16.1 million in 2009 for their police department (more than 20 percent of the city’s budget), are being played for suckers, and it is offensive. With that kind of money, other arrangements should be feasible, including but not limited to contracting with the state police or sheriff’s department, or forming a county force and having it provide protection for the city. The city might even be able to save money, with the savings returned to taxpayers or shared with the county. Where do members of the city council and county legislature stand on this? They cannot remain silent on such an important issue. After his success straightening out Schenectady’s finances, Stratton is in .....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00700
Mayor: End 'nonsense' Schenectady's Stratton says dissolving police force is a last resort
By PAUL NELSON, Staff writer First published in print: Saturday, March 7, 2009
SCHENECTADY — A city police supervisor's admission that he visited the dentist while on duty has prompted an internal probe and suggestions that the beleaguered department be abolished.
Mayor Brian U. Stratton stressed Wednesday that he is not ready to give up on the 166-member force. But to emphasize his concern about the department's ongoing disciplinary troubles, he spoke Wednesday to officers before two shifts. He told the officers the department is at a "critical" point.
"This wasn't about politics, it wasn't about the union, it's really about survival ... and I told them you have to get from under this nonsense, and now is the time to get together as a team," Stratton recounted.
The mayor's message came on the heels of revelations that Sgt. Eric Clifford had dental work done Wednesday morning while on duty after calling in to headquarters to say he was going on a "detail."
Chief Mark Chaires said Thursday a "detail" can be used for such things as a bathroom break or to deal with equipment troubles, but not dentist visits. He said the department's Office of Professional Standards is now looking into the matter, and that Clifford remains on the job pending the outcome of that probe.
Stratton also responded Thursday to reports that he suggested the department be dissolved in favor of county patrols as an options for dealing with a force with an image problem and eight officers currently out on disciplinary leave.
Chaires, however, said the "transfer of functions" or paying the county to patrol city streets would be problematic on many fronts. He argued it would punish all the good officers, create an unstable working climate, and present legal issues tied to ironing out a labor agreement.
"People who think it's as simple as abolishing the department have not thought this through," Chaires said. "What you might end up with is a police department with the least desirable pay, least desirable benefits package, and you might get officers who couldn't get hired anywhere else."
The chief emphasized that the "people who have done wrong are being held accountable."
But Stratton said officers have to realize that they are under the microscope and that he and public's patience is wearing thin. "How much more can the public take?" he asked.
Clifford said that he went to the dentist to make an appointment but then was told they could squeeze him in. The department spokesman said he planned to apologize to the chief for not leading by example....................http://timesunion.com/AspStori.....mp;newsdate=3/7/2009
Clarification Saturday’s editorial on the Schenectady police seemed to suggest that an officer stole drugs from the evidence locker after Wayne Bennett became public safety commissioner. It was not intended that way, but simply as an example of the many police misdeeds and scandals in recent years. The theft of the drugs occurred before Bennett became commissioner, and was the main reason Mayor Stratton brought him in in 2007.
Before we condemn the entire Schenectady Police Department and call for their banishment let’s take a moment to look at the situation objectively [March 5 Gazette]. While the actions of certain police officers in recent weeks have been wrong and completely unethical, it doesn’t give journalists like Carl Strock the right to brand the whole department as “cheats and scam-artists.” Before we cast stones, Mr. Strock, and call for the jobs of over 150 brave men and women, let’s put the situation into perspective. The nature of a policeman’s job is dangerous and stressful, and none of these men and women get anywhere near the credit they deserve for their heroism. These courageous men and women valiantly strap up their boots every day and face danger many of us will never see in our lifetime. This, however, doesn’t mean police officers shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions. Schenectady police officers need to act within their authority, and those who go astray need to deal with the consequences. It is more than fair to label the actions of certain officers in recent weeks as shameful and regrettable, but let’s not take part in this shame by nefariously stereotyping the entire staff as evil. It’s very simple to gather around the water cooler and scold the entire police department, but what isn’t easy is to take a stand for the other 150 or so policemen that do follow the rules. It is disgraceful for a few bad apples to spoil the whole bunch, and by no means should the wrongdoings of a few refl ect the heroism of the many. DANIEL SEMIONE Schenectady The writer has a brother who is a police officer.
SCHENECTADY Mayor questions police progress State of City address highlights planned road upgrades BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Problems with the police have grown so serious that they overshadowed even the economy in the mayor’s State of the City address Monday. Mayor Brian U. Stratton started his speech by reiterating his willingness to abolish the Police Department if officers continue to act unprofessionally. “If need be, we must be resolved to find another way to provide police services. And if need be, we will,” he said. He added that he is no longer certain the department can be reformed. “Despite our best hopes, or previous steps taken toward real reform, it is obvious that progress in this area will come more slowly than we had hoped for. That is, if it can be achieved at all,” he said. On other matters, his speech had a more optimistic note. He detailed plans to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of stimulus money to repave streets, rebuild sewer and water pipes, and demolish blight. He believes the city will get $700,000 in CDBG grant money — but held out hope for millions more. “Our need for stimulus dollars is crystal clear,” he said, calling the stimulus a “new opportunity” for Schenectady. Today he is meeting with the governor to learn how to apply for additional funds and how much he could realistically expect to receive. “Schenectady must aggressively compete for its fair share in this federal funding,” he said. He also announced one new goal for 2009: developing a 311 system to handle non-police calls for help from residents. Problems with garbage pickup, road potholes, burnedout street lights and code violations could be reported through the system, he said. New York City has a system that is staffed 24-7, but Stratton said Schenectady’s system would likely include leaving voice messages or e-mails after business hours. He said the system could help residents get information faster while also enabling the city to more quickly dispatch crews to problem areas. “Faster service . . . will be our goal as we explore cost and other options for possible implementation here,” Stratton said. He finished his speech by promising to focus on the neighborhoods — which could get stimulus funding in his proposal — and on public safety. “We go forward with optimism, caution and with our eyes open,” he said. Council members reacted to his speech by asking him to research the options for abolishing the Police Department. Councilman Mark Blanchfi eld, one of three who asked for the research, said, “I say this not out of a sense of anger because, frankly, I’m past it.” He said children are forming negative views of police and are questioning the legitimacy of laws because of police actions. “If we don’t have a situation where people can look up to law enforcement personnel and respect them, we’re going to have a lawless situation in a few years,” Blanchfield said. “I’m very concerned about it. I think we have to explore all the options out there.” He and Councilwoman Denise Brucker stressed that they aren’t considering abolition “to punish” good officers. But police Chief Mark Chaires told them, “That’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to be punishing innocent officers.” He insisted that he could reform the Police Department, adding that every officer who misbehaved.....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00700
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 5:14 p.m., Monday, March 16, 2009
SCHENECTADY — It's that time of year again, when the city opposes a state bill that would take away Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett's ability to directly discipline police officers.
The bill, which has been vetoed by governors for the last three years, would make it mandatory for officer discipline to be negotiated with police unions. But Bennett has said he has the right to oversee discipline hearings himself because of a 2006 Court of Appeals ruling that said disciplinary procedures don't have to be negotiated in municipalities where other pre-existing laws apply. That ruling involved cases from New York City and the Town of Orangetown, Rockland County.
That pre-existing law comes in the form of Schenectady's original city charter.
The topic of how to manage discipline is of great concern to Schenectady, as it continues to deal with troubles inside the department — from an officer who has been arrested numerous times for allegedly harassing his wife and other charges, to a top-paid officer accused of being at an apartment instead of patrolling the streets during his shift.
SCHENECTADY Mayor wants to fire 5 officers Alleged infractions include DWIs, roughing suspect BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Five city police officers may soon be fired as Mayor Brian U. Stratton struggles to take control of the troubled Police Department. Stratton said three officers caught allegedly driving drunk while offduty may be terminated, as well as two officers involved in the alleged beating of an intoxicated man two years ago. The first disciplinary case will be decided next month. “We’re obviously looking at the strongest possible reaction, internally, to send a message that this is not tolerable,” Stratton said. “I think the T-word is going to be more and more used.” He said terminations might eliminate enough “bad apples” to change the balance of power in the department. “My hope is that we can get the good officers in the department to be the overriding factor,” he said. Surprisingly, most of the officers on his list are relatively new to the department. With the exception of officer John Lewis, a 15-year veteran who was fired from the department once before, all have served less than nine years. City officials have previously said that the department’s “culture of unprofessionalism” was created by veteran officers and passed down to rookies. Stratton has repeatedly asked the newest officers to resist corruption and change the department. Firing five officers at once would be unprecedented at the Schenectady Police Department. In the past 25 years, the city has tried to fire only three officers — and succeeded in only one case. On Sept. 2, 1982, after a yearlong investigation and numerous legal battles, the city fired 25-year veteran officer Ambrose Mountain for raping a woman in the city lockup. Since then, the city twice tried to fire officers who used racial slurs, but in both cases arbitrators said the punishment was too severe. It’s not clear whether arbitrators would view drunken driving as worthy of termination, but Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett hopes he won’t have to ask them. He has claimed the right to hold hearings and discipline officers, who would then have only one recourse for appeal. They would have to convince the state Appellate Division to reconsider their case. Bennett thinks that the city could have fired other officers, but chose to allow retirements, resignations or lighter punishments out of a belief that arbitrators would always overturn disciplinary decisions. “It got to the point of, ‘We’re not going to bother to take him to arbitration, we’re just not going to terminate him,” Bennett said. “You’ve had 25, 30 years of apathy.” On Thursday, Bennett was planning to buck that trend with his first ever official disciplinary hearing, regarding officer Darren Lawrence’s off-duty drunken driving allegations. But that case has now been postponed for a month so that an outside law firm can research the case and prosecute Lawrence while the city attorneys serve as Bennett’s legal advisers. “It became more and more apparent that he would need legal counsel,” Corporation Counsel L. John Van Norden said of Bennett. Ethically, his office cannot perform both functions at once — there would be a perception that the legal adviser would favor the prosecution. The outside law firm will handle all five hearings, Van Norden said. A cost has not yet been determined. When the hearing convenes next month, Lawrence will respond to allegations that he drove drunk, crashed in Colonie and beat a friend to keep him from reporting the incident. Colonie police collected statements from bartenders and witnesses at a variety of bars who testified to his drinking, but because he fled the scene they could not test him that night to determine his blood-alcohol level at the time of the accident. He was not charged with DWI in that incident. Lawrence was suspended at the time, October of 2006. He was suspended again last October after an off-duty incident in which offi cers allegedly had to remove him from a city bar. Van Norden said Lawrence will have a difficult time claiming innocence in the second case because he made injudicious statements to the officers at the bar. “The mics recorded a lot of it,” Van Norden said, referring to microphones worn by all patroling officers. While three of the five officers who face termination have been accused of driving drunk, Bennett said he would not automatically fire officers charged with DWI. A case in point: He demoted Sgt. Joseph A. Peters IV, 42, a 10-year veteran, after he was arrested on Dec. 11 on charges of driving drunk. Peters was sent back to patrol and was removed from the SWAT Team, which Stratton said was a reasonable punishment. He noted that unlike the other pending cases, Peters did not cause an accident, did not refuse a Breathalyzer test and did not flee. He was stopped by city police after a passerby saw his vehicle swerving. As for the questions of Lawrence’s drunkenness in the October 2006 incident, Bennett said he can determine whether Lawrence was drunk even though the offi cer evaded a Breathalyzer test. “I must establish proven guilt to a reasonable satisfaction. It’s not the criminal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt,” Bennett said. He added that officers will be ..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00102
A few bad apples? Like the rest didn't look the other way, huh? Like nobody knew that Curtis wasn't a crack head, huh? I thought law enforcement was trained in that area. No?
Sometimes one bad apple does spoil the bunch.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
EDITORIALS By all means, try to fire bad Sch’dy cops
It’s taken a bit longer than it should have, but Mayor Brian Stratton’s patience finally seems to have worn thin with Schenectady’s embattled police department. His plan to make examples of the department’s most egregious recent offenders, by pursuing their dismissal, seems a good one — likely to have impact and with minimal risk, even if it doesn’t ultimately succeed. But he shouldn’t hesitate to try it. Recent Gazette editorials have advocated the dissolution of the department on the grounds that it is beyond repair, and we remain skeptical that anything short of dissolution can solve the city’s law enforcement problems. On the other hand, as Sunday’s Gazette story made clear, getting the county or state to take over this mess will be anything but easy; and thanks to state civil service law, whoever assumed responsibility for it would likely be stuck having to hire Schenectady cops before anyone else. So Stratton — who says he’ll continue to research the possibility of dissolution — is, in the meantime, being realistic in greatly stepping up pressure on the rank and file to behave itself. Giving the department the proverbial one last chance is certainly easier than pursuing dissolution, and while it might not succeed, it’s worth a try. Trying to dismiss five or six bad apples simultaneously would give the Police Benevolent Association the message that Stratton means business in a way he hasn’t previously. Actions speak louder than the strong words that have been his usual response, and firing is about as extreme an action as he can take. Whether the firings would hold up is another matter, of course. Stratton and Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett maintain they have the authority to take such action unilaterally, while the PBA claims the Public Employment Relations Board gets to make the ultimate call. The matter has yet to be decided in court, and won’t be definitively for several months at the earliest. In the meantime, terminating these guys — for such serious offenses as driving drunk then leaving the scene of a personal injury accident; beating up a DWI suspect while taking him to the police station; driving drunk, then assaulting a passenger and fleeing the scene; driving drunk and violating numerous orders of protection to harass your spouse; and regularly taking hours off during a shift while also collecting huge amounts of overtime — seems justified. From the city’s perspective, a worst-case scenario is that the firings would cost a lot of money to defend and wouldn’t hold up. In the meantime, though, the bad apples would have to stew in their own juices, pay their........................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00901
Let’s give Schenectady police credit. Let’s compare real numbers and give the police in Schenectady credit for the job they are doing instead of focusing on the few cops that have gotten in trouble. According to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services’ 2006 and 2007 reports, there were 23,142 crimes reported in the city. The city of Albany had 34,299 — the difference being about equal, [given] Albany’s population of 94,172 [and] Schenectady’s of 61,531. Here is where it gets real interesting: According to the state Division of Criminal Justice, Albany had 334 police officers compared to Schenectady’s 158. That means Schenectady police are doing the same amount of work as Albany police with less than half the manpower.
SCHENECTADY City will again fight police discipline bill BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
This year’s effort to pass a statewide police discipline bill is even more of a sham than in other years, according to local politicians. For the fifth time, the Democratcontrolled Assembly has proposed a bill that would force all municipalities to negotiate discipline with their police union. But this time, in an effort to avoid embarrassing an embattled governor who has already vetoed the bill once, the Democrats who control the Senate may not even propose the bill. On the previous four occasions, the bill passed both houses but was vetoed by the governor. Councilman Gary McCarthy has been calling the state effort a “sham” and a “charade” for more than a year, noting that even though the Assembly and Senate overwhelmingly approve the bill, with enough votes to overturn a veto, they never try to do so. Still, the City Council geared up Monday to fight the bill again. This time, they offered a twist: they asked state Sen. Hugh T. Farley, R-Niskayuna, to get them exempted from the legislation so they wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of opposing it yet again. In response, Farley said state politics this year will likely keep the bill far from the floor. “The chances of the bill happening are slim to none,” he said. “A bill that’s been vetoed so many times isn’t going to even get passed this year, in my opinion. The new [Democratic Senate] majority hasn’t passed more than a handful of bills this year. They’re way behind.” Besides, he said, the vote would only embarrass Democratic Gov. David Paterson. He said that when his party held the majority in the Senate, they were only willing to keep passing the bill to embarrass the new Democratic governors. They had previously passed the bill once but it was vetoed by Republican Gov. George Pataki. That, Farley said, was enough for them. But they supported it three more times as a way to embarrass the new Democratic governors, he said. “When the Assembly passed it, the Republican Senate didn’t mind sending it on to a Democratic governor to be vetoed,” Farley said. “A veto is an embarrassment, really.” That embarrassment is precisely why the Senate won’t pass the bill now, with Democrats in the majority, he said. “I think they don’t want to embarrass the governor,” he said. Of course, the Democrat-controlled Assembly passed the bill repeatedly under Democratic governors. But Farley noted that bill sponsor Assemblyman Peter Abbate Jr., D-Brooklyn, hasn’t yet gotten a Democrat to introduce the bill in the Senate. The Democrats won control of the Senate this year. “The whole situation has changed. I don’t even know if anyone’s going to introduce the bill,” Farley said, adding that if it is proposed, “The chances are the Senate will not pass it.” City leaders plan to fight the bill just in case. On Monday, they unanimously expressed opposition and, at the same time, asked to be exempted from the bill. Farley was somewhat incredulous about that request. “I’ve never heard of exempting somebody in a statewide bill. I doubt very much they would do that — it’s a very unusual request,” he said. Abbate, as the bill sponsor, would have to support the exemption, he added, calling that “unlikely.” Mayor Brian U. Stratton agreed, but pressed on with it anyway. “We’re just trying to find another...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00702
SCHENECTADY Suspended police officer back on payroll Mayor wants to see man accused of ‘stealing time’ fired BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
After losing $12,500 during his month-long suspension, police Officer Dwayne Johnson is now receiving paychecks again. But he’s still not allowed to come back to work, and Mayor Brian U. Stratton has said publicly that Johnson should face termination. The officer was observed by The Daily Gazette spending up to four hours each Tuesday morning at an apartment when he was supposed to be patrolling the streets. Police have not said what Johnson was doing during that time except to say that he was “stealing time” for not doing police work during his shift. They have been investigating his actions as well as whether supervisors colluded to help him get away with it. But now that Johnson is back on the payroll, Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett said investigators are focusing on Johnson. “Obviously the most critical part is Dwayne Johnson because he’s out there in a paid status but not working,” Bennett said. “We’re investigating it expeditiously. We’re doing it post-haste.” Bennett predicted at the start of the investigation that it would take “well over” a month. Until the investigation is complete, Johnson will paid his normal salary of $4,421 per month. However, that will still be a significant loss for him: he typically earns $8,068 more in overtime each month, according to his 2008 income. He was suspended without pay on Feb. 19 and returned to the payroll March 21. Four other officers are currently suspended with pay as well. Andrew Karaskiewicz and Gregory Hafensteiner have been paid to stay home since January 2008 after allegations of beating a drunken man during an arrest. They served their 30 days without pay in December of 2007. Darren Lawrence has been on paid suspension since November after an alleged drunken off-duty incident in which police had to be called to the bar. He is also accused of driving drunk, crashing in Colonie and beating a friend to keep him from reporting the incident in October 2006. John Lewis was suspended early last year and remains on suspension following a series of five arrests that ranged from drunken driving to threatening to kill his ex-wife. A fifth officer, Michael Brown, was suspended without pay after being charged with DWI on March 1. He faces misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident in which he allegedly injured another motorist and refused a Breathalyzer test. He is still on unpaid suspension. All six of the................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....amp;EntityId=Ar00902
The March 23 Gazette contained an article [“Police list tips to help prevent crimes”] with “tips” from our Schenectady Police Sgt. Eric Clifford, stating that citizens should call them if we see someone looking into our car and other quips of law enforcement wisdom. Well, I actually called them recently when someone had punched my driver’s side window out of my vehicle while [I was] having dinner with my sister at a restaurant in Mont Pleasant. I was initially told by dispatch that I could just file a report over the phone, that a response to the scene was not needed. After some insisting on my part, he reluctantly said a car would be sent. Of course that never happened. I even called my son, who is a state trooper, and had him call Schenectady police, and he was told that a car was being sent. Again, that never happened; nor was I ever contacted by the police department. So much for the “tips” from our police department. My tip to the people of Schenectady is to dine in Rotterdam. We have great restaurants and great police. They even respond to crimes — what a concept!
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