APD HIDING CASES OF POLICE MISCONDUCT


By champlain, Section Diaries
Posted on Sun Mar 02, 2008 at 08:35:04 AM EST

Here's the money graph from the two stories about outrageous police misconduct in the 3/2/2008 Sunday Albany Times Union:

"A member of the (Albany) Citizens' Police Review Board, who spoke on condition of anonymity because only the chairman is authorized to make public statements, said some members of the board have privately suspected that the department may be hiding cases of police misconduct."

If there every was a major reason for giving the Citizens' Police Review Board subpoena power, this illegal search case involving Lisa Shutter of Ravena is the one.

Another item from the Shutter illegal search story:

"The actions of the police ..would end in controversy rather than with an arrest. They would leave Shutter, a 28-year-old single mother from Ravena, shaken and angry after one of the (APD) officers allegedly inserted his finger into Shutter's vagina on a public street during an apparent search for drugs."

Does this really surprise anyone in Albany?  After all, Albany's got cops like William Bonanni who have spent about 6 of his 17 years on the APD force suspended or on limited duty because of repeated complaints. Bonanni was found GUILTY this past week of beating a suspect in custody and civil rights violations by a jury in a federal court.  
http://www.democracyinalbany.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2008/2/28/45615/9786
Bonanni's currently being reinstated to active duty after allegedly showing up to work his police shift drunk. Can anyone explain to me why Albany taxpayers pay this guy's salary?

Albany's got cops like Greg Krikorian, a DWI speeder who was arrested with a blood alcohol level of 0.16 (twice the legal limit) who leaves the scene of an accident and then drunkenly crashes his 1988 Corvette into a multi-unit apartment building and burns the building down leaving several people homeless and devoid of their worldly possessions.
http://www.poly.rpi.edu/article_view.php3?view=3379&part=1
State police charged Krikorian with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. He was arrested, without being handcuffed, and issued an appearance ticket. He pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of driving while ability impaired on Dec. 21, 2004. He was fined $300, and his license was suspended for 90 days. Krikorian was suspended from the APD during the criminal proceedings. When they were complete, he was reinstated.  

When asked about the Krikorian arrest, Mayor Jerry Jennings said on his weekly radio call in program: "He's a good kid, leave him alone."

Is it any big surprise that the Albany Police Department may be hiding cases of police misconduct when the Mayor urges the citizens of the City to IGNORE illegal activity by police officers?

What's the solution? I've got a few suggestions.

I believe it is APD Assistant Chief Anthony Bruno who is responsible for APD internal affairs, but Bruno has been involved with a organized crime family and appears to know a great deal about the APD Machine Gun Scandal:
http://www.democracyinalbany.com/story/2007/12/23/65452/115
It's seems obvious that Bruno is too tainted to hold the public's trust to investigate and discipline the bad cops who break the law or violate APD policies.  What's the solution?

Bruno should resign.

APD Chief James Tuffey is responsible for setting policy for the force and making sure the bad cops get appropriate discipline.

It's obvious from the problems with Bonanni and with the allegations in the Lisa Shutter illegal search that the bad cops on the force are not taking Tuffey seriously.  Tuffey's had two years to go after the bad cops and turn the force around but the same old misconduct keeps on happening and now there are real concerns the APD is hiding officer misconduct. What's the solution?

Tuffey should resign.

The person ultimately responsible for all City employees is the Mayor.  Jerry Jennings has appointed either five or six handpicked police heads since 1993, yet none of them have been able to make a real impact on reducing the outrageously high crime rates in Albany or reducing the outrageous police misconduct such as:

APD Machine Gun Scandal

Accidental shootings

Beatings of suspects in custody

Multiple APD officers arrested for DWI

Illegal stops & searches as an unwritten APD policy

Sex discrimination cases against APD management

Repeated abuse of police overtime costing the City $3+ million annually and rising

What's the solution? I think it's obvious.
Jennings should resign.

Albany needs a new set of professionals who are competent and dedicated.  New leadership may be able to control an increasingly out-of-control minority of bad cops who apparently don't know how to enforce the law in a fair and professional manner.

It's way past time to have new people running APD internal affairs, way past time for a new APD Chief and way past time for a new Mayor.

< Tuffey IS responsible... | Mercury & other Toxic Chemicals in your community >

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APD HIDING CASES OF POLICE MISCONDUCT | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)
Champ (none / 0) (#1)
by alfrednewman on Sun Mar 02, 2008 at 09:16:43 PM EST
Wouldnt you think that some of these issues are good candidates for the District Attorney's Public Integrety Unit?

I would have thought that illegal machine guns, assaults on prisoners and members of the police force interfering with investigations would all be prime candidates for the Public Integrety Unit AND the appointment of a special prosecutor.

The Public Integrety Unit and the appointment of a special prosecutor are not dependent on the Mayor, the Police Cheif or anyone except for one elected official.  In your opinion why do you think there has been no movement on these issues?

 
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

Yeah....uhhh (none / 0) (#2)
by champlain on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 04:35:59 AM EST
I'm sure you can figure that one out for yourself.

Seems like you're expecting the District Attorney to step in to do basic management 101 at the Albany Police Dept. and the City of Albany?

Sorry Newman, but the responsiblity for fixing this on-going series of cock-ups falls directly on the Jerry-Jimmy wrecking crew.

But you keep right on doing the blame-shifting for the outrageously incompetent.

Bye now...

[ Parent ]

Great post (none / 0) (#3)
by FedUp on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 05:03:00 AM EST
as always, Champ. I agree with your thoughts; it's time for real leaders in APD, not thugs. The retirements can be proposed as a cost-savings measure. Think of how much will be saved by having a combined retirement party; perhaps they can all be given medals from SUNY. They can celebrate Tuffey's legacy of leaving behind yet another department trashed by his unethical and poor leadership.

No Champ, you are missing my points. (none / 0) (#4)
by alfrednewman on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 07:16:10 AM EST
First, the Albany Police Department has had problems for decades and because the problem has existed for so long it basically has, for lack of a better definition, become part of their corporate culture.  

Playing musical chairs with the command staff is not going to have any effect because the problem and the attitude goes down the chain of command right to the patrol officers beating the hell out of someone handcuffed. Or, up the chain of command where the patrol officers are shielded by their supervisors.

Lets say that Tuffy resigned this afternoon. Would that really solve anything? No. As a matter of fact it would stiffin the resolve of the bad cops and the new chief would be met with even more reistence against reform.

The rules that have been developed over the years have served to protect bad cops. A new cheif would have to play by the same rules that Tuffey is currently constrained by.

In the private sector companies with bad corporate cultures get taken over and everyone gets fired.  In the public sector there is nothing that can be done to weed out people with bad attitudes. Cant do that here.

--------
Secondly and most importantly, I don't see some of this as bad management. I see it as criminal.  A police officer who asaults a handcuffed criminal is himself a criminal and should be prosecuted as one.

If there is evidence that the police are lying under oath then they should be prosecuted.

If machine guns were illegally distributed on the street then that should be prosecuted.

You blame Tuffey for doing a job that I dont think he can do.  I do think, however, that Soares can appoint a special prosecutor to look into clearly criminal activity.  

You should be asking yourself why a special prosecutor hasnt been appointed.  

 
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

The way you chance attitudes and culture (none / 0) (#5)
by Tom Paine on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 10:20:38 AM EST
This must be a special day; here I am agreeing with you part way, Al. You're right that corruption that continues for long enough does become part of the organizational culture. I'll also agree that Tuffey is not solely responsible for something that began decades before his tenure.

However, when you take a job like Police Chief, you take responsibility for everything - good and bad - that happens in that organization. That's what management responsiblity means. The Chieferoonie wants credit when things go well? Fine. That means he takes the blame when things go in the toilet too. A truly great leader would give all the credit to his cops when things go well, and take all the blame personally when things go wrong. But I am not expecting great leadership here ;)

(Just an aside if you want to know what real leadership looks like: Eisenhower gave credit to "The G.I." for winning the war in Europe. He didn't grab credit for himself, his buddies, or his fellow generals. As for taking the blame: On the eve of D-Day he famously composed a message to be sent up the chain of command in case the invasion failed. In that message, he explicitly wrote that the ordinary troops did everything possible, and that any fault was "mine alone". Thankfully that message never needed to be sent, but he was ready to do it if he had to.)

The way you change that kind of culture is with leadership. Send the message that corruption is no longer tolerated; that bad cops will be found out and punished; that good, dedicated, ethical cops (the vast majority) have nothing to fear from any investigations and will be rewarded for continued correct behavior.

A new leader brought in from out of town could accomplish that. In business that's the classic solution and it's classic because it often works. Heck, a new leader from in town could do it too, if the right person was hired. A leader who is already soaked in the pus of this corruption has zero chance of being a change agent.  

Until the city gets confronted with a lot of angry citizens or the current gang of thugs gets voted out, none of that will happen.

 

As long as Albany residents continue to put (none / 0) (#6)
by hawkny on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 11:48:33 AM EST
home grown, arch conservative enrolled Democrats into office, and give them appointive powers, it isn't going to get any better...any time soon.
hawk (none / 0) (#7)
by DIA on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 12:20:55 PM EST
has hit the nail on the head.

[ Parent ]
Absolutely (none / 0) (#8)
by Tom Paine on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 12:37:32 PM EST
Absolutely correct. That's why we need to elect new people and we need to hold some feet to the fire NOW. Talking here can help us get fired up to do that but it's not nearly enough.

I'd love to work with other people who feel the same way.

[ Parent ]

Sorry People (none / 0) (#9)
by one flew east on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 12:48:58 PM EST
If you think that Jerry Jennings is an arch conservative, then I don't think you know what an arch conservative is!

Editing problems (none / 0) (#10)
by alfrednewman on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 12:57:52 PM EST
Sorry guys, I intended to say that Champion blames Tuffey for NOT doing a job I dont think he can do.  I have the flu and it is kicking the crap out of me...

Tom:
It is far too easy to point to the deeds of great leaders doing nobel things during dark times.

It is far harder to find words of inspiration from anyone dealing with civil service issues on a day to day basis.

A long time ago I read a book called "General Patton's Principes for Life and Leadership." Maybe that would be a better model for Tuffey.  

The basic gist I seem to recall was "yell at those who deserved it and if they didn't like it too damn bad."

I am surprised that the supporters (if there are any left) of D'Alesandro havent weighed into the issue here. He dared to question some of the unethical practices within the department and was drummed out for it. No one on any level seemed to realy have stood up for the guy.  What does that tell you?
"What? Me worry? " "whatmeworry.alfred@gmail.com"

Excuse me! (none / 0) (#11)
by hawkny on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 06:49:19 PM EST
I do not believe I mentioned Mr. Jennings by name.  But now that you bring him up...he has political rigamortis (sp) just like Breslin, Tuffey, Connors,  McEneny etc...and all the other old line, old school, Irish rooted, machine Dems.  They were all brought up in parochial school school environments, learned their politics through the old "ward system", and digested the bigotry and biases of their mentors, lock, stock and barrel.  Anything they say or do, today, to the contrary, including the mayor, is for expediency's sake..and electoral strategy, nothing more.


None (none / 0) (#12)
by one flew east on Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 07:11:06 PM EST
of the people you named are arch conservatives.  

The APD needs a reduction in force (none / 0) (#13)
by albarbor on Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 09:37:22 AM EST
When the APD or the Albany County Sheriffs Department arrests Albany's citizens on possession of illegal machine guns or weapons we celebrate. When the APD is guilty of the same offense the Albany County District Attorney's Office, FBI, U.S. Attorney's office has nothing to say.

APD HIDING CASES OF POLICE MISCONDUCT | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)
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