I recall at one time the assets of a safe, possibly in the Albany County DA's office, had no record of its contents. Maybe it was a dream. Terry ONeill wants a break for Chief Tuffey. A police Department that has had 5 different Chief's in five years reflects directly on the competence of the person who hired the Chief and Department heads. It indicates complete incompetence on that person's ability to supervise and govern. The person who hired the six Chief's should be fired after he is tarred and feathered and thrown out of town. If he were in a State or Federal position he might be promoted for his incompetency, however, this is only a City position and he should be fired.
Regarding the truth; everyone has his/her own view of truth, and when it is acceptable to lie, and whether a little or a lot. I was brought up to believe that an omission was a lie.
Some people lie all the time. How many ethics classes are APD police officers required to take? Any? What is the required educational level required? How many sociology classes have the APD officers taken on or off the job? These officers need training and a psychological evaluation. I would rather take my chances of getting shot while standing in my doorway getting my keys by a fellow who had at least a BA in psychology and sociology than an a sociopath police officer with little common sense and a GED. It is not the quantity of officers you have on the job, it is the quality.
Let the City or State allow officers to complete their college education while on the job and if they graduate with a 3.0 average or better, pay for the whole cost; for 2.5 - 3.0, pay for 50%.
Regarding Albany layman's question about equal treatment for "the boys in blue" and those who are not. You should not expect and not get equal treatment in a corrupt administration, and under the Constitution you have an obligation to overthrow the corrupt government. As an example, Jennings made a big deal and threatened Albanians and those who visit the City, that if anyone left their car running with the keys in it and they were not in it, they would be issued a ticket with a hefty fine. The reason given for this by Jennings was that in Albany more cars were stolen in the winter than in the summer because people left their keys in their cars to warm them up and they were stolen. According to Jennings, it did not matter if it was summer or winter, the offenders would be ticketed. No exceptions. Jennings lied again. Call the Fire Department "Pants On Fire". Friends of Jennings would be excluded.
Not too long ago the City sent two trucks, a trailer and three employees to 18 Kensington Place that is owned by John (Jack) Horan Jr. They were there to cut City Property that is neither visible nor accessible by the general public. Cutting the glass only benefits 3 people and expands Jack Horan's backyard 300%. One employee stands with his foot on the edge of a walled garden bed on the 18 Kensington Place property and does nothing. One employee weed whacks and another employee mows land that the Mayor of Albany, City of Albany Office of Corporation Counsel and a vote of all the residents in the Whitehall Station Town Home Community determined must remain "forever wild", never be maintained, and remain the property of the City. The cost of the theft of City hours to maintain the property is unknown, as the City workers have expanded this to include the backyards of Horan's friends at 16 and 14 Kensington Place. No other City residents can access or use this property. All Albany taxpayers pay for the private benefit to three taxpayers.
In order to maintain this property, the City of Albany would send a DGS employee illegally driving a riding lawnmower down the streets of Albany. He opened the City up to numerous lawsuits and potential accidents, as the driver had no directional lights and used no hand signals as he negotiated major City arteries. A typical Budweiser-looking can sat stuck into a part of the mower. Maybe it was Pepsi - oops wrong color. The State Department of Motor Vehicles stated that this action by the City was illegal. Photographs of the illegal action were presented to the Mayor for some action.
The Mayor took no action, except that now three (3) City DGS employees, under the direction of Nick D'Antonio, and two trucks and a trailer for the lawnmower, are sent out to do the job. The employees would typically leave their trucks running with the keys in them and the windows rolled down. These actions were totally in opposition of the Mayor's directive placing Albany taxpayers at risk and harm and with a potential lawsuit to pay for.
Just before the DGS's actions, there had been a theft of a Schenectady police car. On one of the DGS visits, I turned off the truck, and removed the keys, as there was not a single one of the 3 employees in sight of the truck. I called APD and explained the situation and requested they come get they keys. An APD officer showed up at my door and I asked if the City employee would be ticketed. Not only was I told no ticket would be issued, but the officer threatened me with arrest. These are the type of APD officers, and DGS employees that should be fired for cause.
Look at the cost to taxpayers for the private benefit for one individual. Before Horan suckered the City to do this for him, he suckered the homeowners and stole money by getting the landscaper to mow the City Forever Wild area and had his Homeowners Association pay for it. In Albany, it is whom you know, not what the law is. When you look at the DGS budget, try and find the line item for the cost of favors to taxpayers. Who has perpetrated a fraud on the taxpayers of Albany and who should be fired? It starts at the top with Jennings, Tuffey, the officer, who violated the law because he refused to ticket the City employee, and the Albany Corporation Counsel for failing to take action and help in the fraud.
The problem is systemic. City Hall needs to clean house, but who is going to do it? Jackie Mason said about Nixon, "I like a crook who knows his business". These City employees, including the Mayor, and DGS employees are crooks and they know their business.
