New Haven officer fights suspension
NEW
HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - A New Haven police sergeant is fighting a 15-day suspension
given for a comment he allegedly made last June at the front desk of police
headquarters
The
New Haven Register reports (http://bit.ly/1g26t3i ) William Koenig was reported
to have complained that a person had to be black or perform a sexual favor in
order to work in the chief’s office.
Koenig
was suspended in April after a coalition of black officers raised concerns in
February that he had not been disciplined.
Koenig’s
attorney, William Palmieri, says Koenig denies making that comment, and the
police union will file a grievance.
Koenig
has said he was discussing a rumor that someone had “blackmailed” a city
official to obtain a position, and someone may have thought he was instead
talking about a “black male
St. Joseph Public Safety Director suspended,
one terminated
By:
Megan Hickey
St.
Joseph, Mich. One St. Joseph Public Safety
Officer has been fired and another suspended on the heels of an internal
conduct investigation.
St.
Joseph's Director of Public Safety, Mark
Clapp, has been suspended for one week without pay and the Deputy Director, Al
DiBrito, has been terminated.
The
disciplinary actions came down Tuesday after an internal investigation into a complaint of defamatory comments made by
Clapp in regards to his second in command, DiBrito.
“The
investigation concluded that Director Clapp made comments that were
inappropriate for a commanding officer to make regarding a second charge,” said
Richard Lewis, St. Joseph City Manager, in a press conference Tuesday morning.
The
comments were deemed inappropriate, but not defamatory. Clapp has been
disciplined with a one week unpaid suspension, beginning May 12.
But
the investigation brought to light other complaints within the department –
complaints about DiBrito’s own conduct.
“Multiple
Public Safety Officers voiced serious concerns regarding the overall conduct of
the Deputy Public Service Director Al DiBrito,” Lewis said in a statement. “A
determination was made that the future
effective operation of the Public Safety Department would be jeopardized
if Mr. DiBrito remained as the Deputy Director of the Department.”
DiBrito’s
employment was terminated effective
immediately Tuesday morning. Lewis did not accept questions on the conduct
specifically.
DiBrito’s
attorneys addressed the “serious concerns” about DiBrito’s “overall conduct”
with the following statement:
“DiBrito
has always acted with the highest attention to the law and ethical law
enforcement standards throughout his career. That career includes 10 years as a
city police officer, 23 years as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and two years in his current position as Deputy Director of
Public Safety. He has received numerous awards and commendations over those
years, reflecting his successful performance. DiBrito is considering his
personal, career and legal options at this point. DiBrito will make no further
comment at this time."
Officer
accused of racial slur deserved more punishment, Garcetti says
Garcetti
said an officer who received a 65-day suspension should have received a
stronger punishment
Mayor
spoke out after CBS Channel 2 aired audio of previously reported remarks
High-ranking
police officials originally recommended that Officer Shaun Hillmann be fired
Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday that a police officer who received a
65-day suspension after using a racial slur should have received a stiffer
punishment.
Garcetti
made his remarks one day after CBS Channel 2 aired a recording that was said to
have captured Officer Shaun Hillmann describing an African American man as a
“monkey.” Asked about the audio, Garcetti said the statements were
“reprehensible.”
As
mayor I think it’s really important for me to speak out and say there’s no place
for that” in the Police Department, Garcetti said, “and that there should have
been a stronger penalty.”
Hillmann
could not be reached for comment. The Times reported two months ago that
high-ranking police officials recommended that Hillmann be fired. A
disciplinary board voted to kick Hillmann off the force after finding that he
unnecessarily provoked a confrontation at a bar, made the "monkey"
comment caught on tape and gave false statements to investigators.
Police
Chief Charlie Beck overruled the board, allowing Hillmann -- whose father and
uncle worked for the department -- to
return to duty after a 65-day suspension, according to several sources with
knowledge of the chief's decision. The sources spoke on the condition of
anonymity because police discipline matters are confidential.
Beck
has described the suspension as an "appropriate" punishment, telling
The Times it matched "the nature and circumstances of the behavior."
The
Times reported on Hillmann's use of the word "monkey" in March after
obtaining a transcript of the recorded remarks. A day after that report
appeared, Garcetti offered a defense of Beck's decision in an interview with
CBS Channel 2.
