Police Chief John Tedesco was
questioned by the police department's internal affairs unit Monday afternoon,
city officials confirmed Tuesday.
Tedesco was interviewed about a
letter he sent to a person who filed a complaint regarding alleged police
brutality. Tedesco said in the letter that the complaint was upheld by the
internal affairs investigation.
Mayor Lou Rosamilia said
Tedesco faced internal affairs after he had postponed the meeting several
times.
"I will have the findings
after it's over," Rosamilia said.
Tedesco is the city's first
police chief to be the target of an internal affairs probe.
Deputy Chief Richard McAvoy and
Capt. Terrance Buchanan of internal affairs met with Tedesco for about 30
minutes in an office that was cordoned off.
Tedesco had said the media were
invited to attend his interview, but no reporters were present.
The chief faces the
investigation after a complaint was filed saying that the letter he sent was
written before the officer under investigation had exhausted the appeals
process.
Tedesco's questioning came as
city officials learned that the chief asked the City Council to investigate the
police department's operations and internal affairs unit under Police
Commissioner Anthony Magnetto.
Tedesco also has called for the
FBI to investigate the department's internal affairs cases.
The City Council and members of
Rosamilia's administration received an eight-page letter Friday night from
Tedesco's attorney outlining the need for the inquiry.
"Recent events have again
made clear the need for a properly trained and autonomous ISB (Inspectional
Services Bureau) officer who remains free from the influence of any outside
sources, especially the PBA," wrote Brian Premo, Tedesco's lawyer.
Premo's letter alleged that
Buchanan is influenced by the Troy Police Benevolent Association due to having
received off-hours employment through the union.
Rosamilia said the latest
letter from Tedesco, which he reviewed Monday, is "the same thing."
He called the chief's actions a distraction to the police department.
Premo's letter was widely
circulated throughout the police department Monday.
Since Magnetto was appointed
earlier this year, Tedesco has been pushed aside in managing the police
department. Magnetto has moved ahead with implementing programs, such as school
resource officers, that Rosamilia promised he would deliver if elected mayor.
Premo's letter attacks
Magnetto's appointment as illegal and highlights the influence that the Troy
Police Benevolent Association has in the department.
"Chief Tedesco firmly
believes that a zero-tolerance policy against egregious misconduct must be
strictly enforced to prevent future incidents of brutality and that his other
'best practices' and policies must be reinstated for effective and efficient
management of the Police Bureau," Premo wrote.