Search This Blog

Friday, September 23, 2011

MORE PIECES TO THE LIEUTENANT DAILEY PUZZLE

I know many of you are loving the use of the "alternative means" to bring you documents here.

The document below is another such case. It involves the Lt. Ed Dailey investigation by Captain James Bernier. The whole matter has the potential to be another legal mess costing the City substantial amounts to settle.

Last week I posted some of the documents I obtained through "alternative means" and many of you were surprised by the "one-sidedness" of Bernier's report. Dailey's rebuttal to IAD Commander Lt. Rob Davis seemed to raise more questions than provide answers as to how Bernier chose to leave much of the information that would have helped Dailey out of his "investigation".

Dailey's rebuttal memo was submitted to Davis after the previous IAD Commander Lt. Neville Brooks was removed under another questionable decision that also has the potential to cost city taxpayers substantially to settle.

Now another document has been given to me by "alternative means". In April, I made an FOI request to the city for "any and all documents" related to the Lt. Dailey investigation to an incident that happened on Rockville Street. No document, not even one piece of paper was given to me responsive to my request.

Hearing's were finished today before the FOI Commission, and the more documents I receive through "alternative means" that are relative to my request, it becomes much clearer how wrong this whole matter is and it seems to make the Rudewicz report pale in comparison. It also seems to make it clear why the City and HPD did not want the documents anywhere near my hands to be able to read.

I doesn't take a lawyer or a Judge to read Lt. Tedeschi's memo and realize that the Dailey investigation conducted by Captain Bernier was the furthest thing from fair and unbiased. It could be characterized as a witch hunt. I think the big question for me is that if Bernier was willing to leave out much of the information that would have cleared Dailey, a fellow police officer, to what length would he go if he wanted to slant a case against an average citizen..

The major fact in Tedeschi's memo is that even though Bernier kept referring to the crime scene and the assault, witness statements led to a different conclusion. There was no assault according to two witnesses, Tillie and John Pittman. A report by Officer Caron stated that the Pittman's witnessed the alleged "assault" victim fall down their rear stairs after he was pounding on their rear door.

Tedeschi also interviewed John Pittman and was told the same version, yet the Caron report was not included in Captain Berniers report, which would have seemed to show that no crime had even taken place to start with. Tedeschi, as Department Advocate, further states in his memo that Dailey's actions do no rise to the level of the charges lodged against Dailey.

It really makes me question the integrity of some at HPD and to the extent that some will go to carry out personality conflicts and vendettas. It also raises the issue of how a document such as Tedeschi's memo can be in existence, with apparently no action being taken against the original author of what now seem, most likely, to be false allegations against Lt. Dailey.

A call to Captain Bernier earlier this evening for comment was not returned.

Tedeschi Advocate Memo Dailey

"IT'S NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL IT IS ON THE BLOG"

Apparently that was the word on Facebook today regarding the sudden retirement of Hartford Police Chief Daryl K. Roberts. And now for all of my blog readers, it is official , Chief Roberts is retiring effective December 31st 2011.

I think we all knew it was coming, one way or another. The Rudewicz Report was apparently submitted to the City on Monday and word is that Tuesday was not a pleasant day for the Chief at City Hall. Thursday was a little bit better, Chief Roberts won a set of golf clubs at the HPD Union Golf outing. That may have been an omen that it was time for retirement for DKR.

And now today Chief Roberts submitted his letter of retirement. We won't know what was in the Rudewicz Report until Mayor Segarra releases it under that policy of transparency we keep hearing about. I think it is safe to say though that the report had a lot to do with this retirement.

It really is unfortunate that we are at this point now. DKR came in at a time when we needed a strong Chief(not that there ever is a time you don't need a strong Chief). He was well accepted by just about every corner of the City. He had a personality that people could relate to, myself included. Even when we weren't on the best of terms, the Chief still took my calls and responded when needed.

He had a lot of potential, but that old management saying that "you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with" should have been painted on his office wall in 2 foot high letters to remind him everyday. Daryl surrounded himself with some that were clearly incompetent, some that were set on undermining him to get his job and some that just had no business being anywhere near the second floor.

The really sad part is that Chief Roberts knew it. We had a discussion a few months ago he readily acknowledged that he knew that some of those around him were undermining him regularly, yet he still kept them there.

There probably isn't enough space to list all of the poor decisions made by those around him, yet the Chief condoned them and allowed them to snowball. The Secore case, the Murtha case, the Brooks case, the Condon case, the Dailey case, the Foley case, the Pawtucket Street shooting matter and the list goes on. Several of these matters have already cost the City huge amounts and the potential is there for a lot more liability.

I recently had a somewhat heated, although respectable, discussion about things that were happening at HPD and I asked him to look at the facts in several of them. At one point Mayor Segarra looked at me and asked me "do you know why Chief Roberts still has a job?" , I said "no" and his response was "because of you". That was a shot, but he was right.

Shortly after Mayor Segarra took office last year, there was talk that he was going in a different direction for the leadership at HPD. I asked to meet with the Mayor and we set up a time to meet in his office. One of the things we discussed was the tenure of Chief Roberts. I asked the Mayor to give Chief Roberts a chance to prove himself without being under the control of our former felon Mayor Eddie Perez.

Eddie Perez kept Chief Roberts on a very short leash and in my opinion that kept DKR from being able to function and have a real impact on crime. Mayor Segarra made the decision to keep Chief Roberts on and I want to thank him for that, but I will admit now that it probably wasn't the best choice.

Myself, like many others, had high hopes for the Chief. Unfortunately we saw the opportunities squandered over the last year. Just the fact that the Governor and our Chief State's Attorney had to step in to create what will probably go down as one of the most effective crime fighting initiative in HPD history, the Shooting Task force, is troubling.

If Chief Roberts had surrounded himself with the right people, he would have had that initiative presented to him months ago. Instead vindictiveness and petty differences kept gun fighting ideas from moving forward when they were suggested, and I( know for a fact that they were suggested and funding was denied by the second floor brain trust

It is just sad to see an organization implode as we watch. I spoke with someone earlier today who expected the media to ask for a comment regarding the Chief's retirement. They didn't want to use that "canned" response we saw from the Mayor's press person with the usual accolades which any casual observer knows weren't true.

My advice was to say that in any organization there comes a time for change, new leadership and new direction. For HPD that time is now to begin building a once proud and admired organization.

Best of luck in your retirement Chief, I am still proud to say you are a friend. For the good of the organization the time is right, but if HPD is going to move forward, DKR's retirement is not the only one that needs to be submitted, And if they aren't submitted, I think Mayor Segarra knows what needs to be done.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS SET FOR JOHN O'CONNELL


John and his grandaughter Brigid on August 12, 2011


The funeral arrangements for John O'Connell have been set. The wake will be Friday from 4:00PM to 8:00PM at Sheehan Hillborn Breen Funeral Home located at 1084 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford. The funeral will be Saturday at 10 am from Saint Bridgett Church, directly across from the funeral home on New Britain Ave in the Elmwood section of West Hartford

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

ANOTHER MISTAKE FOR CHIEF TEALE


Sorry Charlie, not this time.

Chief Teale was apparently in the audience today at the "Regis and Kelly Show". At the end of the opening "chat host" segment they pick the number of a winning audience member for a prize. Teale mistakenly jumped up when the number was called, thinking he had heard his number. Sorry Charlie.

Chief Teale has a tendency to take "gifts" as the transcripts in the Nolan hearings proved, but alas Chief, this time it was not meant to be. I guess some people verify what they are doing before they hand over the bag of cash, and in this case Teale was not the lucky recipient. But look at the bright side Charlie, at least you didn't have to donate this "gift" to charity after you got caught.

Sorry Charlie, maybe next time. You really can't make this stuff up.

MAYBE THE TAXES ARE TOO HIGH ?


Jeff Cohen over at WNPR is still following the life and times of Eddie Perez. It seems that the house that will potentially land Perez in jail isn't moving any time fast. Cohen is reporting that the price has dropped from $350,000 to $325,000 to now $300,000. Maybe Hartfords mill rate which was raised consistently by Perez every year of his administration could be keeping buyers away.

Click here to check out the listing for Casa Perez You can see a few photo's of the Dark Emperor granite counter tops and the steam shower that have Perez headed for his new home, courtesy of a Superior Court jury and the State of Connecticut

AN INVITE TO ALL RUNNERS AND WALKERS

The Farmington Police Department, in co-operation with Winding Trails in Farmington is sponsoring a 5 mile trail race and a 5K Walk/run event on Sunday, October 16, 2011. Details for the event and registration forms are in the PDF file below.

The event will benefit the "Wounded Warriors Project" and "Save Walton Pond". It sounds like something that can meet everyone's ability level whether you are a runner or looking for a picturesque walk on the 3.1 mile course, all to benefit two good causes

5krace