Lengthy Island cops who’ve admitted to misconduct had been allowed to remain on the job and rake six-figure salaries — ending their employment solely after reaching full pension eligibility, a brand new report mentioned.
Since 2011, at the very least seven settlement agreements between Suffolk County and accused crooked cops have been reached, costing taxpayers $7 million and permitting officers who admitted to wrongdoing keep employed simply lengthy sufficient to succeed in their 20 years of service, which is after they would obtain their pension eligibility, in keeping with Newsday.
Mike Martino, a spokesperson for Suffolk County Govt Ed Romaine, mentioned the offers had been reduce underneath prior Exec Steve Bellone, who served the workplace from 2012 to 2023, and former police chief Rodney Harrison — who advised the outlet that he by no means signed off on any such agreements regardless of his signature being on the paper.
“These incidents and agreements befell underneath the prior administration,” Martino mentioned.
“That is simply one other factor that we’ve inherited,” he added.
When Suffolk County strikes to fireside a cop, an unbiased arbitrator steps in to have the ultimate say, however fairly than danger dropping earlier than an arbitrator — who may facet totally with the officer — Bellone’s administration opted for these settlements.
The lover offers allowed officers who had been accused of brazen wrongdoing — similar to current retiree Kevin Wustenhoff who allegedly took a Breathalyzer take a look at for drunk off-duty colleague, David Mascarella.
Mascarella had simply plowed right into a household together with his truck and fractured a two-year-old’s cranium in 2020, and officer Ronald Reiter, who allegedly uncovered the identification of an undercover cop and did not “disclose information of illegal conduct” — to confess solely to “normal misconduct.”
Different officers who acquired comparable offers included Christopher Weiner, who allegedly punched a person whereas holding handcuffs and leaving cuts on his face, and
Police Benevolent Affiliation President Lou Civello defended the follow, and mentioned an admission of normal misconduct “doesn’t imply the allegations are true,” however fairly that “the officers admit to creating some procedural mistake and choose a penalty.”
“These are instances the place the info are in dispute and the officers declare their innocence — these settlements are concessions by the county — they don’t have the proof to show their case,” he mentioned.
That admission allowed them and 4 different officers additionally accused of wrongdoing whereas on the job to remain on the power, and preserve amassing salaries as excessive as $270,000 till they hit the 20-years wanted to entry their pension, giving them advantages for all times, the outlet reported.
The penalty often included the delayed departure that allowed the officers to stay on patrol and the payroll — costing tax payers over $7 million in salaries and extra time to those seven officers alone — as they await the agreed-upon date to be terminated, retire, or resign, the outlet detailed.
Most offers got to officers who’re inside just a few years of reaching their required 20 years of service, nonetheless, present officer Jose Estrella’s “penalty of termination” was set 14 years upfront, permitting him to stay on patrol till 2031, in keeping with the outlet.
Estrella was accused of utilizing police computer systems to look license plates “for causes aside from official police enterprise” in 2015, simply three years after he was employed, in keeping with the report.
