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| NEWS > 24 April 2009 |
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Cape Coral police investigatin
The Cape Coral Police Department has launched an investigation against a detective, whose father is chief of the department, amid allegations the detective groped a teenage girl.
Days after prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges against Stephen Petrovich when the teenager abruptly changed her story, the police department has taken up pieces of the case for its own review. Police spokeswoman Dyan Lee would not specify what those pieces were Thursday, but she said investigators will look into new accusations and old ... Read more
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Rochester Democrat and Chronic
24 April 2009
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Greece Police Department, NY
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Greece hires investigator to p
Greece leaders hope an independent investigation into the Greece Police Department will help restore the department's tattered image.
On Monday, retired State Police Deputy Superintendent for Internal Affairs Joseph F. Loszynski will step into a new role as Greece's public safety director. He will have wide latitude to investigate the department's handling of cases involving a former sergeant convicted earlier this year of multiple felonies and another now-suspended officer accused of coercing a woman into sex.
"What I'm going to be doing is I'm going to be assessing and evaluating how the department handled both matters," said Loszynski, of Warren County, a 33-year law enforcement veteran. In 2005, he led an investigation of the Connecticut State Police that uncovered numerous instances of wrongdoing and misconduct.
Town Supervisor John Auberger said Loszynski was chosen because of his "experience and impeccable reputation."
Jeff McCann, Greece's deputy town supervisor, said Loszynski's temporary appointment is "about getting to the bottom of what happened," and that anyone found to have violated procedure or policy would be subject to appropriate discipline.
He said town leaders want "to ensure that at the end of the day, people have faith in the integrity of our police department."
Police Chief Merritt Rahn did not return calls Thursday seeking comment.
His department has faced recent criticism for its investigation of a summer car crash in which off-duty Sgt. Nicholas Joseph slammed into the back end of a stopped car on Route 390 and then fled. A pregnant woman in the stopped car went into premature labor.
At the scene, Greece police officers did not perform routine procedures for serious crashes, including taking photographs and measurements and impounding the car Joseph was driving.
At Rahn's request, State Police took over the investigation.
Joseph was found guilty in February of felony counts of aggravated vehicular assault, second-degree assault, first-degree perjury and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and the misdemeanors of operating a motor vehicle while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and cocaine and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
After Joseph's conviction, Auberger asked the State Police to investigate the department, but McCann said they couldn't because they were already investigating for the Monroe County District Attorney's Office.
On Thursday, several local news stations were served subpoenas by the District Attorney's Office for tapes and interviews of Rahn related to the Nicholas Joseph case. According to the subpoenas, a grand jury will convene Monday to consider evidence in the matter.
First Assistant District Attorney Sandra Doorley would not comment.
Compounding the police department's problems, a June 1 trial date has been set for suspended Officer Gary Pignato. He is accused of a felony count of accepting a bribe and misdemeanor counts of coercion and official misconduct for allegedly forcing a woman to have sex with him by threatening to arrest her for violating her probation if she did not comply.
This is not the first time Rahn and his department have been embroiled in controversy.
In 1996, the town appointed a public safety director in the aftermath of a criminal investigation into acts by Rahn, an inquiry that led to felony and misdemeanor charges against the chief.
Ultimately, all of those charges were either rebuffed by a grand jury or dismissed by a judge, and Rahn maintained he was vindicated. Suspended during the criminal case, Rahn returned to the job as chief in 1996 and received $144,000 from the town to resolve his threat of a lawsuit.
Among the criminal accusations against Rahn were ticket-fixing and coercion of witnesses who testified against him before a grand jury. His supporters contended that the investigation was politically motivated and that the dismissal of the criminal charges was proof-positive of his innocence.
Rahn was out of the job as chief for 11 months. When he returned, a former Greece police official, Michael Murray, was tapped as public safety director to oversee the department. Murray stayed in that role for seven months until town officials again placed trust in Rahn's handling of the department. Murray resigned from the job in 1997.
McCann said Loszynski's investigation is expected to take up to three months. He will be paid $450 per diem.
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