PPD MESS CLOUDS CITY, LOOMS AS AN ELECTION ISSUE
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30, 2015) — Here’s a comment from Irishman relating to last night’s city council meeting:
Police union exerting its self serving protectionism and paranoia in regard to a rather innocuous special police provision … Obviously the police union is self-sustaining only, showing total disregard for those that pay their salaries and perks. Union spokesman danced around what he called the current union issue, apparently alluding to the malfesance and alleged felonies committed by their union leadership.
PPD: A Department in Crisis
Pittsfield is in a public-safety crisis. In addition to the violence this summer, there is an internal crisis within the PPD. Two police officers, Sgt. Mark Lenihan and officer Chris Kennedy, have filed suit against the city, the mayor, the chief, and a police captain.
Meanwhile, the head of the patrolmen’s union, officer Jeff Coco, remains suspended with pay on allegations about missing union money. The amount in question isn’t trivial. Departmental sources peg it at $150,000 to $200,000. The Coco case is supposedly under investigation within the department. Capt. David Granger, a defendant in the two lawsuits, is heading the internal probe, sources say. Lenihan has accused Granger of wresting control of the department from a politically neutered “acting” chief, Mike Wynn, rewarding his favorites and punishing to foes. Wynn and Granger did not return THE PLANET‘s request for comment.
It’s interesting to note in light of Lenihan’s nepotism charges against Granger and Bianchi, sources say Granger’s son, sheriff Tom Bowler’s son, and PPD detective Glenn Civelo’s son are on the most recent list of PPD candidates. Sources say “the department will step over many to get those boys on” the police force.
Information Lock Down Detrimental to Democracy
Sources tell THE PLANET officer Matt Kirchner has taken over Coco’s union duties. What’s going on in Coco’s case? Hard to say. There’s been an unusually tight clampdown on any information, a practice that fits in with the overall theme of suppression that has characterized the Bianchi Administration. Nonetheless, we have this nugget. Sources tell us Coco’s case has been turned over to state police within the district attorney’s office. That would suggest Coco’s fate will not be decided internally but by troopers taking direction from D.A. David Capeless.
The subtext, of course, is that without official information, news squeezes out here and there as distortions. A more enlightened attitude for the free flow of information, to say nothing of a more grown-up (if not sophisticated) approach to media relations, would prevent all this. As politics, the issue has potential. The Tyer camp could score points by addressing how she intends to deal with information that should be public and by sharing her theory of press relations.
Wynn is in a tough spot. With contract negotiations ongoing, sources say the anti-Wynn faction within the department has delayed a no-confidence vote in the chief. This being an election year also has the chief walking a tightrope. Publicly, he has to keep a united front with the mayor. Privately and politically, Wynn is in the Tyer camp because, sources say, he knows the mayor doesn’t like him and also because he has a personal relationship with one of Tyer’s key aides.
As a footnote to this messy situation, after the body Aaron Coty, 18, was discovered in Marchisio Park on Dalton Division Road, the PPD referred all questions to Capeless’ office. One understands the hand-off, but surely the release of basic information from the D.A. would not have spoiled some vast, eternal plan.
In a democracy, the public has a right to know. Coverups and lock downs are symptoms of institutional sickness. Will Team Tyer address this or look the other way?
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“I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.” — Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself, (1855).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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I am not confident that Mr Capeless will be the one to straighten things out here.
There were two heroin courts cases in the paper over the last two days. One guy got 18 months in the slammer and the other, a woman, got probation. I wonder about such things. I wish they would explain to that the public could understand.
There are always harsher sentencing for male criminals. Just like child support and child custody, women get the upper hand.
This Lockdown B.S. is spreading like a Cancer. The PPD is in such turmoil and corruptness…again pointing straight to the Mayor of Pittsfield. There is no question this needs to be addressed by Linda Tyer. Transparancy is Public Trust!!!
I saw Acting Chief Wynn’s attitude at the City Council Meeting. I don’t know his circumstance, but he was snarky and defensive, like a skunk. Jon Lothrop was spot on… on this stench.
Cover-ups, lockdowns, secretive behavior, nepotism….are unfortunately what Pittsfield has become. David Capeless has been in office too long and there needs to be a shakeup in that position soon.
Nepotism gets many people jobs in this city. The people who complain about not being able to find a job are called negative, but the people who were able to get a job because of connections are generally the people who are calling the jobless names like negative. Get more job skills and education they say and don’t blame a lack of jobs for your problem. There are lots of jobs in the area. It’s just that you don’t have the qualifications. Meanwhile the connected are scooping up the jobs that do exist and they often are not the ones with the best qualifications for these jobs. It’s not really shocking that the PPD is also infected with this problem as it is a city wide problem.
Absolutely Pat…..all the more reason why Citizens need to vote the Top Out. Sweep across the board. I agree that Capekess needs to go too.
Capeless
The silence and cover-ups going on in this city is frightening. So glad, Dan, that you and others are talking about it.
We could list all the incidents where the public has been kept in the dark and that includes even minor details, but the list would go on forever.
Should we be pointing the finger at the DA?
I hope Tyer takes this issue and runs with it. She should hammer it at every debate and make the mayor explain why the lack of transparency. And then tell us what she would do differently.
I wish there were others, Spider but DV is the only one…nothing from the bb, nothing from iberkshires, nothing from the gazette nothing from nobody not named the Planet…
Its not that there aren’t enough qualified people for jobs in Pittsfield. There are. Take Granger’s son. His application for PPD rises to the top, like magic. Pudgey Bowler’s son is top local on the PPD’s hire list. Then PPD detective Civelo’s son is another local at the top of the heap.
How did these local young men get to be top candidates for these jobs? …… as always, in Pittsfield, its not what you know but who you know or in this case who you are related to.
Some young men who finish top of the academy get their applications shoved aside simply because they don’t have the right fathers.
Everyone in Pittsfield knows this goes on. Yet it continues.
Acting Chief Wynn is on thin ice with mayor lockdown. He’s a hold over from the Ruberto administration. One of mayor lockdown’s primary goals has been to undoo everything Ruberto did. Should mayor lockdown get a four year, half million dollar term, Chief Wynn is history.
Reward your family and friends using the people’s money. Reward yourself. Keep the special interests happy. Remind everyone it is their civic duty to pay their taxes as the gravy train rolls on. Keep the people quiet and in the dark. This is the platform mayor lockdown is running on no matter what propaganda he spews.
So pay your taxes, keep quiet, don’t rock the boat and welcome the 3 new officers to the force.
Obviously you don’t have a clue about civil service hiring. Where did you get all of these wrong information or do you just want to give the correct info?
Incorrect
If people would get the facts before they shoot off their mouths, they would see that these kids are more than qualified. All three went to college and graduated, two with criminal justice degrees. Two out of the three are working in a criminal justice field, and all three took the exam and scored very high. Not sure how nepotism would take place in exam taking. They took the test and scored high all on their own. Make the civil service list public so that the public can see that these kids are in line to be put on the PPD. For years and in every profession you see children wanting to follow in their father’s footsteps. This is no different. These kids have earned it on their own and Pittsfield would be lucky to have any one of them.
http://www.csexam.hrd.state.ma.us/eligiblelist/eligiblelist.aspx?ListId=1&Location_Id=251
Ljam
You make vary legitimate points. Bring “affirmative action” into the equation and all three of these applicants would be elimanated and replaced by other applicants with lower scores and lesser abilities.
An easier road to go in today’s society: (in order to side step “nepotism”) might be for these three to apply to other police departments where they have no relatives.
This may be a sad state of affairs but this is the way it goes today….especially in states such as Massachusetts.
The BB runs an article today about the very generous raises that teachers will be getting that supposedly will be much more fair and may even be a model for the state. Pittsfield likes using itself as a model for other areas to follow. I think it feeds the egos of local politicians and those on the school committee who think they are far superior to the average citizen in the city. After reading the article, I think it is further proof that the Pittsfield School Department needs to be brought back to live in the real world. Who will do it? Bianchi? Tyer? Neither One?
Really well done article by the way by Mr. therrien. First time I’ve ever seen ‘the steps” discussed for public consumption. See what he did there? He got something potentially on lockdown out there by calling it a potential model for the state. Every district in the state already has steps. When teacher salaries are negotiated, the steps NEVER go away. The paltry raises, 1%-1.5% per year that are always discussed as the teacher raises are, in fact, increases to the money already on the steps! Every teacher already gets a 3-4% raise EVERY year…automatically. Now they are getting a “kicker” as well tied to Chapter 70 money?!? REALLY not cool. That money is supposed to go to EDUCATION, not to a pool for teachers. At the very least, make that program the start of some sort of measureable incentive program, not just a share at the trough. And I do not want to hear EVER again how underpaid teachers are. Start at $40k…almost $80k at the top with NO cap in sight?!. And a gold clad benefits package to boot! Jim Therrien did a real public service here.
guess the special interests somehow did not get to screen it before it went to press. Hope he can keep his job
It was national news recently that Massachusetts is the number one state for teachers. I had to wonder…what does that mean? While various studies and top ten lists use different modifiers, it is agreed that Massachusetts has the highest teacher salaries. The most publicized study was put forth by wallethub.com but goodcall.com lists Pittsfield specifically (!) as #9 nationally in a list of the ten best places to be a teacher: average salary $66,000.
It is a generally recognized fact that high educational spending is directly correlated to an area’s success and yet, the great exodus continues. We can’t help but draw the best teachers but what do they have to work with when they get here?
Well for one thing they are going to have a brand spanking new economic engine high school. To hear the suits describe it one might think we may not even need teachers anymore. It’s that freakin special. I heard that all a kid has to do is enter through the front door, walk down the hallway, go out the back door and there will be a high paying job waiting for him or her. No more opting out for Pittsfield kids. Whoooppeeee!!
Average salary of $66,ooo.00 per yr. does not include benefits. Add 25-30%. Pay teachers, administrators more more more. Let the value of a Pittsfield public school diploma become worthless. Thats the ticket.
Thats what $5 million worth of school choice parents figured out. Get y kids outta there.
The PSD is corruption of the first order, makes the PPD look like the girl scouts.
Personally I think the first place to start with a dress code is with the teachers and administrators. They should be modeling for the students professionalism in all facets. The school department has more control with the teachers as opposed to the students because I’m sure the ACLU or another faction will fight the freedom of speech,etc.
Officer Coco moved off of Strong Ave.
Glad to see him go.
Nothing wrong with having a police officer living in the neighborhood.
I have known Officer Coco for a few years. I don’t know the details of his situation but what I do know is he is a good person and a good officer. “Susan” I’m not sure what your basing your comment on but it seems kind of harsh to me.
Barry had the assistant Solicitor on the hook last night and let him off. Explain why Barry? He said you’re wrong, I say you were right. On the delegating issue. It was very clear you were right?
The other lawyer stepped in and said the change I wanted was okay. Mr. lee even admitted, in the end, that it was okay.
So I don’t understand what you mean by “let him off”. What did you want me to do, give him a slapping? What would that have accomplished?
Barry
I don’t know why you entertain some of these people sometimes when they say silly things. Kind of like when child
goes on a rant and you just pat them on the head and say to yourself they don’t know any better.
I would like to see that.
That has a strange connotation to it.
History always repeats itself, these scandals occur every 3,5, or 10 years and that the administration can not control. The one thing the Administration has absolute control over though, is how they respond to these eruptions.
And when they don’t respond…the handwriting is on the wall.
Barry, thank you for the answer. My point was and it seemed before the other Lawyer’ got involved was that the City Attorney told you, ‘you are wrong’ and you seemed to be o k with the comment because you didn’t challenge him after that comment. You weren’t wrong in the first place.
I knew I wasn’t wrong. You make your argument and hope you get the votes.
One thing I’ve learned over the last four years is that my fellow councillors don’t like pissing matches.
Barry
The worst part of it was the document had been worked on for two years ( attorney’s own word) yet the interpretation was very clear. two years and the language leaves open different meanings and usage? Barry, clearly was spot on.
He was. He always is.
I don’t really get why teachers think they deserve so much money and benefits. First thing is the education requirements are minimal. Second, its a part time job at best. Third, they have no accountability.
They call it U N I O N . With Sally Field Standing on a Machine carrying a sign.
Krol, Morandi,Caccamo, Connell, Scapin,Tully, Simonelli. Bianchi. Amuso, Mazzeo,Cotton, Marchetti.
You would have to be crazy if you vote for Scapinhead. He tried to shove the transfer station down our throats but the folks on Velma ave. got together and stopped the son of a gun. Now I hear that he’s strong arming people to take his lawn signs. He’s kind of a good old boy thug. We don’t need another good old boy retread on the council. Just say no to good old boys.
I believe so Maya. Dan has not cancelled but I’ll let you know if he does.
Pittsfield politics is totally corrupt! It is who you know and who you blow kisses to.
I believe I have a better chance of winning the lottery jackpot than finding a full time, living wage job in Pittsfield. Those are terrible odds!
I believe in Hollywood Rick!