PO-PO, Doolin calls for independent investigator of police abuses [FP]
I have received a copy of a letter from Forest Park Commissioner Patrick Doolin to Village Adminstrator Michael Sturino, Mayor Anthony Calderone and the other commissioners. Doolin has called for an independent investigator of police brutality and abuses. He wants the commissioners to discuss the issue in closed session in the next meeting.
When I wrote to Sturino this is the kind of response I wanted. If you've got allegations by Sgt. Dan Harder and Lt. Steve Johnsen of police abuses, it seems they should be investigated. This is especially true since Forest Park has hired an independent investigator to report on allegations of minor abuses by Johnsen. See Forest Park Review (Seth Stern).
When I wrote to Sturino this is the kind of response I wanted. If you've got allegations by Sgt. Dan Harder and Lt. Steve Johnsen of police abuses, it seems they should be investigated. This is especially true since Forest Park has hired an independent investigator to report on allegations of minor abuses by Johnsen. See Forest Park Review (Seth Stern).
posted by Carl Nyberg at
5:33 PM
2 Comments:
I have not filed a complaint with the Justice Department yet.
I hope Forest Park can re-assure me that it has done or is doing the right thing.
By
Carl Nyberg, at 5:44 PM, December 14, 2005
Has anyone seen the Review article titled-Mayor refuses request to discuss police brutality claims. I am going to post some of the quotes from the article.
From the Review
Mayor Anthony Calderone denied a request last week from Commissioner Patrick Doolin to hold a closed session meeting of the Village council to discuss hiring a private investigator to look into several allegations of past police brutality that have arisen during the termination hearing of Sgt. Dan Harder.
Comment
How can Mayor Calderone deny a request to discuss this issue in closed session. I believe during a meeting there was discussion about police brutality involving Sergeant Mike Murphy and Chief Jim Ryan took complete responsibility for Sergeant Murphy's behavior. I believe Mayor Calderone might be afraid that the promise Chief Ryan made will come back to haunt both him and Chief Ryan.
From the Review
Calderone said that though the allegations may be investigated at some point in the future, it would be "irresponsible" to hire someone to look into them before the Harder matter has been concluded and both the complete set of allegations and the corresponding cross examination have been heard.
Comment
Strange how Mayor Calderone did not delay the investigation of Lt. Steve Johnsen until after he testified in the Harder trial. Why was this not done. Could it be that Mayor Calderone and crew want to use the investigation of Lt. Johnsen as a means of intimidation for anyone coming forward and telling the truth about the immoral condition of the Forest Park Police Department?
From the Review
I'm not going to start witch hunts based on one night of testimony...I want to let this process continue a little bit first. Then I'll take a look at the transcripts at that point in time and have converstation with the Chief of Police to find out what really happened. To do it now is crazy.
Comment
This is the exact reason why you cannot have a man with no formal education running a Municipal Government. He calls this a witch hunt based on one night of testimony. I can assure you that there have been many conversations and many written documents directed at the Mayor before the Harder trial. If he says this is based on one night of testimony, his lack of integrity and honesty is gone. He cannot make the statement that he did not know what was going on in the Police Department, too many different people have told him. Nice try Mayor Calderone.
From the Review
Calderone expressed skepticism of Johnsen's testimony, noting that Johnsen may have a "skewed outlook" due to his disappointment at not being named police chief when the position was open in 2003.
Comment
Interesting, because if you really believe that Mayor Calderone then you believe Lt. Johnsen to be a liar. If you thought he was a liar then where is the investigation about a police administrator making up allegations or falsehoods? The Wrigleyville rapist event happened in January of 2005. That is an irresponsible comment and you think it allows you to avoid doing the right thing. You are not qualified to lead the Village of Forest Park.
From the Review
Calderone also questioned whether Doolin's outlook was similarly skewed by his status as Johnsen's longtime partner in the real estate business.
Comment
I guess Mayor Calderone has trouble following the facts. He must be trying to make up stories and spins to make himself look like he knows what he is doing. I guess Mayor Calderone forgot that Carl Nyberg sent a letter to Village Administrator Mike Sturino questioning his administration's handling of police brutality and the brutality allegations. When Nyberg was rejected by Sturino he went to a Village Commissioner. Commissioner Doolin took the right action by asking for a closed door meeting with other members of the council. I guess Mayor Calderone does not realize that the voters are watching his every move and his failure to investigate these allegations immediately is irresponsible to the taxpayers and our insurance company.
From the Review
We've seen firsthand what civil litigation costs the taxpayers of this village. I'm concerned that the village is just settling brutality lawsuits withoug conducting any internal investigation within the department.
Comment
Who sounds like they have a handle on how a government should be run Mayor stick your head in the sand or Commissioner Doolin?
From the Review
Calderone said that though the allegations have sparked his curiosity, he would prefer to wait "until we know what we're intestigating" before we take the next step. I don't want to piecemeal the approach. I don't want to go back to the chief eight times when I could have done it once.
Comment
This gets more and more incredible! This peaked the Mayor's curiosity! How nice we have his attention. I guess it takes the testimony of Lt. Johnsen, Lt. Weiler, Sgt. Harder and Officer Hall, numerous lawsuits of police brutality against the village, an EEOC complaint, newspaper columnists, bloggers and insurance companies to peak the Mayor's curiosity.
I don't want the Mayor ruining the carpet by going back and forth with the chief. God forbid. I tell you what a real administrator does; he gives the chief one day to get every piece of paper associated with allegations of police brutality on his desk. No excuses. No time delays.
How much more proof do we need to see that Mayor Calderone just does not possess the credentials or intelligence to be the top executive of the Village of Forest Park.
These allegations should be investigated by an outside company. How can you ask the man in charge, Chief Ryan, about the allegations? He is the man who has screwed them up or covered them up in the first place. My God what is Calderone thinking.
This might be the most important point. Maybe Calderone realizes that if there was a proper investigation by an outside company, his main man and complainant against Sgt. Harder would be found out to be a liar, unethical, and guilty of covering up serious misdeeds by police personnel. It has to be the case because to not investigate these allegations immediately is irresponsible and potentially costly to our village.
Try and imagine the publicity it would cause if one of these police officers shots, beats up, or harms a citizen starting now and until he conducts an investigation between himself and the man responsible for this catastrophe. If you think the Village of Forest Park looks foolish now wait until we make the National news.
By
Anonymous, at 6:00 AM, December 22, 2005
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