The recent suspension of a Revere police officer for dereliction of duty following a television report that found him spending hours at home when he was supposed to be on duty out on the street or in his patrol car has prompted the city council to take action.
City Councillor at large, candidate for mayor Dan Rizzo, filed a motion seeking a meeting with the chief of police and his command staff to determine what went wrong with the suspended officer and more importantly, to explore the management of the department in order to determine whether or not all of its resources are being used appropriately according to the law.
“There appears to be a breakdown. We can’t bury our heads in the sand. I am serious about eliminating disobedience in the police department. Anyone else laying down on the job will be looked into and disciplined,†said Rizzo.
Rizzo has also suggested that major changes likely need to be made in the police department as the city moves into the post-Ambrosino era it is now facing. Even though it is an election year, he said public safety was simply too important to the residents of this city to treat problems in the police department with anything less than a firm hand.
“Lack of work ethic, disobedience, laying down on the job – all of this will be explored during the meeting he called for which will be held on October 17 at city hall.
Councillor at large and candidate for mayor George Rotondo joined Rizzo in asking for the meeting with the chief and his command staff.
Councillors Arthur Guinasso and Robert Haas both asked for a total reorganization of the police department.
With the police force compliment standing at 86, it is imperative that every officer answers to their commanding officers and perform to the best of their ability and that the commanding officers then answer to the chief.
Rizzo and a majority of the councilors believe that the police officer who was suspended was not singled out. The suspension was on merit and there could be other action taken by the department in the weeks to come.
The Revere Police Department operates in a difficult space these days. The department needs more officers and more of a presence on Broadway and in the neighborhoods.
The October 17 meeting is intended to explore those needs and to explore as well the command structure and what exactly led to one officer spending much of his day at home while nearly everyone else wearing a badge was working.
