Editorial: Chief Sassi Should Step Down

On February 8th Beacon Police Chief Richard Sassi filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Beacon. In that suit he claims that disciplinary proceedings pending against him are a response to his criticism of City leaders who have asked for more accountability from the Chief.

If the Chief feels he has been harmed in a manner worthy of a civil action, then he should pursue whatever legal means he feels are necessary to resolve those issues. But he should do so as a private citizen. The moment that civil action impairs the Chief's civil responsibilities, the only reasonable response is to step back and let someone else take the reins.

The lawsuits brought by Chief Sassi and his son are a costly distraction for law enforcement and city officials, but they should not divert our attention from the very real issues facing this police department.

-          In 2003, when allegations were made of racial profiling, harassment, false arrests, unnecessary use of force, and general disrespect for the public by the Beacon Police Department, Chief Sassi responded by stating the allegations were, "politically motivated, made by people who have criminal charges against them and believe they can stand to gain from discrediting the department." We're not expecting the Chief to solve these problems overnight, but dismissing them in such an offhand manner only serves to strengthen the perception that he is tone deaf to citizens' concerns. 

-          The Department of Justice investigation, which was the result of the allegations mentioned above, revealed significant problems with the police department's policies and procedures. When the first DoJ report was published last summer, there was no formalized system of tracking complaints, no specific policy guidance on the appropriate use of force, and no way to ensure that policies were developed with feedback from the community. The Chief agreed to implement many of the DoJ recommendations, but it should not have taken a federal investigation to make this happen. We need a Chief of Police who understands that community service is one of the primary responsibilities of a police department, is proactive about addressing community concerns, and understands the importance of ongoing training for our officers.

-          The Chief is now the subject of three separate disciplinary hearings. The last two charges have not been disclosed to the community, but the first charge, filed in September 2004 by City Administrator Joe Braun, accuses Sassi of insubordination and improper use of sick leave. We do not subscribe to the theory that these measures are a response to Sassi's criticism of city management.

-          Finally, Chief Sassi knows that our City is not as safe as it should be. In an interview with the Beacon Dispatch he acknowledged that, "business owners complain about drug deals and other illegal activity on Main Street – it's not being protected as it was 5 years ago." But instead of taking responsibility for this problem, he points his finger at the City Council, who, he says, have cut funding for important police programs, such as the K9 unit. But the level of the police budget has not decreased over the years. Since 1991 the annual police department budget has increased 6% per year while the rest of the City budget has increased only 4% annually. Police department staff levels have also increased from 34 positions when Sassi took over as Chief in 1994, to 37 positions today.

If the citizens of Beacon are unhappy with the performance of the Mayor or members of the City Council, they can replace them at the ballot box. Not so with the Chief of Police.

Beacon needs a Chief of Police who can unite the community and dedicate 100% of his time to making sure our city is safe. Out of respect for his 30 years of service, the citizens of Beacon, and the many brave police officers who serve under his command, Chief Sassi should retire.

Comments

[billp]

my question in in in truth is it a majority of beacon or just a hand full that bow befor the admin of beacon against sassie

[Andy]

Well, the councilman who was the most vocal critic of Chief Sassi, Lee Kyriacou, got the most votes of any council candidate in the last election. If that's any indication, there are a LOT of people in this town who are sick of this whole issue and want a new chief.

[Mad Lady]

Mayor Clara should stop down! I worked with Sassi for 30 years as an employer!

[Mad Lady]

Just nominated him for Hometown Hero Award for Lifetime Contribution.

[B. Eakins]

I am just curious why Mr. Sassi wanted public coverage of the first set of charges but now wants to retreat behind a wall of anonymity for the second and third set. Perhaps we should look at the question of who is being served here, the public he is sworn to serve or himself. I am sure he has done many things for the community but were they done out of altruism or for the good they would do him? I am sure we can find many people who have benefitted from his actions but how are the more who have been hurt by them? Perhaps when the attention given the police department is devoted to the question of the malfeasance or nonfeasance of the chief then it is time for the focus to be shifted by the retirement of that individual.
As a side note- billp- are you attempting to emulate ee Cummings or are you totally unacquainted with punctutation and capitalization?

[MadLadyChev]

No doubt you got me on the "e"! Are we discussing the same subject? My writing or Chief Sassi's contributions? Hope you are not on the city council, wasting your time nitpicking! Ever served on the front lines? Ever seen human tragedy? I'll be glad to go head to head with you with respect to Beacon Police track record! Don't you have better things to do then criticize petty things. What happened? You didn't get a ticket squashed? P.S. I am a published writer!

[Mike D]

Mad Lady, B. Eakins was referring to the first comment written by "billp", not your responses...

[B. Eakins]

I really do think that it would be best if we kept this thread centered on the question of whether the current chief of police should become the former chief of police. And the matter is about him, and perhaps his son, not about the fine officers who are laden with his "leadership".
It would be unseemly for those who are willing to share their opinions to detract from this serious debate by insulting each other or engaging in one-upmanship. For myself I can only say, in the words of my grandson, "been there, done that, got the T shirt" and I have had the privilege of seeing my by-line in public print. This does not make me a better person, better informed maybe, but not better.

[billp]

sassie has already showed in the past he is the man for the job

[Interested to know]

Could someone summarize the issues surrounding all this?

[B. Eakins]

The short version seems to revolve around the question of to whom, if anyone, the chief of police is answerable. If he is subordinate to some other person or group then how should that person or group proceed when he is perceived to have been insubordinate and committed some other unnamed acts which are seen as inappropriate or illegal. That person or group must then decide if his stewardship of the agency if meritorious and will he continue in office or be replaced by a more worthy leader.

[Former Resident - STurner]

Well it's been over 2 years since we left Beacon. This was going on when we left and it seems to have only gotten uglier.

It really shows Beacon in a very bad light and is embarrassing - buy him out and get it done!

And yes, there was often rude and unprofessional behavior on the part of some officers - I would like to say it was only one or two but I can't. As with any business or organization - the level of customer service and tone used in interaction with the public - is usually a mirror of the methods used by the leader - in this case, Chief Sassi.

His actions over the past two years seem to prove this theory - he has been both rude and unprofessional in his response to this "situation". The respect I once had for him is gone. And unfortunately for him, I am not alone in my opinion. Sometimes you just have to let things go for the greater good.

[sfinch]

I think other than bashing Sassi-one should look at the council and inparticular the chief administrator for blatant abuse of the constitutional rights of the citizens in which they are supposed to protect-when the chief administrator and council work to deceive the community and target individual citizens depriving them of their civil rights, then the problem goes far deeper than a chief of police who chooses to openely express his opinion and beliefs

I am fairly new to this town; however, i am thoroughly disgusted and disheartened with the council and in particular the chief administrator, and believe that perhaps once other facts are brought out regarding this case as well as others-that this town will see the chief's case in a different light whether they agree or disagree with him

[Mad Lady]

What happened to freedom of the press? I couldn't pay the Poughkeepsie Journal for a personal ad defending Officer P. who should have asked for a blood test, filed assault charges and possibly attempted murder against the drug offender who spit on him exposing him to HIV/HepC. Offender had illegal weapon, drugs, resisting arrest charges that got reduced!