PBA Criticism of Internal Affairs, KFR aka Katherine Fernandez-Rundle And Perceived Enemies Nothing New As PBA Brass Defends Rogue Cops
1.The director of the Miami-Dade Police Department dropped his membership in the Police Benevolent Association Monday, following what he called the unfair treatment of two of his former officers in a PBA newsletter and a bizarre dispute related to a softball game.
James Loftus announced the termination of his membership in the police union in a memo sent to all county cops Monday, in an effort to "avoid additional rumor."
Loftus, who wrote that he'd been a member of the PBA for 27 years, said he became upset when executive VP Steadman Stahl criticized internal affairs officers Darryl Rassmussen and Robert Trujillo in the newsletter "PBA Heat" during a recent trial involving the two.
"In my opinion, he singled out two quality men for abuse," Loftus wrote in his memo. "My point is this, regardless of the testimony, evidence, or outcome, it is simply wrong to insult two quality men because they were doing their job."
Later that year, during the November election, the PBA helped Geller win the mayor's seat. And in 2008, the PBA supported Geller's failed run for state representative, as well as his successor in North Bay Village, Alfonso — an elected official who owes the IRS $223,886 in unpaid taxes and owes Miami-Dade County nearly $10,000 in property taxes from 2008 and 2009.
Village homeowner James Carter, who volunteered for Alfonso's opponent, claims he was constantly harassed by Lt. James "Steve" McVay, who sits on the PBA's board of directors and was the police department's union representative before the FOP took over. "McVay and another officer on several occasions followed us from house to house in an attempt to intimidate us," Carter says.
3.When State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle runs for reelection later
this year, she'll expect votes from the police -- but not the president of
the 6,500-member Police Benevolent Association.
The PBA -- or at least its president, John Rivera -- has been denouncing
Rundle and her staff since County Commissioner Bruce Kaplan was
investigated and eventually brought down in 1998 by the state attorney's
public corruption section.
Rivera says Rundle has been a problem to law enforcement for years, but now
there's an election at stake.
``She and her policies and decisions have been harmful to law enforcement
officers in their everyday dealings with the state attorney's office,''
says Rivera, who has launched a campaign to unseat Rundle.
``If anyone were to run against her we would certainly work with that
person to get rid of her. A Martian could run against her and we'd support
the Martian.''
Rundle, first appointed to the post in 1993 to replace Janet Reno, says
Rivera's attacks are personal and that he doesn't speak for most police
officers.
Last elected in 1996, she credits her office for cracking down on public
corruption and crime.
``It is not unusual for a police labor union leader to take a contrary
position toward the local prosecutor,'' Rundle said, but prosecutors accept
that as a consequence of a job in which tough decisions have to be made often.
She insists that police in general are for her: ``I get calls all the time
from police officers who say they don't like what he's doing. He doesn't
speak for all his membership.''
STUCK BY HIS MAN
When Kaplan was charged with mortgage fraud, Rivera and PBA Executive
Director Rick Kolodgy stuck up for him publicly. Kaplan had made a
constituency of the county police. The PBA leaders were asserting loyalty
to him, as they would to a police officer in trouble. Later, when Rivera
was asked if it would have been wiser to distance himself from Kaplan, he
replied that he only regretted not standing closer to him.
Kaplan pleaded guilty to a lesser charge -- understating his income on a
required disclosure form -- and agreed to resign from the commission.
Rivera and Kolodgy complained that Assistant State Attorney Joe Centorino
and Rundle had treated Kaplan too harshly.
``He got them the new radios, new cars, the increased budget,'' Rundle
said. ``He was their guy on the County Commission when we brought charges
against him. . . . Ever since Bruce Kaplan, [Rivera] has had to come up
with stuff to show his people don't support us. They do support us.''
`HALL OF SHAME'
The PBA states its causes in Heat, a monthly newspaper. After Kaplan left
office, the front page featured an article headlined ASA Joe Centorino
joins the Hall of Shame. Centorino, head of Rundle's public corruption
unit, led the investigation of Kaplan. When police are prosecuted for
misconduct -- something Rivera said is often done unfairly -- Centorino is
usually in charge.
The PBA complained, accusing Centorino of lying on a mortgage application,
and forced Rundle to ask for an investigation by the Florida Department of
Law Enforcement. If the accusation was meant to show Centorino how it feels
to be under that kind of pressure, it worked.
``They passed fliers around the courthouse, disparaging his name and
reputation,'' Rundle said. ``They used juvenile bully tactics to express
their hostility toward Joe personally.'
Almost two years after the FDLE cleared him, he still feels hurt.
Police votes are important in a state attorney's election, Rundle says.
0 comments:
Post a Comment