2 Ps in a Pod – Police and Politics
-
- February
- 6
Police departments are not immune from politics. Like most organizations, there’s the internal manuevering for promotions and assignments, along with alliances and unions flexing their muscles. And even police brass cater to elected officials, who sometimes love to tinker.
Suffern, a western Ramapo village with a small police department, has a history of politicians getting involved with internal police department decisions and officers getting chummy with elected officials.
Maybe, it’s that small town feel. Suffern mayors and police chiefs been friends and foes, among other alliances, dating to the Republican administration of Lenny Scarr in the 1980s (Those days included fisticuffs with a lieutenant and the Village Board promoting a patrol officer and Scarr friend over five sergeants to run the department when the chief went out on injury leave). Democrat George Parness then took over as mayor, creating his own alliances with the new chief and officers.
On Monday night, a recent controversy within the Suffern police department and political circles played out.
The Village Board’s five Democrats promoted Officer Dierdre Smith to sergeant. Smith is suing the village on the grounds that she should have been promoted last year when the department filled a detective sergeant position. Instead, the detective was promoted to detective sergeant and a woman officer to detective.
Smith’s promotion Monday night has yet to make her lawsuit against the village disappear. Adding to the scenario, Smith’s husband is Pat Withers, a Democrat, bar owner and community leader recently appointed to Legislature. He’s also a former NYPD officer.
Smith was recommended for sergeant by Police Chief Clarke Osborn, who is named in Smith’s lawsuit. Osborn, then the popular DARE officer, became chief by jumping ahead of Lt. Brian Nugent by courting the favors of the GOP-controlled Village Board led by then-Mayor James Giannettino.
Now, Giannettino opposed adding an administrative sergeant’s position – which led to Smith being promoted to sergeant – and believed the Democrats were playing politics. His son, James J. Giannettino Jr., is a Suffern police officer, hired during the elder Giannettino’s administration as mayor.
Osborn promoted the younger Giannettino to DARE officer, succeeding Smith.
It seems most everyone went home happy.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 at 5:49 pm by Steve Lieberman.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Share and Enjoy: 
| 
Print
| 
Email
>> It seems most everyone went home happy.
Except the taxpayers!!
There are a few other issues about the Clark Osborne appointment that should also be mentioned. The outgoing chief informed Clark and Brian that he intended to recommend Brian for the position because of his considerable experience over Clark and it would be nice to see both of their qualifications listed side by side. I think Brian’s law degree from Pace University and passing the NY/NJ bar alone puts him way ahead of Clark.
After reading last weeks article about the Suffern Police Force appointments I was wondering if there will actually be enough officers to patrol the Village, or will they all be behind desks? I feel sorry for the taxpayers of the Village of Suffern
What is so controversial about appointing a person with 14 years law enforcement experience who was ranked number one on two sgt’s exams with a near perfect score? Why is Steve Lieberman constantly mentioning Officer Smith’s husband and what he does for a living? Steve – this is not 1950 it is 2007. Women have careers independent of their husbands and FYI Steve it is possible for a woman to get a promotion regardless of what her husband does for a living. Maybe Steve just has some deep seated issues because he and his wife both work for the journal news. A little bit of advice Steve- leave the editorials to your wife and why don’t you try reporting some facts for a change.
jjjohn, I’m trying to follow this blog but your comments are non-specific and don’t make much sense. For the rest of us here, who aren’t inside your head, could you fill me in? Who was appointed with 14 years of experience and how does Steve’s working relationship with his wife come into play? Is the Journal News financed by taxpayers? If you take a little time and do your homework you will find that a lot of bone head decisions have been made previous administrations. The Suffern police department has been sued at least 4 times that I know of and it’s always because of appointments to positions that weren’t based on merit. They were based on friendships. My only hope is that the people making those decisions were just stupid. The alternative is just way too scary to contemplate. Either way, the people of Suffern have been robbed in more ways than one. What I can’t understand, Steve, is why there hasn’t been an in depth investigation into the appointment of the Chief. It should include a side by side list of their qualifications so the people can clearly see how inappropriately the board acted on their behalf.