Description
Theres been ongoing issues in Kingston Ny where certain families are being singled out, when serious crimes are being overlooked.. Also officers being sexually involved w minors and attending parties where minors are being served alcohol. It now has come to light that there has been salaries pai...d illegally to officers for shifts that were not fullfilled or double time cards being submitted. Most recent issue was last night where two men were tazed, repeatedly punched to where there are visible marks on their body, and held overnite at the station,without being told of their rights and excessive force was used, these 2 men are currently being treated at the emergency room as I write this. Enough is enough! When is this going to end??? And who can we contact for help?? WE NEED HELP!!!
43 Comments
Alderman Jen Fuentes (Guest)
Bruce (Guest)
Jen- I forwarded you contact information to the appropriate source and the should be contacting you.
Thank you
Gerald Berke (Registered User)
ericlark (Guest)
Nonya (Guest)
buford (Guest)
Copper (Registered User)
this is an inappropriate post.
this is an inflammatory post.
this post is full of lies and mis-truths.
this post needs to be removed.
this is not the place to post garbage and make false accusations about a police department.
this is a place for facts.
remove this garbage!
Concerned Citizen (Guest)
CitizenX (Guest)
Alderman Jen Fuentes (Guest)
buford (Guest)
Coolbreeze (Registered User)
Alderman Jen Fuentes (Guest)
itsallbs (Guest)
Bruce (Guest)
erick\lark (Guest)
Keith (Guest)
Nonya (Registered User)
Bruce (Guest)
ENOUGH IS A ENOUGH (Guest)
Double dipping, buy money being taken, numerous stories of money being taken from suspects and not turned in for evidence no wonder Det.Matthews was able to take 2-3 Tropical vacations in 2010.
Sex with underage high school girls -TRUE!!! (They are even getting them pregnant! Det. Vanallen way to abuse that authority)
And the police sit back and complain they get no respect!! I wonder why!!!!
really???? (Guest)
Augusta (Guest)
Augusta (Guest)
Gerald Berke (Registered User)
@ Really???? thank you. sounds like a few facts being reported. Fresh Air.
As to the whole Mathews bit: it was $9K. I cannot get excited about $9K.
What does alarm me is the process that says, before the piddling $9K, everything was just totally fine. After the piddling $9K, everything is bad, and likewise everything that came before.
All is but an extreme projection on the very smallest of actual information...
One might call it barbaric to say, well, he stole, cut off a hand... but it also seems barbaric to say destroy the mans entire career, take what he has, deny what he has coming to him, and cast him into eternal disrepute...
We're talking $9K folks. Not lives, limbs, poisons, abuse, drugs, wrongful incarceration, foreclosures or an industry built on willful fraud.
This looks more like a game show than justice.
Bruce (Guest)
Gerald Berke (Registered User)
To a starving man a slice of bread is no small matter. And yet the progress and advance of man does not turn on that. So shall we have turned a man out of his city because he has misused a slice of bread?
$9K is piddling in these great affairs. $9K changes no mans life, indeed, it can be wondered if even a much greater sum can.
I don't think there is a person I know or care to know for whom $9K would not be a useful sum that could be put to good use. And in these larger affairs of the world, $9K changes nothing.
What will change a mans life and his city is the steady service that he brings to it for that great portion of his life. If Mathews has contributed much, then $9K must remain a piddling amount in the balance scales. If Mathews has not contributed much, then why should government and citizen stayed silent for decades.
So, the question is on the table: how many bad people remain but for some small slip. How many great people serve without recognition. What happened to the lesson of the turtle and the hare: does slow and steady not even count?
Enough rubber necking, there is work to be done.
Name (Guest)
you don't speak for me...thankfully! (Guest)
@Mr. Berke, to those of us that are regular readers and contributors, your knowledge, care of community, and the sense of calm you offer is refreshing.
Our community is lucky to have you in our midst...thank you!
Gerald Berke (Registered User)
@ you don't speak for me...
gee! thanks!
you can be certain that is at least my intent and and like you,I appreciate the the best attempts of all to engage in civil discourse. (grin: it ain't easy :-)
Let me note that the University of Arizona is establishing an (brand new) institute for Civil Discourse:
http://nicd.arizona.edu/
Kingston NY Neigborhood Watch (Registered User)
Deep breath everyone ;)
Gerald, you set the example for most on these boards and issues.
Ex-kingstonian (Guest)
Nonya (Registered User)
Gerald Berke (Registered User)
Our police, public works, fire, water, all those services... they are not drive in windows that we zip into and out of for service: we are the stake holders, we are the owners. Meet their faces, exchange the days pleasantries.
We do not ourselves have infinite energy to pursue every infraction. We waste our energy on a fools errand when we pursue crumbs and pay no steady attention to the loaves.
That noble fish, the trout, husbands its energy, pursuing only the likely meal, the worthy meal... those that waste their energy, put out more than can be returned with success, starve and die.
The inability or lack of interest in discriminating between the sizes of things, from small to large, is nothing to be proud of: that is easily accomplished by anyone who will shut their eyes.
Sorry, this stuff may sound like pompous crap... but it's really no more than many of us feel: good will and hope and a measure of gratitude that we are still afloat.
No, officials should not steal: we are agreed on that. "keep your eye upon the donut, and not upon the hole..."
OK, time to go our for a walk.
Bruce (Guest)
notsurprised (Registered User)
In reference to former Det. Matthews, he stole, he cheated, he lied. The powers that be- the Mayor, the Police Chief and the School's Superintendent made it easy for him to do this. Matthews made his choices and if he pleads out or is convicted he needs jail time, he needs to pay the City back with damages. His pension can not be revoked from what I have been told, even if convicted of felony charges. Mr. Burke seems to think that $9,000 is chump change. The law differs, it is a felony charge. Still, the way I see it Sottile, Keller and Gretzinger are equally responsible for the failure to protect the public funds and the public's trust. Heard from reliable sources that the Mayor has vacationed with Matthews. Keller let him write his own over-time and gave him the only key to the safe without oversight. Greztinger gave him sole responsibilty for scheduling school security. I know no business person who would do the same with a trusted employee.
For me the question is: are all of these City leaders just blind and stupid or did Matthews have something on one or all of them or combination of the forementioned. The "Good Old Boys Club" is alive and well in Kingston for decades.
Until this investigation is complete, we don't know if other cops are involved. Hell, if weren't for the State Comptroller's audit, Matthews might have become the next Police Chief when Keller retires. For sure, he'd still be ripping off the taxpayers.
Right now the wagons are circling. Kingston may back out of URGENT, there's a City audit and a School District audit as well as the State Comptroller's continuing audit and the FBI investigation. School board members and members of the Common Council are NOW questioning the use of police as school security. The mayor wants to hire another part-time comptroller to audit budgets of all Depts. Spending our money like it grows on trees. Covering their butts and trying again to appease the voters.
Remember the sexual harrassment allegations in the DPW? Suddenly there were policies and training. That case is still pending. Should cost the City millions, not including the pay of the Corporate Counsel, who serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
The lack of leadership, transparency and competence by this City's leaders is costing the residents of Kingston big time. Until the people are willing to look beyond party affiliation, empty promises and a spin machine in overdrive, we will continue to be governed by the "Good Old Boys' Club." That means increasing taxes, shrinking services and a police force that responds to the residents based on where they live and who they know.
With all due respect, Mr. Burke, there are many young men in jail who stole much less than than Matthews. They didn't take an oath to protect and serve. Matthews did. If convicted, he can never again work as a police officer. He knew that when he chose to commit theft and fraud.
enough is enough (Guest)
Bruce (Guest)
notsurprised (Registered User)
If things go back to the "norml state" in Kingston it will be because people accept it and vote the "Good Old Boys Club" in again. We decide if the political machines have power. Matthews made his choice and we will make ours.
This mess is more than conflct of interest. I believe that the powers that be protected their own interests, rather than protecting the residents they swore to serve. Matthews may have reason to save his own butt and sing like a canary to cut a good deal. Time will tell.
marciejones (Guest)
vadhopper (Registered User)
@not surpirsed - One thing to be aware of is that this is a small community. The overall budget is too small to try to impose a lot more bureaucratic supervision. I think the Mayor and others saw Matthews delivering busts and good press - so they loosened up on oversight of him.
In any body politic, there is an old boys club. That is essentially the club of people who know and who helped the elected officials get to where they are. There is no way to prevent that. What MUST be done is to hold officials accountabel for their actions - and especially their mistakes.
Open season on the KPD is not helpful. On the otherhand, a shake up of that department is in order. I have had a number of run-ins with the police (as a bystander reporting a crime) where I was treated extremely rudely. On the other hand, I've had a number of excellent encounters. So I don't think this department is rotten to the core - they just need a shake up.
I also think a shake up of city hall is appropriate - which will happen regardless this fall, since this mayor is not running for re-election.
vadhopper (Registered User)
@marciejones - This community is reeling over a missing $9000 - and we don't really know if it was actually misappropriated or simply not accounted for correctly (Matthews has not been convicted yet). The audio visual equipment you suggest would cost far more than that.
Is the grand scheme of things, it is a small amount of money, but misappropriation of any tax payer money should be dealth with harshly - as an example to the many instances that have occured and not been brought to light AND in order to discourage others who may be tempted from doing so.
I do hope that the URGENT team puts together some appropriate financial controls that satisfy Auerbach and can get back into operation. I think the team did a tremendous job of making convictable busts. I think they probably got too cocky and did not deal with the paperwork side (which I am sure is something they all hate).
me (Guest)
Closed vadhopper (Registered User)