In the midst of an on-going investigation into an alleged tape recording of the Bethlehem police chief making racist remarks and allegedly ordering the tape eased, town officials believe the tape in question may still be out there.
Bethlehem town attorney James Potter told The Spotlight on Wednesday, June 3, that the sought after audio recording reported by police officer Christopher Hughes is still being sought after.
We think the tape still exists, Potter said. `To go back to find a particular conversation from three years ago is a daunting task.`
Currently, incoming calls handled by the department’s dispatchers are recorded but erased after 30 days. Potter said that system wasn’t in place three years ago when Bethlehem Police Chief Louis Corsi supposedly took a phone call from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and made disparaging remarks about one of his administrative officers.
`We have no reason to believe the tape was erased,` Potter said. `We’re not even aware if it’s possible to erase the tapes.`
That’s a point Hughes has been making, too.
`I don’t think they could have erased that tape even if they wanted to,` Hughes told The Spotlight in an exclusive interview about Corsi allegedly asking his dispatchers to erase his recorded conversation.
Hughes said he has been the target of a town and police investigation since coming out with the allegations against Corsi as well as raising other internal problems such unions issues, complaints against a detective on the force and medical absence procedures.
The 13-year veteran has been slapped with back-to-back 30-day suspensions both in April and May, which he attributes to speaking out. Town officials say Hughes was suspended for abusing his sick time privileges and filing false documents for extra over-time pay and time off of work.
The town is insinuating Hughes cried foul against Corsi after being served his suspensions.
Hughes said he was bringing up internal problems through the chain of command long before he spoke out about the alleged audiotape of Corsi stating `We have a [racial epithet] in the wood pile.`
Potter stated that the county may hold the recordings off site and be the only entity able to erase the recordings, but could say little else because its under investigation. An official complaint has been confirmed to be filed with the Albany County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit on Thursday, May 28.
Hughes said the recording of Corsi was three years old but suggests it sparked a town cover up once he started raising issues about it. He spoke with Supervisor Jack Cunningham at his home about the alleged tape and was issued a `notice of intent to conduct interrogation` two days later about his conversation with the supervisor.
Although he didn’t attend the interrogation on advice of his lawyer Steve Coffey, Hughes also sent out a letter to the town board in April that was never handed out by Cunningham. The supervisor said he did not give the Hughes letter to his board members on advice from Potter, who advised against it because of the on-going nature of an internal investigation.
Hughes said he never claimed to have the tape but said, `There may be a tape out there somewhere.`
Potter said everyone with access to the tape was interviewed `to the best of our knowledge,` but it is unconfirmed at this time if all the dispatchers and dispatcher supervisors have been interviewed in the on-going investigation.
Cunningham called an informational executive session on Wednesday, June 3, to update the other board members on the matter and also on a mercury spill investigation at the town’s water plant in New Scotland.
No official actions were taken at the conclusion of that meeting.
`I brought the board up to date on what is going on with these investigations and what is being said in the newspaper,` Cunningham said, adding that the board members frequently talk with with residents and didn’t want them blind-sided by accusations and questions about the investigations.
`I simply wanted to keep them informed of what is happening,` he said.
Hughes’ allegation of an internal racism cover up raises some questions about the nearly completely Caucasian male police force of 43 officers that serve the suburban town of around 35,000 residents.
There is only one female officer on the force and she alleged discrimination against Corsi and Police Lieutenant Thomas Heffernan in 2007. The Spotlight ran a story about the matter on July 18, 2007, when police officer Ragina Cocchiara, who was a nine-year veteran at the time, claimed she was passed up for sergeant for the fourth time after applying for the job last year.
She said she was passed over for male applicants even though she placed in the top three on the Civil Service exam.
Cocchiara was eventually promoted to patrol sergeant on Aug. 18, 2008. She is the town’s first female police sergeant and is now an 11-year veteran of the Bethlehem Police Department.
`It has become apparent through some very deep reflection and discussions with my peers that I have been unfairly discriminated against in this process,` Cocchiara wrote to the Town Board in 2007 after not getting the promotion. `I am concerned that my actions and courage to achieve justice may result in future disciplinary or punitive measures against me.`
Hughes said the Cocchiara situation last year only highlights a pattern of `punishing those who speak out.`
Cunningham said that diversifying the town’s police force has been goal of not only himself, but of prior supervisors, too.
`Both my predecessor and I have encouraged diversity on the force, but we have to hire off of the Civil Service list and an opportunity has not presented itself,` Cunningham said. `It is something we are very cognizance of.`
Having only one female in the police department isn’t only a public relations issue ` it can be a logistical issue as well.
A police report depicting a drug arrest of a 28-year-old female on May 27 in Delmar shows that a woman was found to have a hypodermic needle and a `deck of heroin` on her person.
After the contraband was found, the report states, a strip search was performed at the Bethlehem Police station. With no female officer available at the time, Bethlehem police had to bring in a female officer from the Albany Police Department in order to conduct the search, which turned up another deck of heroin.
When asked if Corsi was to receive sensitivity training due to his alleged racist comments, or anyone else on the force, Cunningham denied any repercussions resulting from Hughes’ allegations.
`This matter is under investigation and I cannot comment on it,` he said. `I can tell you that absolutely no actions have been taken at this point.`
For more on this breaking story return to www.spotlightnews.com for updates, or read the Wednesday, June 10, print edition of The Spotlight.
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