NY-The only way a cop can get fired: stop other cops from beating an innocent man.

[Anti Federalist]

What Does It Take for a Cop To Get Fired?

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

http://www.theagitator.com/2012/04/17/what-does-it-take-for-a-cop-to-get-fired/

For Bogota, New York Officer Regina Tasca, it was trying to prevent other officers from beating the hell out of an emotionally disturbed man. Tasca hasn’t been fired yet. Her fate now rests in the hands of judge.



In Bogota, officers control whether or not their dashboard camera rolls. Fortunately, when Officer Tasca responded to a call in April 2011, she clicked her unit “on.” The black-and-white tape captures it all–a mother, Tara, screaming for police to stop punching her son on their front lawn. She had called to have her emotionally disturbed son Kyle taken to the hospital. Bogota police responded while waiting for the ambulance. Tasca was the sole officer on the road that day, so she called for back-up according to protocol. Ridgefield Park police then sent two officers. Tasca had just completed her state-mandated training for working with emotionally disturbed citizens.

Tasca described what we see on the videotape: “The Ridgefield Park officer automatically charges and takes him down to the ground. I was quite shocked. As he’s doing that, another Ridgefield Park officer flies to the scene in his car, jumps out and starts punching him in the head.”

On the tape you can hear Tara, the mother, and Kyle, her son, screaming, “Why are you punching him?” and “Stop punching me!”



Kyle, by the way, was never charged with a crime. Tasca got involved, and was eventually able to pry Kyle’s attackers off of him. And that was her undoing.



Tasca’s voice began to waiver as she recounted the meeting with her superior officer:

“The next thing I know he asks me to turn over my weapon and be sent for a fitness for duty exam,” she said.

Bogota PD, after hearing Tasca’s story, believes she is psychologically incompetent to be a police officer, and she is being sent for testing. The Ridgefield Park Police officers seen tackling and punching an emotionally disturbed man waiting for an ambulance are never questioned. never interviewed by an Internal Affairs Investigator, and are still working the streets today.

Bogota Police chose to suspend Tasca, an 11-year veteran with numerous commendations. There are photographs from the hospital documenting the bruises on the 22-year-old’s head, back, arms and wrists.

Tasca says the real reason she’s being called out on these charges is she crossed the “blue line” by refusing to support another officer even when he used excessive force.



This is the third story I can recall in the last year or so in which a police officer who crossed the blue line was sent off for a psychological evaluation. It isn’t just that cops don’t rat out other cops, it’s that those who do obviously have psychological problems. It’s a chilling thought. It also sends a pretty clear message to other well-meaning cops. Cross the blue line, and you may not only lose your job, we’ll also publicly question your sanity.

[azxd]

I have been convinced that we should blame the controlling banksters :D

[phill4paul]

I have been convinced that we should blame the controlling banksters :D

I thought you wanted more stories of cops doing the 'right thing?' You know...in the interest of 'fairness."

[Spikender]

I commend that cop for doing the right thing. She's an example of a honest cop.

And now, she's going to be made an example of by the corrupt ones.

[Czolgosz]

Don't cross the blue line.

[Anti Federalist]

I commend that cop for doing the right thing. She's an example of a honest cop.

And now, she's going to be made an example of by the corrupt ones.

No good cops.

If there were, there would be no bad cops.

This is how they get weeded out.

[QuickZ06]

No good cops.

If there were, there would be no bad cops.

This is how they get weeded out.

And yet you tell this to the majority of Americans, they then call you a cop hater or a moron. Robots they are, robots.

[aGameOfThrones]

And yet you tell this to the majority of Americans, they then call you a cop hater or a moron. Robots they are, robots.

This is me telling you you're a cop hater and a moron. http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/122/1222535/wwe-raw-20120410023202217.gifAnd then running away.

[QuickZ06]

This is me telling you you're a cop hater and a moron. http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/122/1222535/wwe-raw-20120410023202217.gifAnd then running away.

LMAO!

[Nirvikalpa]

Two male cops (and I am assuming a male superior office) vs one female cop with numerous commendations?

She'll lose, and so does the city of Bogota, apparently.

Only the wolves are left.

[Lishy]

The fact another cop steps in to stop excessive force really renews my hope in the New York Police, actually.

[Brian4Liberty]

Tasca was the sole officer on the road that day, so she called for back-up according to protocol.

She "called" the Police. What did she expect? ;)

[Captain Shays]

Man! How sick can you get? Actually trying to stop abuse? She either has a lot of nerve or she's bat shit crazy and needs to be off the force immediately. We can't have officers who are reluctant to beat the snot out of innocent victems. It's dangerous.

[Anti Federalist]

Two male cops (and I am assuming a male superior office) vs one female cop with numerous commendations?

She'll lose, and so does the city of Bogota, apparently.

Only the wolves are left.

I don't know that gender plays any role here.

Just ask Frank Serpico.

They'll run off and ostracize any whistleblowing cop, male or female.

[Anti Federalist]

Correction: this was in NJ not NY.

[TexanRudeBoy]

No good cops.

If there were, there would be no bad cops.

This is how they get weeded out.

You can't speak in absolutes. My father lost the vast majority of his "friends" when he did his stint in IA. I remember how he used to go bowling and play poker with cop buddies all the time growing up. After his 2 years in IA started only his former partner came around or went out with him, the guy who's been a family friend as long as I can remember. I learned early that there were good and bad cops, but mostly bad, just like politicians. But that can't blind you to the good ones. This mentality would lead you to ignore Ron Paul.

Like any segment of society there are good and bad apples, the problem is law enforcement gives the bad apples a place to fester and spread, and be protected...but, that doesn't mean the entire barrel is spoiled. A few good ones always make it through.

[Nirvikalpa]

Correction: this was in NJ not NY.

Well then I definitely know my point stands.

[TheTexan]

Well then I definitely know my point stands.

Not really, and the fact that she is gay doesn't matter either.

She crossed the blue line, plain and simple. Male, female, gay, straight, cross that blue line and you're getting kicked out.

[TheTexan]

You can't speak in absolutes. My father lost the vast majority of his "friends" when he did his stint in IA. I remember how he used to go bowling and play poker with cop buddies all the time growing up. After his 2 years in IA started only his former partner came around or went out with him, the guy who's been a family friend as long as I can remember. I learned early that there were good and bad cops, but mostly bad, just like politicians. But that can't blind you to the good ones. This mentality would lead you to ignore Ron Paul.

Like any segment of society there are good and bad apples, the problem is law enforcement gives the bad apples a place to fester and spread, and be protected...but, that doesn't mean the entire barrel is spoiled. A few good ones always make it through.

The "bad apple" analogy is broken for two reasons:

1) The analogy implies that the barrel is mostly good apples, with a few bad apples. Most cops, however are bad.
2) The analogy also implies that the bad apples get thrown out of the barrel. Bad cops are more likely to be commended for bad behavior than thrown out.

Regina is a "good apple" and was thrown out of the barrel because of it. Which provides further evidence that the police institution is far beyond broken at this point.

[TheTexan]

She "called" the Police. What did she expect? ;)

Good point :P

[phill4paul]

UPDATE: http://www.northjersey.com/news/166315096_Judge_recommends_dismissal_of_Bogota_pol ice_officer.html


Retired Superior Court Judge Richard J. Donohue has recommended that suspended Bogota Police Officer Regina Tasca be dismissed from the police department.

Donohue, who presided over Tasca's disciplinary hearing, gave his recommendation in a 64-page opinion.

"The people of Bogota placed their faith and confidence in Officer Tasca as well as all the other officers in the Borough. For this they expected their officers to act with the highest degree of integrity and loyalty," Donohue wrote. "In addition as the first female officer she was expected to make the citizens proud that she was one of them. Clearly her actions have fallen short of that mark."

Tasca faced 20 administrative charges from two April 2011 incidents. The charges included, among others, failure to perform the duties of her rank, conduct unbecoming an officer and failure to assist other officers.

In the first incident, on April 3, she allegedly failed to assist Bogota Officer Jerome Fowler who struggled with an intoxicated woman they had taken to Holy Name Medical Center. In the second, on April 29, she allegedly interfered as Ridgefield Park officers Sgt. Chris Thibault and Det. Sgt. Joseph Rella attempted to detain an emotionally disturbed Bogota man.

"The failure of Officer Tasca to cooperate during both of the incidents was paramount," Donohue wrote. "She did not assist Officer Fowler and she interfered with Sergeant Rella."

Tasca, an 11-year veteran of the police department and openly gay, was suspended with pay in May 2011 after a psychological examination found her unfit for duty.

Her disciplinary hearing included 12 days of testimony, sprawling from April through July. Among those who testified were police officers from Bogota and Ridgefield Park; Dr. Matthew Guller, the psychologist who found Tasca unfit for duty; and former Bogota Councilwoman Tara Sharp, the mother of the emotionally disturbed man.

"As you may recall, at the outset, I indicated that when all the proofs were in, we'd establish that Officer Tasca's behavior on both incidents was a dereliction of duty and that the testimony from Dr. Guller would establish that she's unfit for duty. The hearing officer saw that," said Raymond Wiss, the attorney who represented the borough.

Wiss noted he received Donohue's recommendation Aug. 10.

In an emailed statement, Catherine Elston, Tasca's attorney, criticized the recommendation and vowed to seek justice for her client.

"The recommendation is no surprise to anyone who followed the proceedings. The Borough got what it paid for," Elston said.

"The charade by the borough and the Hearing Officer will not deter our efforts to have justice done, not only for Regina, but for all residents of Bogota who deserve better than the mockery of proceedings this Hearing Officer conducted," she said.

"The evidence of perjury, falsification of documents, and excessive force -- having been ignored by the Hearing Officer -- will be turned over to the Attorney General's Office for its review and further action. In the interim, we await the Borough's decision," she added.

Borough Attorney Joseph Monaghan said Bogota's governing body would adopt a resolution either accepting or rejecting Donohue's recommendation. That resolution would likely be voted on at the Aug. 16 Borough Council meeting, he said.

"The borough's goal was always to give Officer Tasca a fair hearing," Monaghan said. "This is not something initiated by the borough. The police had to take action after she was found unfit for duty. The borough had to and did give the officer a fair hearing."

Mayor Patrick McHale, who was called as a witness by Tasca during the hearing, declined comment.

"I have no comment. All council members were advised not to make any comment," he said. "We're not going to discuss this until the council meeting."

Police Chief John Burke did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

[tod evans]

For heavens sake, refusal to beat suspects = dereliction of duty.

[phill4paul]

For heavens sake, refusal to beat suspects = dereliction of duty.

Apparently, having an attack of conscience makes one mentally unfit for police duty.

[Spikender]

Apparently, having an attack of conscience makes one mentally unfit for police duty.

I always thought lack of a conscious and a backbone was a prerequisite for joining the force.

[Occam's Banana]

Relevance bump.

SEE: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?391019-Regina-Tasca-update-via-Will-Grigg