Police Chief Discriminated, BOPC Finds

    The focus may be off embattled police officer Bob Nappe, but last week another lingering issue resurfaced to occupy the Board of Police Commissioners’ (BOPC) attention when East Haven Police Union Local 1662 presented a grievance on Sgt. Paul Liquori’s behalf.

    In a 3-to-2 vote across party lines, the BOPC sustained a motion alleging that Police Chief Leonard Gallo had discriminated against Liquori. According to the grievance, Gallo removed disciplinary actions from the files of at least three police officers, a move some are saying was intended to gain the favor of these alleged supporters of Mayor April Capone Almon. Gallo did not, however, remove disciplinary actions from Liquori’s file.

    The matter now proceeds to the state level, Deputy Director of Town Affairs Paul Hongo, Jr., said. The state records administration will determine if Liquori’s disciplinary actions should be removed and–by extension–if Gallo violated state laws regarding the retention schedule and destruction of such documents. 

    “I was appreciative of the board’s decision,” said Liquori late last week. “However, the two Republican commissioners [Pat Romano and Sandra Wright]…didn’t feel that I was discriminated against…I was disappointed about that.”

    Gallo vehemently denies Liquori’s allegations of political bias, stating that everything he did regarding the personnel files was “in good faith.”

    “I can only say that the accusations are false,” said Gallo. “I don’t even know where that [allegation of political bias] came from…I’ve acted in good faith negotiating with the union…concerning all of these disciplinary actions.”

    At press time, Hongo said he was still researching the penalty for destroying documents in violation of state law, in case Gallo is found to have done so. In the meantime, Hongo has requested that Gallo deliver all personnel files to his office in Town Hall, where they can be placed under lock and key.

    Liquori said his goal in bringing the grievance before the BOPC was not necessarily to have the disciplinary actions removed from his files.

    “I’m not looking for my record to be purged,” said Liquori. “I was looking for things to be done correctly…I expect the discipline to remain in my file because state law says they have to stay there for [at least] five years…The public interest far outweighs that individual disciplinary episode…There are other reasons for those files to remain uncorrupted…Those weren’t just documents–those potentially could contain evidence [that could be used] in civil and criminal trials.”

    Liquori and Gallo have long been at odds. The sergeant currently has a lawsuit pending in federal court that alleges the EHPD passed him over for promotion at least twice in the same number of years because of his age. Liquori also claims that he was the victim of political bias and a string of retaliatory reprimands by the chief. These reprimands, the complaint claims, were spurred by Liquori’s filing a complaint with the Connecticut Human Rights Commission (CHRO) in February 2006 after he had been denied promotion, despite scoring first on a promotional exam in November 2005. According to the complaint, the man who was promoted to lieutenant in December 2005 was at least 10 years Liquori’s junior.

    One of the disciplinary actions in Liquori’s file dates back to a spring 2006 car accident in which then-town attorney Larry Sgrignari’s wife and an elderly man were involved. Against Gallo’s orders, Liquori backed the on-scene officer’s decision not to arrest the man. That action was preceded by an investigation launched into the improper execution of a search warrant under Liquori’s watch.