Hartford detective demoted, suspended for suggesting bet on first homicide
A Hartford, Connecticut police detective is going by disciplinary actions after he despatched a textual explain message proposing a wager referring to the achieve the first homicide of 2021 would occur.
Police Chief Jason Thody stated the message used to be despatched to a community of quite a lot of officers and court officers, however no staunch having a bet took role.
“This represents an appalling lack of judgment, an low insensitivity towards our community, and a obvious violation of Division policy for which there will be serious disciplinary penalties,” he stated in a Fb snort. “In a one year as soon as we own solved extra homicides than any one year in memory, it additionally does a disservice to the incredibly laborious work that so a lot of our officers are doing on a each day foundation to forestall and solve serious crimes.”
The detective, Jeffrey Placzek, works within the Fundamental Crimes division of the Hartford Police Division, in accordance to a police snort on Monday. He has been demoted and additionally suspended for 120 days without pay.
Placzek will be allowed to return to the department after he completes a well being for duty evaluation and a restorative justice program, Thody stated.
“I even own reviewed the textual explain message, and there might maybe be never any ambiguity referring to the info,” Thody stated in an earlier Fb snort, adding that the detective will be charged with violating the code of conduct. “At a time as soon as we strive to construct have confidence, I’m as disappointed in this habits as I’m sure you all of chances are you’ll possibly possibly possibly possibly also very well be.”
Placzek will own the synthetic to enchantment the self-discipline.
Lt. Paul Cicero, who supervises the Fundamental Crimes Division, used to be additionally removed and suspended from his feature pending the of the police department’s investigation into the messages, in accordance to the police snort. Thody stated that Cicero used to be amongst the community of of us that got the textual explain.
Cicero and varied supervisors who got the textual explain might maybe possibly maybe face extra self-discipline essentially based completely on the of the investigation, the police chief stated.
The Hartford Police Union did no longer loyal now return a seek data from for comment Tuesday. Calls to numbers listed for Placzek and Cicero weren’t loyal now returned.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin known as the textual explain message “disgusting” and stated it “demonstrates a brush aside for lifestyles and for our community that is wholly unbecoming of a Hartford police officer.”
“This conduct is your total extra anxious and disappointing as a result of the incredibly laborious work the males and females folk in Fundamental Crimes own done this one year, solving extra homicides than in any varied one year in memory, working carefully with the households of victims, and working round the clock to forestall violence and take care of our community safe,” Bronin stated in a snort.
