Mayor Joe Ganim’s Communications Director Rowena White provided the following information and response regarding Police Officer Robert Franco’s traffic stop of State Rep. Chris Rosario. When OIB readers open body cam footage, see link below, volume does not start for 30 seconds. Police Chief AJ Perez by phone orders Franco to let Rosario go.
Link to the body cam footage, https://we.tl/t-9vqmEzl1ml
Video Link to Mayor Ganim & Rosario Statement https://youtu.be/vKVc8bS-tdU
Can you provide a city response to Rep. Rosario’s comments?
Yes. The Mayor met with Representative Rosario this afternoon along with Chief Perez and Captain Blackwell. They all discussed the incident and what they felt could have been handled more appropriately or correctly by the officer. Please see the attached video as they provided their own statements.
Also, can you say why the officer was checking license plates in a funeral home parking lot?
The officer ran the plate on the street prior to Representative Rosario pulling into the parking lot.
The officer received info on the plate run while he was in the parking lot.
Was license plate scanning/reading equipment used (like the ones mounted to patrol cars)?
The plate was entered into a system called ‘COLLECT’. The Plate 128 was in fact reported stolen.
Bridgeport EOC Dispatch Supervisor (Matt King):
I heard about the traffic stop involving the State Representative in Bridgeport on the C-shift. I called Meriden and inquired about this plate in question. Meriden informed me the plate was stolen on 2-27-15 from 1400 Old North Road in their town. (Case #2015-001454). The plate was registered to a “Larosa Construction” and was on a Green Dodge 2500 Pick-up truck. Originally Meriden had no information about the type of plate after looking through their files. I called back and asked Meriden for the vin of the vehicle which they provided. After running the VIN in NCIC the plate shows that it is a combination plate. I called Meriden back and informed them and asked if they could modify their entry so this encounter doesn’t happen to the Representative again.
Did the officers find there was a mistake that identified Rep. Rosario’s license plates as being reported stolen?
Yes. See above statement as provided by Dispatch.
See below police report
Chris “do you know who I am?” Rosario.Officer Franco did NOTHING wrong,hetreated King Rosario with respect,explained why he was questioned,didn’t make a scene,he was just doing his job.King Rosario should maybe get over himself and realize he’s no better than anyone else.How dare he make this into something it’s not.King Rosario should be thanking officer Franco for doing his job,trying to make Bpt better every day.
Harvey, what did Chris Rosario do wrong?
To get pulled over?..He was driving around with what was reported as a stolen tag..How dare Officer Franco question that!
Harvey, that was not the reason he was pulled over.
Oh,I’m sorry Ron,I didn’t realize you were there..I assume you are saying the officer was profiling.Just for the sake of argument,any chance the officer,who stated he was patroling an area due to a resent spike in violent crimes.You’re suggesting officer Franco singled out King Rosario for being a minority driving around in that area.I would argue 99% of the drivers in that area are minority.Officer Franco most likely runs hundreds of tags as he drives around that high crime area trying to protect our city.The idea that King Rosario was targeted because of his ethnicity in that area is ridiculous.
Harvey, it’s called “creative writing,” Officer Franco more than likely wrote his report at the end of his shift that night because remember he was being proactive. Officer Franco had gotten a call from Chief Perez and was given a direct order by the Chief, so Officer Franco knew that he had fucked up so he had his backup which was his report to clean up his action, you know, I shot the victim or I taster the person because I fear for my life. I’m sure that Officer Franco knew that there was a wake at the funeral home with a large number of people there paying their respect.
Havey
I was at the funeral Home when State Representative Rosario was there paying our respect to our friend John Romero. Once the chief ordered him to back down it should have been over. As Elected officials we have numbers so when we need to reach them we can. Its not about who do we think we are its about fairness. I’m sure the officer’s report did not come back saying that a Legislative Plate was stolen. Once Rep Rosario showed the officier his paper work case close.
Ok Ernie, so your position is that officer Franco should have just ignored the fact that the tag came back stolen because Rosario showed his credentials??.. Really??.. So from here on in,anyone with legislator credentials are immune from being questioned by the police.. That’s a nice perk to the job I guess.
Again, officer Franco should be praised for being diligent, not chastised for doing his job.
Harvey
First of all No One rides around with Legislative Plates but a person who’s a Representative or a State Senator. How many times have you been stop by a Police officer and told We stopped you because you fit the description of who they may be looking for? The sad part of this story is that the officer who stopped Rep Rosario didn’t say we stopped you because someone reported a Legislators Plates were stolen!
I never was too impressed with Rosario
I watched the body camera video and it appears the officer conducted himself politely and professionally during the exchange.
The bigger question is what was the “lawful” reason the plate was run in the first place? I don’t understand that piece.
C’mon Ron please get a life. The following is a TRUE story:
1980’s: Car swerves out of a restaurant parking lot in Stamford and the cop pulls the car over at Main & Summer.
Heres how it went: License & Reg Please.
Hi Officer, I just had dinner with the Chief.
Thats nice: license and registration. He hands it over. Cop looks at the license and sees it was a friend of Anthony Megale aka “the Genius”, so nicknamed by John Gotti.
Cop says he will issue a ticket for unsafe movement of motor vehicle, (statute was 14-242(a) black then.)
Cop writes ticket and approaches car again. Driver asks if Cop knows Lt. so and so. Cop says no he’s new on the job. Guy names a bunch of other police personnel, cops says he doesn’t know any of them. Cop says to driver: do you know Officer Augustynowicz? He says “no, why?” cop says “cause that’s the guy you gotta know and here’s your ticket.” I never wore a name tag or a hat for that matter!!
Now I’m sure he got the ticket taken care of but I didn’t give a shit. If the Chief had called me in to admonish me I would have told him to go and fuck himself. If you don’t believe that then ask anyone on the SPD. If you don’t believe it ask A J Perez, he knows all about me. Now I’m not saying that there should have been some type of action taken against Rosario and there probably shouldn’t and wouldn’t have been. Sounds to me like it was a technical glitch or someone screwed up at DMV while imputing that particular plate, But this cop did nothing wrong and for anyone to make this type of incident into a “racial” profiling thing is just what’s wrong with this country. I worked the projects and most of my arrests, which were plentiful, were within the minority community. When I worked street narcotics and street crimes in the Special Services and C.O.P.E. squads back in the 80’s and 90’s the large majority of our arrests were people from the minority community. Many of my customers at BEV MAX on WOOD AVENUE, who came to live in Bridgeport knew me from those times. You can visit the store and ask the employees there what those folks that I arrested say about those days. It wasn’t racial it was the business of doing that job. So please stop with comments like ‘creative writing’ and other proclaimed excuses that that do nothing but keep dividing people.
Cheers!!
Rich, I have no problem with what you said let’s look at what Councilwoman Eneida Martinez asked, Martinez asked, “It sounds like training needed. If Chris wasn’t in a suit or his wife with him, this probably would of been ugly.” Rich, what are officer trained to do with incidents like this. Rich, C’MON MAN, I understand you backing fellow brother but the license plates for Connecticut officials are design in such a way they are easily recognize, State Rep. Chris Rosario license plate is
2019 CONNECTICUT 2021
DEPUTY SPEAKER
128
LEGLISLATURE
With the Connecticut State seal on the license plate, Rich, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see what type of license plate it was, so what was the reason for questioning the license plate or its driver in the beginning, what violation did State Rep. Chris Rosario do?
LEGLISLATURE
Ron you must be right. I ran probably thousands of plates during my tenure. It never mattted who the occupants were just the scenarios and situations of the moment. It never dawned on me until you just mentioned it that a vehicle with an official plate could never be stolen etc.
and furthermore when I was behind any vehicles I ALWAYS could clearly see who the occupants were. So like I said: you must be right.
Cheers!!
Great post Rich,nothing like hearing it first hand, from someone with experience..
Thinking about this, Rosario knows about the problems Bpt has with its police force,the lack of qualified leadership, the low moral in the force, the overall feeling that cops can’t be trusted from the community. It would have went a long way if someone like King Rosario would have come out and backed up the officer for doing his job, and said he understood it was a mix up, instead King Rosario has poked the hornets nest once again, planting more seeds of doubt towards the brave men& women who protect our city.Rosario just doesn’t get how a “leader” is supposed to lead, he’s too self absorbed to understand.
So More (WASPs) for State Office?!
Harvey, get off your soapbox Chris was there and you weren’t and you don’t have the right to question how this stop made him feel and there is nothing in your history that could possibly compare with living or driving in this America for a person of color!
Rich, please just because this wasn’t in your wheelhouse certainly doesn’t mean that white cops all over America, Connecticut and Bridgeport don’t subscribe to this behavior and worse. Why are Black men all across America being killed primarily by white cops? Why aren’t Black cops shooting other Black’s like white cops are or even killing white people like Black’s are being killed? Are white cops more afraid than Black cops or are Black cops just giving people the respect they deserve as human beings? There’s a problem in this country with unnecessary and illegal stops by cops on Black people in general and Black males specifically by white cops and it just happened to a person of color that had some pull unlike my Black ass who might have been shot.
Don, what happen to the report from Charles H. Ramsey the former Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department and Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia concerning the running of the Bridgeport Police Department?
Yes just where is that report? Must be scathing since the election is over and it hasn’t been released yet. — and I’m only kidding.
Did they release the $$ to pay for it etc.????
Yes Don, you are as right as Ron.
My saying is ‘when you follow the law, nothing bad happens’.
Cheers!
Don, I’m done responding to you, everything is a black and white issue with you.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion and as such, the more certain people say, the more we know where they are coming from.
I ty to not engage in pissing matches with those who’s minds will never change but sometimes I just enjoy pointing out the obvious.
Cheers!
Rich,
Since Rosario is NCIC and collect certified, I wonder if he called Shelton PD and ran his own plate after the incident? I BET HE DID!!! And we all know that’s a NO NO!!!
Put the race card away people! Only pull it out when it’s warranted and it will mean more!
Too many jail house lawyers here….. #NoClue
You got that right. If they check to see if he ran that plate for himself then everyone here could ask that question. Why did you run the plate!!!??
And you’re right about the putting the race card away until it’s truly warranted. Keep crying wolf and it falls on deaf ears.
And these guys need to listen more to Charles Payne, Candice Owens, Diamond & Silk and other prominent “minority’s” who see things as they really are!!! Cheers!
Harvey, have you ever read, saw or heard of a State Official license plate ever being stolen?
Harvey, I beg to differ the fact is you made this a racial issue when you responded to Ron while invoking my name in your outrage at Chris. You’re the one referring to Chris as King Chris, questioned whether the officer made the stop based on race and offered your stop by a Black officer ten years ago. I merely pointed out the hypocrisy of your posts and if you’re unable to have a dialogue without feeling that a high school grad is getting the best of you during said dialogue then you shouldn’t respond to me. By the way my friend, when RACE no longer plays a part in this America I will quit speaking about RACE.
The more society drifts from Truth the more it will hate those that speak it!
notwithstanding everything stated above, it should have been obvious that this is a special issue plate – it looks different and therefore common sense would indicate that a standard check would not yield a normal result? And I think the question remains unless answered in the write-up – why did he check the plate to begin with – it says CT Legislature – not save the sound. Didn’t that mean something to Officer Franco?
I’ll say it again, there are specialized police cars that automatically check plates of vehicles for reg. violations, stolen plates ect.
Rosario works for Shelton PD in a civilian capacity, he should ask their officers if they have such a car or if their officers ever run plates while on patrol.
Meriden had that plate as stolen.
Was this at night? ifso no way he could have been profiled when Franco was behind and ran the plate.
Actually I think Bridgeport has new cars outfitted to run plates if fines have been racked up from tickets or what not, but I could be wrong on that.
Mackey and Day are consistent. Everything is about race and victimization.
I had some time so I read the CT Post report and watched the video.
Officer Franco was doing his job. Everyone stayed calm.
The Meriden Police made a mistake in reporting.
When Officer Franco asked for ID, why did Rosario provide a Shelton PD (his employer) employee ID rather than his drivers license?
What was disappointing was the fact that, as Ernie Newton commented, “we have numbers” as if Officer Franco was doing something wrong.
Ernie seemed to be boasting that Bridgeport elected officials need not be inconvenienced by such matters.
Harvey was justified in being sarcastic.
Joe Ganim keeps score. Rep Rosario owes him.
Tom White, why was this vehicle with this license plate checked out and what infraction was violated?
2019 CONNECTICUT 2021
DEPUTY SPEAKER
128
LEGLISLATURE
With the Connecticut State seal on the license plate.
Ron Mackey, read the CT Post account of what happened.
Tom White, read the police report that Police Officer Franco wrote and tell what was done wrong by Chris Rosario?
I really can’t/won’t discuss the details of the situation between Rosario and the BPD PO. As more information came out,it seems that the Bridgeport Police Officer got information that it was a stolen plate and he immediately acted according.
My main question is; WHY DID WE GET A REALEASE OF ALL THE VJDEO INFORMATION (and other information) WITHIN 24/48 HOURS. ANY OTHER CASE(such of the arrest of the CT Post reporter) AND THE BPD DRAG THEIR FEET FOR MONTHS AND EVEN REQUIRE FOIA LEGAL ACTIVITY.
Somethings just don’t seem right in various elements in this incident.
Rosario has been nothing more than big baby. It’s time for him to grow up and get rid of his diapers.
So now officers should know who elected politicians are??? Lmfaooooo they must forget politicians work for us the people who elect them!!!! With that being said was this a just stop idk but what I do know is who cares if he is an elected politician!!!!!
donj, it’s not about knowing who the elected person is, the problem is the license plate clearly states who they are by their job but what did the driver do wrong, he was driving to the funeral down the street. Why would you run the license plate that states what he does. Have you ever heard of a State Representative be vehicle being stolen and someone joy riding in it?
Now that I have read the ct post article (which I had not when I posted my previous comments), I will share another tidbit with all of you. When I was police union president (89-94) we were having contract issues and other usual issues with a few politicians who thought they were important. Our working conditions sucked, guys were getting hurt and we received little support from the appointed upper ranks. We were busy back then with the the usual crime stuff and the additional huge problems with the birth of the crack epidemic. Response time to most any calls was minutes. Repeat: response time to ANY call was minutes. The departments leadership many times sided on the “politically correct” side and not in the common sense correct side when certain incidents occurred.
I asked my membership to be more careful out there and back each other up etc. etc. and I won’t say anymore about that—-here.
Next thing you know the cops on the MIDNIGHT shift were dispatched as follows: ‘dispatch to car 34 respond to such and such a location and see the complainant. Be advised that The call came in at 2pm.”
Get it? 2 pm call dispatched after 11pm.
The city figured it out and things changed a bit for the better but it took more than a decade and many new hires and oldsters retiring before things got back to whatever you want to call normal.
You want things to get ugly?
Now go ahead and think about it.
Better hope they don’t do away with the right to bear arms. You may need that privilege in the future.
I’m sure the comments will be ugly but that’s ok!!!!!!! Cheers!!!
Rich, there’s a great comment by Jimfox concerning the late Senator Alvin Penn in OIB “Rosario ‘Profiled’ By Police–‘What Possessed You To Randomly Check My Plates?’
Jimfox says:
December 12, 2019 at 2:08 pm
Not later than January 1, 2000, each municipal police department and the Department of Public Safety shall adopt a written policy that prohibits the stopping, detention or search of any person when such action is solely motivated by considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation, and the action would constitute a violation of the civil rights of the person.
It was the spring of 1996 and Alvin Penn, an African American state senator from Bridgeport, was stopped by a white police officer in neighboring Trumbull that had an all-white police department. The cop interrogated Penn about his location.
“I asked why I was being stopped and why I needed to be aware of which town I was in. I wanted to know what difference that made,” Penn had said in describing the situation. “He told me he didn’t have to give a reason for stopping me and said if I made an issue of it he would give me a ticket for speeding.”
Alvin Penn was one of those guys who had the ability to make friends fast. Gregarious, quick-witted, an unforgettable cackling laugh. He also was not bashful about voicing an opinion. The police stoppage that day led to the passage in 1999 of an act carrying his name, one that has bombarded the airwaves in light of four East Haven police officers charged by federal authorities with violating the civil rights of Latinos, followed by the bizarre response of the city’s taco-talking mayor.
Police union agrees that Rosario was out of line..
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Police-union-president-calls-Ganim-s-comments-14905438.php?src=posthpcp
Harvey, C’MON MAN, that’s there job and if they didn’t back a dues paying member the union could be bought up charge of failure for “Duty of fair representation” under the National Labor Relations Board.
Hey Lennie, et al
In the video from above, AJ looks a lot like Superintendent Joe Walsh. Take a look!
The cop was doing his job, following & pulling over in the parking lot to ask questions concerning the plate! Politicians need to stop thinking their above the law to get pulled over, & asked a question by a cop. I’am sure a few extra minutes in the lot would of cleared up the questions once the supervisor arrived . Profiling does happen, but this was not close!