Police Union President Chuck Paris told the Connecticut Post’s Brian Lockhart “There’s no question that this officer did his job and what he was supposed to do,” referring to Robert Franco who checked the legislative plate of State Rep. Chris Rosario who was attending a friend’s funeral on the East Side. Rosario asserted he was being profiled.
The plate on Rosario’s vehicle was reported stolen, a mistake made by Meriden Police, according to Bridgeport dispatch.
Paris says there was no profiling asserting Franco was assigned to a detail addressing “problems with shootings, drug dealing and other issues that plague the East Side.”
“These officers are out there doing their job, protecting the city,” Paris added. “They’re good people. And these young officers have a great future ahead of them but something like this can really hurt them.”
… “He was detailed in that area by Capt. Blackwell with the understanding and the purpose of going out there to see if there were any complications, any problems. He was detailed for that reason. This is done every so often, especially when there’s an increase in crime in an area.”
While Mayor Joe Ganim did not call it profiling, he said the officer’s actions were inappropriate. Paris said Ganim made that judgment without having all the information.
Franco’s police report:
Link to the body cam footage, https://we.tl/t-9vqmEzl1ml
So was The Mayor just pandering ?
December 12, 2019
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.
So Ganim says the officers actions were inappropriate. Hey Chuck your comments were what they were supposed to be and you are right. I know that the honeymoon with him was mostly over. Take some advice which maybe you don’t need but it’s the nature of the beast. NOTHING lasts forever between politicians and their minions. When it comes to Chiefs I told them ‘I was here before you and other chiefs, and I’ll be here after’.
Cheers!
Let’s look at what Police Union President Sgt. Chuck Paris states, “In his incident report, Franco said he was “detailed to be a high visibility, proactive unit on the East Side of the city due to the recent spike of violent crimes.”
My question is does a official state license plate fit the description to check this car in a recent spike of violent crimes?
Paris, said, The question remained Friday why Franco ran Rosario’s plate to begin with, and Paris said it could have been for any number of reasons.
“Typically what they’re looking at is if the driver ran a light, a stop sign, failed to use their blinker, things like that,” Paris said. My question again is what did Chris Rosario do wrong to have Police Officer Franco to check Rosario’s official state license plate? Even Paris can’t give a reason.
Paris state, But, he said, there doesn’t necessarily have to be an illegal action to prompt an officer to run a license plate. Paris said it’s more likely in the incident with Rosario that Franco had developed a plan of action where, for example, he ran the plate of every second or third vehicle he came across just to see if there were any results or problems with the vehicle. My question of that so call plan of action was how many times has Police Officer Franco ever ran a official state license plate?
As for Mayor Ganim comment, I see Mayor Ganim trying to mediate a incident that has the potential to get out of hand. Chris Rosario’s comment was proper and he spoke to the issues that police officers have to deal with on a daily bases. The question still remains, what did Chris Rosario do to have his official state license plate to be run?
Attorney Mackey,
The point is, he didn’t have to do anything to have his plate run. Stick to puttin out 🔥….
President Paris,
Glad to see you’re speaking out against Ganim finally…..
The Officer did nothing wrong, get over it and move on.
FRANK CUCCARO, how many official state license plate have you run?
I’ve been on details where we’ve run 75-100 plates. You find stolen cars, people with warrants, etc…… and look what happened: the plate came back as stolen (due to an error by another department-not known at the time)So why chastise Officer Franco for doing his job? Since everyone is pulling out the race card, If the Officer was Black or Hispanic, would we be having this conversation? HELL NO!!!!
Just sayin’…….
FRANK CUCCARO, you asked, “So why chastise Officer Franco for doing his job?” I have not done that, I’m posing a question. Police Union President Sgt. Chuck Paris stated that Franco had developed a plan of action where, for example, he ran the plate of every second or third vehicle he came across, so that gives the officer the “discretion” to make the choice that he wants to do as part as what vehicle to run a plate, so this officer made the decision that this person driving the vehicle could possibly fit the description he was “detailed to be a high visibility, proactive unit on the East Side of the city due to the recent spike of violent crimes,” Frank, really?
You’re not chastising him, but Joe did and Chris is………
Look,
I hate to break it down like this, but not everyone knows who Chris Rosario is:
I know him very well and always respected him and enjoyed our conversations, that’s why I’m a little surprised at the stance he’s taking on this. That’s all I’m sayin…….. Again, if the Officer was Black or Hispanic, we wouldn’t be talking or blogging about this….. That’s what is pissing me off.
It’s sounds like he was treated very respectfully considering the circumstances………
Frank, I don’t know State Rep. Chris Rosario, I know who he is but we have never, met as Mayor G. amim, I totally against Ganim getting back into office but there’s a issue at hand here and that’s the mistrust that a number of blacks and Hispanic/Latino have towards the police. A incident like this doesn’t help with that trust. I understand that Police Union President Sgt. Chuck Paris has a job to back a dues paying member and if he didn’t the union could be bought up charge of failure for “Duty of fair representation” under the National Labor Relations Board. Mayor Ganim has a job to mediate a potential explosive situation and State Rep. Chris Rosario said that he understood the dangers of a police officer. Let’s not forget that State Rep. Chris Rosario could be a vote that the Police union might need in the future. I’ve been pulled over by the State Police three times over 20 years in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut and each time I was asked for driver’s license and registration and I was asked did I know why they stop me and I told them. They also saw my badge, my employee ID and my old Air Force military driver’s license. I was got given a ticket or warning and I was told that the next officer might not got give me the professional courtesy that they were giving me, I thank them and I was on my way. I kept my hands on the steering wheel in the 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock position and it was yes sir or no sir, that’s my daddy told me when I was a kid because as he said, you don’t now what they might do to you. Well Frank, things have gotten worse since that time with the relationship with blacks and the police.
RON MACKEY,Put “the card” away ! It’s not warranted here. Only pull it out when it’s necessary…. It will mean more…
Frank, I didn’t play any card.
I’m sorry but I have to weigh in.
Frank and Rich And any other law enforcement officials out there, do you know what a state issue plate for legislators looks like? They are not common but I know what they look like. If a Bridgeport police officer does not then that’s the first mandatory training issue you should have. I am not saying it is a ‘get out of jail free’ plate but they should be aware of what it is and what it represents. And they should approach the car with the respect that a state legislator should receive.
Secondly when they are alerted to the fact that it is a legislator’s car and the legislator has appropriately id’d Himself then their should be no other questions asked. Period. The plate was assigned to Rep Rosario and the driver has proper identification identifying himself as Rep Rosario. Case closed.
Now if the driver was driving erratically or other manners to indicate under the influence by all means continue with the arrest. But every 10th car whether is Mayor Ganim or a relative of the officer is going to be stopped??? That’s BS and you and I know it.
Sorry Bob but you just don’t get it. Hey Frank- were used to this right!! Heard this shit all our careers. Lol!!
So Bob I’ll leave you with this:
You are right!!!!! Cheers.
Bob,
Yup, I know what the plates look like. I’m old…
um, approach the car with extra special respect because it’s a politician? Um, No! Everyone deserves the same level of respect… That’s the problem, politicians think they deserve special treatment… NOT!!!!!
FYI,
When a plate comes back stolen, the operator is pulled out, patted down, handcuffed and placed in the back of a Police Car!!
None of that happened here! So yeah, I’d say Chrissy got special treatment…. so WTH is his complaint? I THOUGHT SO!!!
Good day to you BOB!
I think that this entire situation has been overblown. The main culprit is Rosario. Ganim is the accessory since Ganim FIRED Rosario from BPT government position(blight officer) because he was seen as a “Finch guy.” Now,Ganim bends over backwards to support Rosario’s temper tantrum. There are more pressing issues. The entire performance of the BPTpolice is questionable. We have a new City Council which is just as ever owned by Mario Testa.
Hey, read the article in the CT Post.
I guess it’s all politics.
Three police officers promoted to sergeant go 6 months with out pay raise.
What say you Rich and Frank? Oh, they’ll be paid sooner or later.
What say you Police Union President Sgt. Chuck Paris?
It’s Bridgeport………. Happens all the time….
It’s illegal by State Labor Board on Wage and Hour Division.
Many complaints were filed with the State and by the time they get around to looking into it, the city gets alerted by its snitches and they pay everyone what they are owed and the state says, oh well, everyone is paid now so, ……….. They are just as corrupt…..
State of Corrupticut
David Dunn is the master mind behind, it’s a form of discipline to stop someone’s pay for no reason and I he City will say after they get caught that they’re sorry and they didn’t know. But you know if you aren’t feeling good because you caught something from a co-worker you really shouldn’t go to work and spread what you might have gotten from a co-worker.
The City Council Monday night will act on the letter agreement of Captain Rebeca Garcia who has been appointed assistant chief by Mayor Joe Ganim and top cop AJ Perez.
The letter was approved unanimously by the Contracts Committee. She’s expected to receive the oath Monday night presuming ratification by the full council. Well, just as the Contracts Committee approved the promotion of Captain Rebeca Garcia who has been appointed assistant chief the City Council approved three police officers promoted to sergeant go 6 months, Now, will Captain Rebeca Garcia start getting paid her new salary of $142,425 or will it be hld back like the three police officers promoted to sergeant go 6 months? The City is now in violation of the City Council vote to approve the pay raise for the three police officers promoted to sergeant go 6 months now the question is wil the City start paying Rebeca Garcia her pay raise to $142,425 and how about the back pay raise of the three police officers promoted to sergeant, plus the interest for holding their money for 6 months.