A few cops in my town were writing on each others facebook walls making sexual remarks about the mayor and making all of these racist remarks,
and the police chief says there's notihng he can do. The whole thing is so fucked up and I was hoping some of you guys could give me advice on how to get
someting done. These guys aren't being punished because they have freedom of speech, but at the same time who wants biased police officers? There is a
video of one of their facebook walls with even worse comments than the article under the link. Ugh this is disgusting me.
HARRISON - Three Harrison cops and the code enforcement officer have been exchanging sexual jokes about the town supervisor and engaging in other locker-room banter on their Facebook pages, with one detective making racist remarks about President Barack Obama.
Joan Walsh, the 74-year-old supervisor, who recently got a hold of the Internet postings, isn't amused and said yesterday that she was consulting with attorneys to determine what action to take.
"I am appalled with their juvenile behavior," Walsh said. "There will be a response."
The remarks were posted between November and February by Detectives Rich Light and Frank Massaro, Officer Mike DiLauria, Code Enforcement Officer Ed DiBuono and others. They could be seen publicly because Light and DiBuono's Facebook pages were not set to "private."
On Nov. 5, Light writes of Obama's victory that "the rose garden will be turned into the watermelon garden," that there will be a "KFC set up right in front of the white house," and that "barack stated that he may not be able to fix the american economy, but he's pretty sure he can (racial epithet) rig it."
Many of the exchanges center on Walsh, who has clashed with the Police Department in the past. She is made an object of ridicule.
Light, on his profile page, calls himself a "Joan Walsh Hater," followed by an abbreviation for an expletive. He keeps a running countdown of her days remaining in office, to which Town Clerk Joseph Acocella replies "LOL," for "laugh out loud."
Light also posts a suggestive picture and says it's the supervisor's private parts, and he participates in a series of Walsh-bashing exchanges that are sometimes led by DiBuono.
When DiBuono writes about the supervisor not showing up to a meeting because "I kept her up late. Scrumptuous," Light replies with his own sexual comment.
DiBuono writes of dreaming of Walsh, to which DiLauria responds, "AHHHH Moaning and Joaning," and firefighter Ray Colasacco writes "How were your dreams last night?"
In another entry, Massaro writes, "Ed, how do you do it, manage to work and keep Joan happy with the constant attention, coffee pick ups, lunches, and quickies in the bathroom at the Town house. Salute. You must be eating Viagras like tick-tacs."
As if there's any doubt whom they're referring to, DiBuono at one point states, "when you see references to 'Joan' that is our mayor."
DiBuono also writes about having weekly lunches with his "homeboys": Police Chief David Hall, Town Attorney Frank Allegretti and Deputy Town Attorneys Jonathan Kraut and Fred Castiglia. "Here's the best (expletive) part," DiBuono writes. "Never had a woman attend."
Last month, Light posted a photo of a robbery suspect, characterizing him as someone who "likes beating up old people during home invasions."
The supervisor said she learned of the postings Sunday and has reached out to legal counsel.
"I realize this is not reflective of our entire police force, but such behavior must be addressed," Walsh said. "I will be in touch with the chief."
The chief said yesterday that he was upset with the officers, but uncertain he could do anything about their comments.
"Obviously, I don't like it, but I don't know what I could do about it relative to discipline," Hall said. "I can't believe people would waste their time and energy writing these comments in Facebook. It's locker-room nonsense and it's not the right thing to do, but it's freedom of speech."
DiBuono, reached late yesterday, said, "If Joan thinks this is newsworthy, I have no comment. I'm sorry I don't have a First Amendment right to my free speech."
Light, Massaro and DiLauria were not immediately available for comment.
