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Report blasts former Wethersfield Police chief for favoritism

According to the report, former Chief James Cetran created a culture of ‘haves and have nots.’

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. — A report has been released that severely criticizes practices at the Wethersfield Police Department under the former chief, describing a culture of favoritism, unequal punishment, and creating a culture of ‘haves and have nots.’

The report was commissioned by the current police Chief Rafael Medina and produced by the Daigle Law Group. In it, officers were surveyed and talked about the force under former Chief James Cetran. Multiple officers said they believed the Department's history of inconsistent discipline created significant feelings of distrust and hindered departmental morale.

Cetran was fired in June 2021. Medina took over in 2022. 

Among the incidents that were cited in the report:

---- An officer left a department issued firearm in his unlocked personal vehicle and it was stolen. The officer received a written reprimand. The case was mentioned in interviews as an example of disproportionate treatment in the internal affairs system.

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----During a training for cadets on DWI traffic stops, several officers volunteered to become intoxicated under the supervision of a department member and to take part in the training to helping cadets in learning how to identify signs of intoxication and conducting DUI testing procedures. After the training, one of the officers drove his own car to a bar in Hartford when testing had shown that the officer’s blood alcohol level was above the legal limit. Following the incident, the detective who conducted the Cadet DWI training, the officer who drove under the influence, and an on-duty supervisor who was in the building were investigated.

Chief Cetran sustained the violations against the detective and supervisor, and he exonerated the officer, finding his “actions were not in violation of the Department’s general orders.”

---- Allegations were made that a sergeant was going home while on patrol, parking his Department vehicle in the garage, and remaining in his home for considerable amounts of time on multiple occasions, and was alleged to have been doing it for quite some time.

The sergeant only received a written reprimand, however the lieutenant who first looked into the allegation and then brought it to the Chief’s attention, was later investigated for conducting an unauthorized internal affairs investigation and unauthorized audio/video recording of a department member, received the same discipline as the officer who had been sleeping on duty.

The report offered seven recommendations on improvements the department should adopt.

  • Conflict resolution training/counseling should be implemented and required for all WPD employees.
  • Options for addressing and remedying workplace conflict are\needed in the WPD. All supervisors should be trained to provide informal conflict mediation as a first option for addressing interpersonal issues and problem behaviors.
  • An external review of the WPD’s harassment training should be conducted to determine if any curricula deficits exist and then subsequently addressed. Additionally, appropriate conduct learned during harassment training must be modeled and reinforced in practice across all areas of the department.
  • Participatory training sessions focusing on appropriate workplace behavior and professionalism should take place annually, especially for those in supervisory roles who must set an example to others.
  • Implement an IA case management system to ensure that all complaints brought to the attention of supervisors are recorded and tracked.
  • Although proactive strategies to reduce stressors are critical, officers reported external factors as their most prevalent stressors and these are outside of the control of the police department. The WPD should therefore make visible efforts to remove barriers to help-seeking and provide accessible and free counseling options to assist officers.
  • A task force consisting of primarily patrol officers should be developed to seek officer input on challenges and solutions to increase job satisfaction.

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