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By Matthew Enuco
nj.com
BRADLEY BEACH, N.J. — A brand new report detailing the alleged sample of misbehavior of an embattled Auckland police chief was launched by authorities Friday — the day of his early retirement.
Bradley Seaside Police Chief Leonard Guida was chided for a variety of alleged habits within the inner affairs report, launched to the general public Friday by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. Guida formally retired the identical day, after being positioned on administrative depart following public studies of a bodily altercation with certainly one of his officers throughout a November 2023 site visitors cease on the town.
“The findings outlined on this report illustrate unmistakably that over the earlier 12 months and a half, Chief Guida has been an energetic hindrance to the very regulation enforcement company he was entrusted to guide,” Santiago stated in a press release accompanying the report.
“The image the report paints just isn’t fairly, however that’s exactly why we felt that it was so vitally essential to publicly launch it.”
Messages left for Guida weren’t returned Friday. He beforehand declined to touch upon questions concerning the November altercation when reached by NJ Advance Media .
The investigation into Guida’s conduct as police chief started in August 2023 after an nameless grievance was filed with the county prosecutor, authorities stated. The investigation expanded in November after the confrontation with Sgt. William Main throughout a crash investigation. (Main was additionally pinged within the report for his conduct in that incident, however is reportedly nonetheless on the job.)
The wide-ranging report included probes of 9 alleged incidents involving the chief, and what the prosecutor known as 28 “sustained” findings of situations wherein Guida violated varied guidelines governing police and worker conduct in Bradley Seaside. A number of of the violations had been of Lawyer Normal and Prosecutor’s Workplace guidelines detailing correct police conduct, Santiago stated.
The preliminary nameless grievance that launched the investigation concerned a suspicious individuals cease throughout Nationwide Night time Out in August 2023. The tipster, who stated he was strolling house from work whereas stopped by police, alleged racial profiling, the report stated.
The report famous Guida directed two of his officers to query the person, noting to them he was Black. Investigators decided the cease was a violation of the Fourth Modification based mostly on 4 conflicting tales from Guida about why the person was stopped.
“To be frank, this cease is troublesome,” the investigators wrote within the report, and famous that racial motivation for the cease couldn’t be “discounted.”
The report additionally particulars a number of alleged situations of Guida aggressively confronting officers and publicly berating them with foul language. In a single reported incident, whereas off responsibility, Guida criticized an officer for allegedly improperly responding to a scene and threatened to fireplace the officer. In one other reported incident through the Latin Competition in 2022, Guida allegedly threatened to by no means promote an officer after a confrontation with him.
The report additionally contains allegations that Guida was drunk whereas committing a few of the violations sustained within the investigation.
The report redacts the names of officers who spoke to investigators, in what the Monmouth County Prosecutor known as “small acts of bravery.”
“Our investigation wouldn’t have been attainable with out interviewing members of a very small police division,” Santiago stated. “This report shouldn’t be misconstrued to mirror poorly on the Division at giant, because the actions of 1 particular person don’t negate the wonderful work of so many different people.”
Guida has been chief in Bradley Seaside since 2007. The general public wasn’t advised he was positioned on administrative depart from his $202,500 job till a resident raised questions at a council assembly in December. On the time, public officers declined to reply questions on Guida, saying it was a personnel matter.
It wasn’t clear Friday how a lot Guida’s pension can be. He was first employed as a public worker in 1983.
“I need to thank the Monmouth County Prosecutors workplace for his or her thorough investigation and report,” Bradley Seaside Mayor Larry Fox stated in a press release Friday. “Their collaboration with us and their exhausting work is way appreciated. It is a troublesome time for our group; and I’m assured we are going to transfer ahead and deal with all of the positives in Bradley Seaside.”
Fox advised NJ Advance Media on Monday Guida was retiring a number of months sooner than he deliberate to. The Bradley Seaside Council issued a no confidence vote towards Fox at Wednesday’s council assembly for his dealing with of the incident involving the chief, in accordance with TapInto.
“I’m shocked by the horrific abuses outlined within the Prosecutor’s report,” Councilman Al Gubitosi , the council liaison to the police division, stated late Friday night time. “I don’t perceive how such power abuse was tolerated for therefore lengthy.”
Gubitosi famous that as liaison he serves as a conduit between the police division and the council, however “it isn’t a task designed to research or monitor division exercise.”
“After studying this report, my concern at first is for our police division and the courageous women and men who endured this documented abuse for therefore lengthy.
Gubitosi stated he questions the explanations for “the weak spot of Mayor Fox’s unilaterally imposed sanctions” on the chief. He additionally accused Fox of withholding the prosecutor’s report from the council for six weeks — one thing the mayor denied.
“The Borough adopted the lead and route of the Monmouth County Prosecutors workplace,” Fox stated Saturday. “Following the preliminary report, a variety of critiques, conferences, and discussions had been held with all events concerned. Confidentiality was a vital half on this course of. The Borough Council bought a abstract as quickly as I used to be capable of present it. The precise redacted report was not accomplished till Friday, March 1st, and I despatched to the Council instantly, previous to public launch.”
Fox additionally stated he notified the remainder of council on November 17 about inserting the chief on depart.
Editor’s Notice: The article has been up to date to incorporate further feedback from Mayor Fox and Councilman Gubitosi.
©2024 Advance Native Media LLC.
Go to nj.com.
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