At tonight's Westfield Town Council meeting, a former resident approached the microphone during open public comment to express to the Mayor and Council her concern about filing a complaint with the Westfield Police Department. Based on the audio recording provided to TFoTM, an attempt has been made to transcribe what the woman addressed the Town Council about.
The following text is what was extracted from the audio recording and is inaudible at times. Based on what was heard first hand at the meeting and after listening to the audio playback of the woman's comments, it appears she wanted to file a complaint. New Jersey Attorney General guidelines are specific about fielding complaints from citizens even if the complaint involves officer misconduct within the department the citizen is filing the complaint with. Go to the following Internet link and scroll down to page 16 to view N.J. Attorney General's Internal Affairs guidelines on "Accepting Reports of Officer Misconduct"
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/agguide/internalaffairs2000v1_2.pdf
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/agguide/internalaffairs2000v1_2.pdf
"T have some circumstances that I ....(inaudible).........I have personal relationship with at least five police officers, one is a former college classmate, one is ........(inaudible)..........cousin um, um,......(inaudible)..............Um, I have respect for them as officers and I care about them as people and, um, there seems to be a barrier that I perceive in filing a complaint and I perceive that barrier to be because of our relationship and I feel I have no other options and I've also been advised by a former colleague who is a prosecutor, to file charges against these officers with the State of New Jersey with the Attorney General's Office and.............(inaudible)...........I would appreciate it.....(inaudible)...............I would appreciate it.
Mayor Skibitsky responded, "I'd be happy to talk to you.........(inaudible).......we do encourage any resident that believes there's been some misconduct by any of our employees.....(word inaudible)..... the proper authorities uhh, and we do encourage that we strongly encourage it, but Mr. Gildea you want to........(inaudible)...........
Mayor Skibitsky then directed the woman to speak with Westfield Police Chief David Wayman who was seated in the front row of the council chambers. As the woman walked away from the microphone, Wayman met her at the back of council chambers and escorted her to another area of the building.
Go to: http://westfield.patch.com/articles/special-ordinance-to-fund-mobile-command-center-for-westfield-passes to read Westfield Patch coverage of former residents comments.
The following text it what appears in The Westfield Leader:
Go to: http://westfield.patch.com/articles/special-ordinance-to-fund-mobile-command-center-for-westfield-passes to read Westfield Patch coverage of former residents comments.
The following text it what appears in The Westfield Leader:
During the public comments portion
of the meeting, former resident
Erin Kelly, who was visibly shaking
during her time at the microphone,
said that there “seems to be a barrier
in filing a complaint” against
Westfield police officers. She told the
council that she is a cousin of one of
Westfield’s officers, and graduated
high school with another, and while
she did not elaborate on the nature of
her complaint, Ms. Kelly said that a
friend of hers who is a prosecutor
advised her to file a complaint with
the state Attorney General’s office.
Mayor Skibitsky stated that the
town encourages residents to bring
misconduct to the proper channels.
Mr. Gildea said that Police Chief
Dave Wayman would speak to her in
private.
Ms. Kelly, carrying a large file with
her, then went into the council conference
room with Chief Wayman
and Police Lieutenant Chris Battiloro.
Wayman will initiate the investigation and commence the coverup. It's the Westfield way especially if it involves officers he is friends with.
ReplyDeleteWestfield has a history of "editing" their Council meetings. Those audio dropouts at just the right moments are no accident. They are also illegal since the meeting is suppose to air as it actually happend without intentional "inaudible" moments. It is all about control and manipulation.
ReplyDeleteLast night's town council meeting will not air on TV36 until sometime next week. The woman spoke in a tone that was at times inaudible to the audience.
DeleteHaving attended Westfield Town Council meetings on a regular basis and then watching the replay on TV36, TFoTM has yet to encounter any censorship by the TV36 production crew.
Maybe not in this case.
ReplyDeleteBut a few years ago a woman went to the microphone to ask if the town could do anything about informing her neighbors that a registered sex offender lived in her neighborhood. She did not use the individual's name, but never-the-less all reference to there being a sex offender living in a Westfield neighborhood was "inaudible" The individual who shot/edited the meeting openly shared the fact that he was told to alter the audio by Mr. Gildea.
While that may be the case with the meeting you reference where Gildea is alleged to have influenced the altering of the video to be played back on TV36, the woman last night was inaudible due to what sounded like her own voice being lower in volume due to the sensitive nature of what she was presenting the Town Council with. No doubt she felt uncomfortable at the microphone.
DeleteIt is not uncommon for the Town to shield residents from some of the "seedy" news worthy events. Recently over the winter break, there were several drug arrests made by the Westfield Police Department that never saw the light of day in the newspaper. If it is not printed in the police blotter kept at headquarters, which is accessiblle to the press, then it doesn't get reported on.
A recent arrest involving a college student home for break, that was arrested for distribution, was not reported on.
The police have reason to keep information from the public if it involves an ongoing case.
NOTE: TFoTM does not understand why Mayor Skibitsky would suggest and facilitate a meeting, on the spot last night, with Westfield Police Chief Dave Wayman when her initial complaint was rebuffed by the Westfield Police. The police chief sets the example for the department based on NJ Atorney General Guidlines.
and the hits just keep on coming.........
ReplyDeleteLet the cover-up begin. Dave, perhaps a call into your mentor on how to cover this one up might be in order. Remember the cover-up when you had your gun stolen while in that "adult entertainment" bar. How about when Barney got in that accident in Rahway and totalled his chiefs car? Or what abot the time Your buddy John Tango got arrested by the NJ State Police and you promoted him to Sgt? How about the time you beat the hispanic man on the hood of the patrol car in front of the Trolley? It never stops does it? Oh well, the demon seed was planted by Barney and Gildea watered it until it bloomed into the debacle unfolding in our department. Oh geez Dave I sure hope you can keep a lid on this one.
ReplyDeleteGood think Cliff isnt around anymore, he would really screw it up.....Batman to the rescue......
ReplyDeleteThat poor woman! Why would the Mayor put her in that situation, did he not listen to what she said? That complaint will never see the light of day is my guess.
ReplyDeleteIs this the same Erin Kelly that bit an officer last year?
ReplyDeleteOnly read the headline. Is Kasko back in the news
ReplyDeleteIs it Bob Beaton? Heard he got charged again and is fighting to save his job.
ReplyDeleteWhat did sponge bob do now.???
ReplyDeleteWayman is just jealous that Beaton gets all the girls.
ReplyDeleteso what did Beaton do this time.......??
ReplyDeletecharged with what exactly?
Deleteand the outcome of this investigation???????....any word????????
ReplyDeleteNo new information as of today 4-29-13. It's been kept quiet and internal affairs investigations are not discoverable under O.P.R.A.
DeleteTime usually flushes out information.
internal affairs is just a way to keep the public from knowing whats really going on
Deleteno one has to do anything when people believe they are god and their word is law nothing matters as long as you are a team player but the fact of the matter is take you have to document everything like they do and some times more even if you don't think it matters. Every ship has a hole in it somewhere the problem is when know who to trust. Maybe its about time the State Attorneys Office takes a look at what people think is a such a clean environment with all the drugs and corruption in this town and wasted money.
ReplyDeleteFrom then until now, it seems odd that there is more than one person who has been accused by the WPD of biting and at the same time sustaining a blow to the face by the police: so is it ok for police in the state to hit women in the face, while um um um inaudible going through a divorce or the other one watching her home go up in flames? So far, the answer is yes...
ReplyDelete