To the Editor:

Cranston now has its own “38 Studios.”

If anyone has followed the police fiasco startinT with “ticketgate” right up to the Finance Committee meeting on Dec. 4, you would be forced to come to the conclusion that Cranston taxpayers will never know what really went on. Since the yearlong investigation by the Rhode Island State Police to study the Cranston Police Department from top to bottom (including ticket gate), we have not heard one public word from that yearlong investigation!

Any reasonable citizen would have to believe that that report will never see the light of day!

Now comes the interesting part, why not? Mostly they hide behind the police blue laws (more on that later) and “we can’t say anything while there is still and investigation going on.” Really! Just in case they (and we don’t even know who all they are) are not aware, we still have a United States Constitution in America, and of course that includes Cranston.

This so called investigation has been going on for a year: Capt. Barry from the state police was put in charge, with full authority to supervise the police department and make his investigative report to the administration. It was fully intended that it would then go to the council and the public.

Who put the brakes on that promise? Who has read the report? Why were they afraid to make it public? Oh gee, I almost forget, while all of this “Abbot and Costello,” “who’s on first” was going on, we were in total election mode!

Who was running for governor? It was the public safety officer for the city of Cranston – the same mayor who allowed the former chief, Palumbo, to let Capt. Antonucci run wild authorizing “ticket gate” and bringing 11 disciplinary charges against Captain Patalano, all of which turned out to be bogus as determined by Capt. Barry. Councilmen Stycos and Archetto blew the whistle on ticket gate.

In the meantime, the mayor allowed Chief Palumbo to authorize administrative leave for Capt. Patalano. That went on for at least 18 months, costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars when you add to his salary and benefits, personnel to cover his assignments and legal fees.

Let me add two quick items. We also have spent tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees defending other suits against the city. Our legal fees could top $1 million. In addition the city’s financial officer refuses to reserve for any losses due to any judgment against the city. The accounting rule is that if there is a probability of a loss, you much reserve for same. I wonder if that was done, would that have created a much less rosier financial condition for the city at year’s end? Why do I keep coming back to the fact that this also was during an election?

If I wanted to show more history, I would tell you that this all started with the “forced” promotion of Chief Palumbo.

Here is where we are after the meeting on Thursday night: the council is being asked to confirm Patalano’s promotion from captain to major, even though the council, led by President Lanni, has been more than vocal in the past that they would not confirm any promotions in the police department if and until they had the long ago promised report from the state police. Not so. They would have voted for the promotion, except for a last minute amended contract for Patalano, which as I understand it, would allow him to serve without any conditions to his contract! In short, like a baseball player’s guaranteed contract. That proviso, according to the testimony on Thursday night, had been brought to the council’s closed session just 24 hours earlier.  Wow!

There were many voices heard Thursday extolling the virtues of Capt. Patalano, led by Sen. Frank Lombardi, who also allowed for the fact that the council had their responsibility for advice and consent.

Personally do not know the captain, I only met him that night, but I would be willing to accept Sen. Lombardi’s recommendation for his character and all of his services to the community.

However, that is not the issue for me. It is simply the fact that Thursday night’s rah-rah session for the captain was a simple a case of whipped cream trying to be offered without the cake. In other words, the administration trying to force the council to approve of the promotion without ever having seen the report and being given less than 24 hours to review a revised contract that would no doubt have far-reaching effects financially and having employment issues.

There may be court issues outstanding, but not to the extent that this promotion had to be rushed through Thursday night. This amounts to the worst kind of very bad political, financial, tax ramifications and most of all extremely bad management, leadership and honesty! Publicly displayed without any hint of an utter lack of responsibility for this entire longstanding debacle by those whose responsibility it was to never let this happen in the first place!

I must also put some blame on the whole council. If I knew what I knew during this time, how much more did they know and what did they do about it? Frankly not much at all! I heard strong statement made by several, but no action to follow up their complaints. Do they not have subpoena powers? Why didn’t the council call for a special meeting, at least six months ago, when plenty of inappropriate action was going on? Why not even go to court to force more information to come their way? Why? The only council member that acted with any real force Thursday night was Stycos.

Our city government has become more and more a “sub rosa” operation!

As citizens, are we to just to think that this was an election year for them also, thus not wanting to “rock any boats”? Or did they just forget their oath to serve all of the citizens of Cranston? The real truth is that they did not exercise their authority as the legislative body!

To be kind, as Vice President Farina mentioned Thursday when explaining why the members did not have near enough time to study the added documents submitted by Mayor Fung, “we all have day jobs.” That no doubt makes it harder for members of the council to keep up to a full-time administration. Particularly when the administration plays “hide and seek” on major issues affecting all of us.

All voters in Cranston should get on the phone or write to Mayor Fung and all the council members to let them know that we demand transparency on all matters leading up to today.

I wait with little patience for the next meeting to be called for by the finance chairman to proceed, with their sworn duty, to continue their investigation to the point that they are satisfied. However, whatever is the outcome, we as taxpayers will be left with hundreds of thousands dollars of bills. Where will this come from – cutbacks in services, the school budget, or covered by tax increases?

Richard Tomlins

Cranston