January 25, 2012

MALLOY RIPS EAST HAVEN MAYOR FOR 'TACO' REMARK, MAYOR APOLOGIZES

Tom Cleary, Connecticut Post

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy issued a scathing statement Wednesday morning ripping East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo for telling a TV reporter Tuesday afternoon that his plan to reach out to the Latino community in the wake of a racial profiling scandal in the town's police department was to go home and eat a taco.

"The comments by East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo are repugnant," Malloy said. "They represent either a horrible lack of judgment or worse, an underlying insensitivity to our Latino community that is unacceptable. Being tired is no excuse. He owes an apology to the community, and more importantly, he needs to show what he's going to do to repair the damage he's done. And he needs to do it today."

Maturo's comments came just hours after four East Haven police officers were arrested by the FBI on charges of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice. WPIX11²s Mario Diaz asked Mayor Joseph Maturo, "What are you doing for the Latino community today?"

The mayor, a Republican who defeated Democrat incumbent April Capone by a slim 34 vote margin in November, replied, "I might have tacos when I go home, I'm not quite sure yet."

Diaz said the mayor apologized for his comments and said it was "out of context."

During the interview, Maturo also said he didn't "get (Diaz's) point" when the reporter stated there is only one Spanish-speaking officer in the 50-member department in a community with a large Latino population.

Wednesday morning, speaking on WPLR-FM's Chaz and AJ morning show, Maturo said "It was stupid, it was insensitive and I gave my detractors... a reason to make matters worse with a `gotcha' and an insensitive and stupid answer to something I should have never said."

Maturo said the radio interview would be the first and only interview he would give today. "I think I got myself in enough hot water yesterday," he said.

Later in the day, Maturo issued a statement apologizing for his comments.

"Unfortunately, I let the stress of the situation get the best of me and inflamed what is already a serious and unfortunate situation," Maturo said. "I regret my insensitive comment and realize that it is my job to lead by example."

The mayor said the "community needs to refocus on healing together." He said the administration has taken steps in that process, creating an advisory committee to the mayor named "LEARN" (Law Enforcement Advisory Resource Network) to update the policies and procedures of the police department. The board includes Jose Velasquez, a community volunteer and native of Puerto Rico. Already, the committee has presented plans including a more accessible civilian complaint procedure and the publishing of updated civilian complaint forms in both English and Spanish, Maturo said.

" I am dedicated to the principles of tolerance and acceptance of all and will do all that I can to foster those principles in the daily execution of my duties as Mayor," said Maturo. "I ask this community to have faith in me and in our community as we address the challenges arising out of the past days' events."

State Rep. Andres Ayala of Bridgeport, who is Puerto Rican, spoke out Wednesday against Maturo's comments, saying he was "completely appalled."

"We are not going to rest until he issues an apology to the entire Latino community and further tells us about his plan to amend a reasonable relationship with our community," Ayala said. "It is outrageous to hear a public elected official make remarks that offend and hurt the very same people he serves. His lack of sensitivity and poor judgment is unacceptable."

Though the bulk of the fire directed at Maturo Wednesday came from the Latino community and from Democratic lawmakers, the mayor also came under criticism from the conservative Yankee Institute for Public Policy, which highlighted a recent appeal Maturo filed with the state Retirement Services Division in which he asked to continue receiving a disability pension in addition to his salary as mayor.

The mayor had been receiving the pension because of an injury he sustained while working as an East Haven firefighter, but had been told by the state that he was no longer eligible for the pension after being sworn in as mayor in November.

The working-class community of 28,000 set along the Long Island Sound shoreline, has seen its Latino population double in the past decade, creating racial tensions, according to advocates of the Latino population.

The town first came into the spotlight in 2009, when a local priest, Father James Manship, was arrested while videotaping police officers allegedly harassing owners of a Latino market. Manship, whose parish is mainly Latino, became a loud voice against the town's police department.

Maturo, first elected in 1997, served as the town's Mayor for 10 years before losing to Capone in 2007. It took a recount for him to lose his seat, and another recount, this time in his favor, to get the top spot in town hall back in 2011.

Capone, who refused to publicly support the police department during the federal investigation and suspended police chief Leonard Gallo, was given a no-confidence vote by the town's police department prior to her loss to Maturo.

Upon taking office, Maturo put Gallo back in charge and said he didn't believe the police department had done anything wrong.

Tuesday, federal agents arrested four town police officers, Dennis Spaulding, David Cari, and Jason Zullo and Sgt. John Miller, accusing them of executing unreasonable search and seizures, making false arrests and using intimidation against local religious leaders, members of the Latino community, fellow police officers and police commissioners investigating them.

The four men have entered not guilty pleas. U.S. Attorney David B. Fein says the investigation is open and ongoing, and more arrests may be made.

Maturo said Tuesday he stands by his officers and police department.