Another article is provided below titled:
Windsor Locks Fires
Police Sgt. Robert Koistinen
Windsor Locks case reminds us to base laws on good science
December 16, 2011
With Sgt.
Robert Koistinen on paid leave and facing criminal
charges, it doubtless irks many Windsor
Locks residents that they have to come up with almost $50,000 in disability
payments for him.
Sgt. Koistinen, who is awaiting trial on charges that he
interfered with the investigation of a fatal crash involving his son, also a
police officer, will receive $48,815 in disability payments for heart and
hypertension ailments. He is a beneficiary of one of the most misguided and
expensive laws passed by the General Assembly in living memory.
The heart
and hypertension law, which dates from the 1970s, created an irrebuttable presumption that heart disease or hypertension
contracted by a police officer or firefighter was job-related, automatically
entitling the cop or firefighter to benefits.
Read the entire article at http://articles.courant.com/2011-12-16/news/hc-ed-heart-and-hypertension-20111216_1_heart-and-hypertension-public-safety-officers-police-officer
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Sgt. Robert Koistinen Fired: windsor locks police commission fires ...
Windsor Locks Fires Police Sgt. Robert Koistinen
January 11, 2012|By KIM VELSEY,
kvelsey@courant.com, The Hartford
Courant
WINDSOR LOCKS — —
Sgt. Robert Koistinen, who is charged with interfering with the
investigation of a fatal car crash involving his son, was fired by the police
commission Wednesday night — a decision that was met with applause from the
room of residents in attendance.
The police
commission voted to terminate Koistinen after several
hours of testimony and discussion spanning two nights, during which
commissioners considered acting Chief Chester DeGray's
recommendation that Koistinen receive a 90-day
suspension and be demoted to a patrolman.
Koistinen has been on paid administrative leave,
receiving his $73,000 salary, since the October 2010 crash when a car driven by
his son, former Officer Michael Koistinen, hit and
killed 15-year-old bicyclist Henry Dang.
Robert Koistinen has been charged with third-degree hindering
prosecution and interfering with police at the scene of the crash. He was the
first police supervisor on the scene and, according to police, removed Michael Koistinen from the scene and prevented authorities from
administering a blood alcohol test. An independent report released in August
also faulted Robert Koistinen's behavior at the
crash.
All but one
member of the police commission voted to terminate Koistinen.
Before casting the only dissenting vote, commission member James Gaylord moved
that the commission follow DeGray's recommendation.
Gaylord said that he believed the public's demand for termination was based on
the perception that there was a cover-up, which the independent report did not
find evidence of.
DeGray said that he based his recommendation on the independent
report and his findings that Koistinen deviated from
the policies and procedures of the department the night of the crash. He said
that he believed his recommendation, especially considering the substantial
financial burden of 90 days without pay, had been a severe one.
Police
commission Chairman Neal Cunningham said that the decision to fire Koistinen had been difficult.
"We
terminated an officer that has been a fine officer for over 30 years,"
Cunningham said. "But given the fact that there were charges of neglect of
duty and conduct unbecoming an officer, we thought termination was
appropriate."
Koistinen may appeal the decision to the State Board of
Labor Relations. His pension, according to Cunningham, is not likely to be
affected by his dismissal.
Cunningham
said that the commission did consider the public's comments and how the town
would receive Koistinen as an officer if he were to
return to the department.
At public
hearings the last two nights, residents called for Koistinen
to be fired, telling the commission that Koistinen
had acted to protect his son, not the public, on the night of the crash, and
should not be allowed to remain an officer.
On Tuesday,
resident Antoinette Brussiere said that keeping Koistinen in the department was unacceptable.
"I
raised my son to respect the police department, but to cover up a story like
this with another child was just wrong," she said. "If he's not
fired, it just shows that we're no good to no one and that you don't protect
us." Read the entire article at http://articles.courant.com/2012-01-11/community/hc-koistinen-disciplinary-hearing-0112-20120111_1_robert-koistinen-chairman-neal-cunningham-police-commission