Blacks in Law Enforcement of America

A National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Professionals

New York Office

405 Tarrytown Rd. #1318
White Plains, New York 10607

Accepting Our Responsibility to Rebuild Our Community

June 19, 2016

Richard Thomas
Mayor
City of Mt. Vernon
1 Roosevelt Square,
Mount Vernon, NY 10550


To whom it may concern,

You are already aware of our letter sent to Acting Police Commissioner Fatigate on
May 19, 2016, concerning Mr. Spiezio conducting himself out of the scope of the Mt.
Vernon City Charter, by performing property seizures without proper certification
from the City Clerks office of being a Deputy Commissioner.

The City Clerk, George Brown has confirmed that you did not submit any oath of
office dated January 27, 2016, until June 1, 2016. Our organization has copies of all
communication between you and the City Clerks Office through the Freedom of
Information Act. Are you aware that the City Charter states that all appointments
must be submitted within 15 days of swearing in?

Chapt. 24 Article IV reads An appointive officer or employee within 15 days after
receipt of notice of his appointment, the office or position shall be deemed to be
vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in the manner herein provided for the filling of
a vacancy.

As a national law enforcement organization, it is evident that your office has
disregarded the city charter on appointments and for six months, from January 27, -
June 1, 2016, Mr. Spiezio has been impersonating a law enforcement official.

I hope you understand the seriousness of this situation. As a national organization of
Law Enforcement Professionals, it is our duty to make sure proper rules and
regulations are followed before anyone can wear a badge that them a license to
arrest and use deadly force.

Member of the Grand Council of Guardians

The recent outburst of threats to do bodily harm and other homophobic insulting
slurs to an Elected Official, Councilman Andre Wallace by alleged Deputy Police
Commissioner Joseph Spiezio should be unacceptable on every level of the Mt.
Vernon City Government.

Threatening to do bodily harm an elected official is a serious crime, especially when
the elected official was doing his job in protecting the interest of the citizens that
voted him in office.

Police Departments and City Governments have a strict code of conduct and ethic
policies and Mt. Vernon shouldn't be any different. A Deputy Commissioners actions
in public cannot and should not be exempt from any policy.

As a former City Councilman and now Mayor, I assume you understand the penalty
of making false official statements, especially by law enforcement personnel. A false
report is a crime governed by federal and state laws, involving a person who, with
intent to deceive, knowingly makes a false statement that is material to the criminal
investigation of a crime.

Our organization is in possession of the full audio of the confrontation between
alleged Deputy Police Commissioner Spiezio and Councilman Wallace. What we
have on audio and what Acting Police Commissioner Fatigate has described in your
official statement is very contradicting.

Even if Acting Police Commissioner Fatigate claim had validity, which it does not, as
a Deputy Police Commissioner, Joseph Spiezio actions are unbecoming of any law
enforcement officer. No professional would call anyone a fag or cross-dresser in
the capacity of Deputy Police Commissioner and it is evident from the full audio that
Acting Police Commissioner Fatigue stood by and allowed his Deputy to go out of
control and then blatantly lied on an official statement.

You are also aware that as Mayor you have a sworn duty to uphold the laws of the
city, the state Constitution and the Constitution of the United States. It is clear that
there are a pattern and practice in your administration to disregard the law when it
comes to its officials and retaliate against those who hold you accountable to the
laws you have sworn to uphold.

To this end, we are demanding the immediate resignation of alleged Deputy Police
Commissioner Joseph Spiezio for derogatory homophobic statements and threating
to do bodily harm to an elected official.

We are also demanding the immediate resignation of Acting Police Commissioner
Fatigate for failure to act as a Commissioner, falsifying statements and conduct
unbecoming an officer of the law.

We will be forwarding all our findings to county, state and federal authorities and
requesting a further investigation into the facts of your Deputy Police
Commissioner, Joseph Spiezio making apparent physical threats to an elected
official and Acting Police Commissioner falsifying statements.

Mayor Thomas, you ran on a stance of accountability and transparency, not taking
action against these blatant transgressions of city and departmental policies you
will have failed miserably on your promise to the people of Mt. Vernon.

As we discuss the gang problem amongst our youth in Mt. Vernon, it seems clear
before we solve the little gang problem we must confront, control and eradicate the
criminal gang that has taken control or our police department.

Thank you for you time in this matter.

Damon K. Jones
New York Representative
Blacks in Law Enforcement of America
914-525-5288


cc: Ronald Hampton
Blacks In Law Enforcement of America
Washington D.C.

Bonita E. Zelman
Legal Council

James A. McCarty
Acting District Attorney
Westchester County

Eric Schneiderman
New York State Attorney General

Preet Bhahara
U.S. Attorney Southern District