The Associated Press
MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) - Police Chief William C. Abbatematteo was suspended Monday on allegations including he was paid by a private organization while on city time, violated the city ethics code and lied.
Abbatematteo, 53, was ordered to surrender his badge and gun after being notified that he was being placed on paid administrative leave by City Manager Roger L. Kemp.
Kemp outlined the reasons for the suspension in a three-page letter.
Among the allegations are that Abbatematteo was paid by a national police accreditation agency while on city time, authorized the same company to accredit the Meriden department in violation of the city ethics code and lied about his involvement with a local police benevolent organization, the Record-Journal of Meriden reported.
Kemp also cited department morale and new allegations that Abbatematteo tried to influence the testimony of his deputy chief to the city’s Board of Ethics.
Many of the allegations came after the Meriden Police Union voted “no confidence” in Abbatematteo in June, and newer accusations led Kemp to take action, he said.
Newer claims include that Abbatematteo altered recording methods to lower city crime rates and tried to barter with the union to relax policies on facial hair in exchange for a complimentary letter to Kemp on his behalf.
Kemp said the situation reached a boiling point.
“Such widespread dissatisfaction among rank and file Meriden police officers is a troubling turn of events which I believe compels an examination of your overall management of the department,” Kemp wrote.
Abbatematteo denied all the allegations late Monday.
The city has hired Adams, Barrett & Associates, the Fairfield firm that investigated former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim for corruption, to conduct its probe into the chief.
“Maybe Roger is taking heat for having cleared me on a lot of these things,” Abbatematteo said, “and now he needs this outside investigation to clear himself, as well.”
Kemp had backed Abbatematteo after the “no confidence” vote, dismissing the action as retaliation against the chief because he sharply cut officer overtime.
Mayor Mark D. Benigni said Abbatematteo should do what’s best for the city and consider resigning. Supporters of the chief blamed his problems on outrageous and relentless claims by the police union.
The union president, Officer Patrick Gaynor, said he simply wants the chief to be held to the same ethical standards he preached about when he was hired in July 2001.