Janet Difiore.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Advocate
Richard Blassberg

Harrison Police Chief Fiddles, Hopes
Supervisor Walsh Dances To His Tune
She's Calling For An Independent Investigation

Last Wednesday afternoon, May 28, The Guardian received word from Harrison residents that there was apparently a press conference
about to be conducted at Police Headquarters because they had seen several network broadcast vans and television cameras being
set up there. The Guardian quickly responded and arrived at precisely 1:00pm to discover the camera crews taking down their tripods, and reporters lining up outside the entrance to Headquarters in order to enter individually for “one-on-one interviews” as insisted upon by Police Chief David Hall. We took a place in line, permitting a few reporters who came after us, who were under tighter deadlines, to go ahead. One of Hall’s staff persons controlled the door, identifying and permitting one reporter at a time, with camera person, to enter.

At 1:40pm, with only RNN, who had just arrived, behind us, we were motioned in. At 1:23pm, as we were waiting, Supervisor Joan
Walsh and an unidentified assistant had arrived in a large white SUV. Entering the lobby while Hall was being interviewed, she emerged within two minutes and took off.

As we entered the lobby, Police Chief Hall, appearing somewhat agitated, displayed the 9mm Glock hand gun, in a transparent evidence
bag, that had been confiscated in a raid on the Joseph Porto family home, together with a quantity of marijuana, for which Joseph Porto,
Jr., is currently serving eight months in the Westchester County Jail.

Asked what it was that he wished to say, the Chief first said, “There’s nothing to say.” But then, he quickly remarked, “He’s reached the bottom of the barrel; Mr. Lovett is totally wrong. It was a legally warranted raid.”

Hall apparently preferred to discuss the warranted purpose of the raid, claiming that Captain Marraccini and Officers Light and Lucas had done nothing wrong in his view, and that there was “no reason to bring them up on any charges.”

Given several other actions currently pending in Federal Court against Captain Marraccini, including the brutal beating of John Carollo, a 21-year old Town employee, outside Al Dente Bar and Restaurant on Halstead Avenue, in the pouring rain on April 12, at 1:30am by Marraccini and his brother-in law, Robert Luiso, Chief Hall would seem beleagured and unwilling to face and deal with reality; the mounting charges against certain members of his department.

However, Hall has been all too willing to lodge retaliatory charges against rank and file police officers, the former President of the Harrison
PBA, Ralph Tancredi, and PBA members who have been compelled to go to Federal Court because of District Attorney Janet DiFiore’s
unwillingness to investigate documented criminal actions, and civil rights violations engaged in by Chief Hall and Captain Marraccini.

Because of published reports that Harrison Town Supervisor Joan Walsh had attempted to hold an emergency Town Board meeting last Wednesday evening, and her statement to The Journal News, “We just can’t ignore this,” referring to mounting allegations and lawsuits
against the Harrison Police Department, The Guardian attempted to speak with her and grant her the opportunity to inform readers of
her present intentions, particularly in light of the reported failure of the three Republican majority members of the Town Board to meet or
even to acknowledge or contact her. However, three messages left with her assistant went unanswered.