Letter from Kingston Police Benevolent Association

May 2, 2018

The Kingston P.B.A. Union, Inc., represents the brave men and women who serve the City of
Kingston as police officers, individuals who selflessly serve this community and the residents
they are sworn to protect. In the past year, a false narrative concerning our members has
emerged and been championed by a few individuals in the City. Claims of excessive force and
bias have been lodged against our members, and to date, the City and the PBA have remained
silent as the cases have moved through the criminal justice system. The cases are over and
today that silence ends.
Policing is the most transparent profession in our community, if not the nation. Our officers
wear body cameras, drive patrol cars containing two cameras and GPS; radio and phone calls
are recorded, and the data from our Tasers are stored and can be accessed by a third party.
Every encounter is recorded and every event documented. While this unprecedented
transparency allows the community to hold police officers accountable when their actions are
improper, it also serves to shield officers from false or misleading allegations. We no longer
need to accept the false allegations and reckless comments made by the few.
Two incidents in the City have been the subject of public scrutiny and much media attention.
The first involved an individual arrested in September of 2015 who was allegedly “tased”
twenty-one times. This was clearly a gross exaggeration as the subject was tasered 2 times in
response to his behavior and non-compliance. In fact, the individual broke the law, was
arrested for his conduct and just recently, was convicted after a trial by a jury of his peers.
The second incident that has garnered much news coverage was an arrest of a subject on
Broadway stemming from a City code violation, possession of an open container of an alcoholic
beverage. When the officer questioned him for this violation, this young man chose to escalate
a simple conversation into an arrest. He recently entered a plea instead of taking his case to a
jury trial.
After careful review by a team of highly trained professionals, the conclusion was unanimous;
the Police Officers involved in these arrests handled themselves well. Their actions met the
highest professional standards of the profession and were consistent with their training. The
officers’ actions were measured, proportional and appropriate.
Sadly, the common denominator in both incidents was the personal conduct of the individuals
stopped by our officers. Not only were they uncooperative, they were combative. The actions
of the individuals in question resulted in their arrest and convictions. It did not have to be this
way. That nobody was seriously injured is a testament to the officers’ rigorous training and the
restraint they demonstrated during these challenging interactions.
Mayor Noble’s actions and statements regarding these matters have been disappointing to say
the least. He knew for months that no one had been “tased” 21 times, but chose to keep the
truth hidden for fear of angering members of the community. He knew that the officers had
scrupulously followed the law and department procedures. He knew that all internal
investigations had exonerated the officers. Instead of informing the community of these facts
he inexplicably announced that they would face command discipline. This is political pandering
at its worst. Needless to say, no one has been disciplined over these incidents because no one
did anything wrong.
Some in the community would have you see us as the problem, but when you see parents at
school meetings or playing catch with their kids, remember that’s us too. We raise our families
next to yours, coach your kids in Little League, and donate every penny we can to local sports
and activities for our youth! We help unlock your vehicle, help you find the family dog, and
even hand out candy to your children on Halloween! That is who we really are. So, when you
see a Kingston Police Officer on the street, keep an open mind and don’t let the heated political
rhetoric of a few poison our community. Feel free to stop and have a conversation with him or
her, we are happy to help you in any way we can. You might be surprised to find we share a lot
in common. Thank you for your continued support.

-Kingston P.B.A. Union, Inc.

Statement from Kingston Mayor Steve Noble
May 3, 2018

Across our country, cities like ours are grappling with deteriorating community and police
relations and a growing sense of distrust and fear. The Kingston Police Department is comprised
of some of the hardest working and caring individuals in our community, and our city is home
to one of the most well-trained and skilled police forces in the State. It is this training, along
with the professional leadership of Police Chief Egidio Tinti, and progressive policies and
procedures reflecting best practices in community policing in the country, that ensures our
police department continues to advance and serve the public. The review of and response to
complaints submitted to the Police Commission is not an attack on the work of this
Department. The Police Commission issued its unanimous decisions based on the facts
presented. That is its role and I appreciate the volunteer members of this board for their
willingness to serve and their diverse perspectives on these challenging issues. In many ways,
those decisions have not satisfied any of the interested parties. Some members of our
community do not feel safe. Some of our officers feel wrongly accused. Each feels let down. I
will continue to work with all community members to bridge this divide.