Garcia takes reins of Bridgeport PD at tumultuous time

BRIDGEPORT — On Rebeca Garcia’s first day as acting chief of the Bridgeport Police Department, she led a moment of silence for those who died on 9/11.

It was a solemn start for Garcia, who takes the reins of the police department at a tumultuous time for the state’s largest city. Her predecessor, Armando Perez, resigned the chief’s job after being charged by the FBI. The dark clouds of the pandemic are still hovering and violent crime has taken a sudden spike.

The year 2020 has become a challenge for any police chief let alone one whose eligibility for the job is being challenged.

“With due respect to her, Chief Garcia is not the right person to lead the Bridgeport PD right now,” said state Rep. Steve Stafstrom. “We need someone from the outside who can look at the department and its management structure with fresh eyes until such time as the public is confident a truly transparent and independent search can be conducted to find the right permanent chief. This selection just comes off as more of the same. “

Garcia, who was appointed assistant chief last December, was appointed acting police chief Thursday night following the arrests of Perez and Acting Personnel Director David Dunn by the FBI. The two were charged with wire fraud and lying to the FBI as part of an alleged conspiracy to make Perez police chief in 2018. They are free on $150,000 bonds.

Shortly after Garcia was appointed assistant chief, former Bridgeport Mayor Thomas Bucci, who now works as a labor lawyer, filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of several senior officers in the police department claiming that Garcia’s appointment violated the city’s charter.

Bucci on Friday said that goes double for Garcia’s appointment as acting chief.

“The appointment is ill advised,” Bucci said, especially as he described the original appointment as illegal because it allegedly did not follow Civil Service provisions and her field promotion was more of the same.

The mayor’s office has denied the claims in the lawsuit and maintain that Garcia’s appointment to assistant chief was proper.

The lawsuit states that under the city charter, the position of assistant chief is considered a classified service and must follow the competitive hiring provisions of the charter starting with a list of people eligible for the position and then scheduling a competitive test for the job.

James Nardozzi, who was hired as assistant chief by then-Mayor Bill Finch after a national search, went through the process.

Not so Garcia.

The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial before a judge in Superior Court here on Oct. 20. If Bucci should win, a judge could order the city to return Garcia to her original rank of captain.

Requests for comment from Garcia, were redirected to the mayor’s office.

“Since her promotion to assistant chief in December 2019, Garcia has taken on an inordinate amount of responsibilities and has been a key decisionmaker on behalf of the department,” said Mayoral Spokeswoman Rowena White on Friday.

“Garcia’s experience in various divisions, as well as overseeing internal affairs and the training academy, have proven to be instrumental in her ability to do an exceptional job and holding all members of the department accountable while serving in the best interest of the public,” White said.

Speaking on behalf of the City Council, President Aidee Nieves said the allegations against Perez and Dunn are serious and the council will continue to press for oversight and transparency.

“Since June, in concert with state legislation and local demands for greater transparency regarding our police force, the City Council has begun the process of reforming our police, and today’s events only provide greater urgency for carrying out that mission,” Nieves said. “We congratulate Rebeca Garcia upon her appointment as interim police chief and wish her the best in the role. As a Council, we expect an expeditious, transparent and nationwide search for the next permanent police chief.”

Garcia became a city police officer in October 1991. As a sergeant, she created the city’s first domestic violence unit. Later promoted to lieutenant, she was put in charge of the city’s Office of Internal Affairs. In 2017, she was promoted to captain and made commander of the Police Department’s training academy.

Maria Pereira was the only member of the city council to vote against Garcia’s appointment as assistant chief.

The councilwoman and former Board of Education member said her opposition had nothing to do with Garcia as a person but rather her eligibility for the job.

“I don’t find it plausible that the police chief and all the other officers in the department have to go through a promotional process but she doesn’t have to,” Pereira said Friday.

She said Garcia should remain in her position as assistant chief until the lawsuit is resolved.

Both Pereira and Bucci said the criminal complaint against Perez and Dunn shows that the process that made Perez chief was rigged — that Perez was not, in fact, eligible to become police chief.

Pereira said it is now obvious to her that the only candidate qualified to be chief is Capt. Roderick Porter, one of the unchosen finalists, and he should have been made acting police chief after Perez’s arrest.

“Capt. Porter is legitimately qualified to be acting chief,” she said.

When asked for comment Thursday about Perez’s arrest, Porter said: “I’m just sad for the city and all the officers in the Bridgeport police department.”

Officer Davon Polite, president of the Police Department’s minority organization, the Guardians, said the city did not look at all qualified candidates before selecting an acting chief.

“The city has two extremely qualified Black captains that always get overlooked during these appointments, Capt. Lonnie Blackwell and Capt. Roderick Porter,” Polite said.