Troy police suspend drug unit

Madden says action follows an undisclosed incident

TROY, N.Y. » The Troy Police Department has suspended its Firearms Interdiction and Narcotics Suppression Unit while it investigates allegations of improper conduct.

In a statement released Friday morning, Mayor Patrick Madden said the entire six-member unit — including a sergeant and five patrolmen — was placed on administrative leave Thursday “resulting from a personnel matter which involves the conduct of certain officers of the unit during a particular occasion.”

Both Madden and city police officials would not release specific details of the incident, calling it a personnel matter, but Madden said the incident in question is being looked into.

“An internal investigation has been commenced to protect the integrity of the Troy Police Department and reassure the public’s continued trust and confidence in our law enforcement officials,” Madden said in the statement.

Aaron Collington, a city police detective and president of the Troy Police Benevolent Association, declined to comment.

City Council President Carmella Mantello, who has a nephew on the police force, said in an emailed statement she is concerned with the impact of taking six officers off the streets

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while an investigation is conducted.

“I am deeply concerned that this would remove from the front line a total police department unit in our city’s fight against drugs and related matters,” Mantello said in the statement. “I am calling upon the mayor to advise the council and the public as to how the city would fill the gap and responsibilities of this important unit.”

Madden did not say how long the investigation is expected to take or what permanent action the officers may face. He did, however, defend the department as a whole as “a highly trained, professional group of men and

women who are committed to serve and protect our community with distinction. The conduct of a few officers on a specific occasion should not impact the reputation of the entire department.”

Mantello, however, said that the entire investigation should be done publicly to preserve the department’s reputation.

“While part of this issue is a personnel issue, according to the city, the actual circumstances of this case should be revealed,” she said. “In other words, what specifically caused the removal of this unit from their duties of protecting the public? I don’t believe in anytime in the city’s history has a total police department unit been removed from carrying out their duties and responsibilities.”