Keep politics out of our job!
“We are like the furniture. We have a very important role in the agency, but it never involves politics, and as a matter of public policy never should.” – John Fleming, President, N.Y.C Detective Investigator’s Association
The N.Y.C Detective Investigator’s Association (DIA), the union representing all detectives working for the five District Attorneys’ and Special Narcotics Prosecutor in New York City is coming down hard against the recent firing of a detective investigator in Brooklyn that was based solely on political payback.
“All signs point to the fact that newly elected District Attorney Ken Thompson and his administration broke an unwritten rule,” said DIA President John Fleming. “Line investigators are outside the political scope of the prosecutor’s office discipline or firing’s should be based solely upon a review of performance, not politics.”
A recent story in The New York Post reported that the firing of line investigator Andrew Vecchione was political payback, based on the fact that Andrew’s father was a controversial figure in the former Brooklyn D.A.’s office.
“If this is true and we believe it is, than Ken Thompson has set a most dangerous precedent which will cast doubt on the impartiality of his office in general, and the use of his detectives in particular,” Fleming said. “In my 25 years on this job I have witnessed many new District Attorneys come on board and never, ever have line investigators been fired or even impacted.”
The DIA is concerned over the impact this will have on the detectives in Brooklyn who now are in fear that others are being lined up to be fired. There is also concern that this action will send a message to other new DA’s who come into office and decide to clean house at the investigator rank. “We are like the furniture.” Fleming said. “We have a very important role in the agency, but it never involves politics, and as a matter of public policy never should.”
The DIA president attempted to reach members of Thompson’s team to discuss the issue but no one would return his call.
District Attorney Investigators in New York City are the primary investigative arm for the District Attorney and are experienced in the areas of organized crime, narcotics trafficking, political corruption, homicide investigation, and complex frauds. They may work with other law enforcement groups or alone and report directly to the District Attorney. They have full police powers under the New York City Administrative Code and the State Criminal Procedure Law.
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