Call Their Bluff… Make em Beg You To Come Back
The entire command staff of the Rochester Police Department in New York announced their retirement or resignation Tuesday in response to mass protests against the police department following the police-involved death of a black man last March.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced the mass retirement in a Zoom call.
In announcing his retirement, Chief La’Ron Singletary, also a black man, called attempts to “destroy my character and integrity” following the death of Daniel Prude.
“I do want to inform you that the entire Rochester police department command staff has announced their retirement,” she said. “That includes their police chief, that includes [the] commander deputy chief, I believe that also [the] deputy chief and there may be a number of others that decide to leave as well and retire.”
“As a man of integrity, I will not sit idly by while outside entities attempt to destroy my character. The events over the past week are an attempt to destroy my character and integrity. The members of the Rochester Police Department and the Greater Rochester Community know my reputation and know what I stand for. The mischaracterization and the politicization of the actions that I took after being informed of Mr. Prude’s death is not based on facts, and is not what I stand for. “
Also among the sudden retirees is Deputy Chief Joseph Morabito and Cmdr. Fabian Rivera. Deputy Chief Mark Simmons and Cmdr. Henry Favor said they’d be staying on the force, but have resigned their positions as command staff, taking a voluntary demotion.
