READ TEXT OF COMMITTEE’S STATEMENT

COUNTY PROBE

INVESTIGATING

SHERIFF’S SON

Public Safety Committee Explores

‘Workplace Violence’ Allegations

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Otsego County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr.’s son, Sgt. Ros Devlin, a correctional officer at the county jail, was identified this evening as the subject of allegations that “concerned potential violations of the county’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program” in a Jan. 9 incident.

A statement describing the investigation to date was released late this afternoon by county Rep. Ed Frazier, R-Unadilla, vice chair of the county board and chair of its Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee.

On learning of the allegations, the statement said, the committee notified District Attorney John D. Muehl “because of public safety concerns.”  And, separately, the county’s legal counsel, the Albany firm of Roemer, Wallens, Gold & Mineaux, conducted an investigation at the committee’s request.

The law firm advised the committee “that Sheriff Devlin should not investigate because the allegations involved his son – an obvious conflict of interest.”

During the law firm’s investigation, according to the statement, “other information has come to light regarding employee disciplinary procedures and treatment of inmates at the jail, involving Sgt. Ros Devlin and possibly others.”

Additionally, since the news surfaced Wednesday, March 1 that the county board authorized its committee to subpoena Sheriff’s Department records, the “committee has received additional information, including from members of the public, which will be evaluated.  To the extent that any information can be made public, the committee will do so.”

Asked this evening about the committee’s statement, the sheriff said, “I’ve got nothing to hide … I gave them everything that they asked for.”  If anything is missing from the personnel files, it is inadvertent, he said.

The sheriff, who appeared briefly before the committee this morning, said a few minutes ago that he advised the committee that he has asked two sheriffs from other counties to review the case and is awaiting their conclusions and recommendations.

He said of two related cases, that the 2010 one involved several corrections officers and was reviewed by the state Commission of Corrections; its recommendations were implemented.  A 2016 case was investigated by his undersheriff, Cameron Allison, who administered appropriate discipline, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said his son, since he is the subject of an investigation, would not comment at this time.

This evening, Frazier said that his committee also received a written report from District Attorney Muehl on his criminal investigation, but the lawmaker referred questions on how that might proceed to the district attorney or County Attorney Ellen Coccoma.

Frazier said all county reps at the meeting concurred on issuing the statement.  That included the four committee members, county Reps. Craig Gelbsman, R-Oneonta, Keith McCarty, R-East Springfield, Kay Stuligross, D-Oneonta, and Dan Wilber, R-Town of Burlington.  Also, county board Chair Kathy Clark, R-Otego, and county Rep. Andrew Stammel, D-Town of Oneonta, who is an attorney.