Investigator May Be Hired
In Jail Probe, Frazier Says
Investigation Should Be ‘Professional, Complete,”
Chairman Says As Personnel Records Scrutinized
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
COOPERSTOWN – The county should hire an investigator to make sure the probe of the county Sheriff’s Department is “done in a professional and complete manner,” county Rep. Ed Frazier, R-Unadilla, recommended this morning.
Frazier, chair of the county board’s Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee, made that announcement before his committee went into closed session this morning to begin reviewing personnel files provided yesterday by Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. in response to a subpoena.
Devlin and his undersheriff, Cameron Allison, attended the committee meeting. The sheriff requested an executive session and the two conferred with the committee behind closed doors, but they departed in less than five minutes. The committee is still in executive session at this hour.
In his statement, Frazier repeated that the investigation grew out of the report of “a workplace violence incident.” He continued, “I want the truth to prevail, whatever that is. If someone has been mistreated, or supervision at the jail is derelict, the situation should be corrected and the persons responsible held accountable. We have responsibilties for the safety and well-being of both the inmates and employees.”
He concluded, “If nothing wrong as occurred, then shining light on that is the right thing to do.”
In addition to Frazier, the committee includes county Reps. Craig Gelbsman, Keith McCarty, Kay Stuligross and Dan Wilber, all in attendance today. Also attending this morning were the board chair, Kathy Clark, R-Otego, and county Rep. Andrew Stammel, D-Town of Oneonta.
