Letters from Demone, Part 1: On Cariol Horne
Masten District Councilmember Demone Smith has filed two interesting letters with the Common Council this week. The first relates to Cariol Horne, the Buffalo police officer who recently was dismissed (and as a result lost her pension) after a lengthy and much-publicized discipline case. Smith thinks justice may have been a little too blind in Horne’s case, and he has a few questions for Police Commissioner McCarthy Gipson:
First, why was Officer Horne required to retain legal counsel to represent her during departmental proceedings? Second, why was Officer Horne relieved from her duties during the hearing process? Third, if Officer Horne was eligible for retirement from the Buffalo Police Department why was she not allowed to do so thereby providing her access to pension benefits that she earned? Fourth, why were witnesses who observed the confrontation between the two officers not allowed to testify regarding the events in question? Finally, what are the options available to Ms. Horne now that a decision has been made to terminate her employment with the City
