Trustee Peter DeToy has until January 7 to tender his resignation from the Brockport Village Board, Mayor Josephine Matela said last week.

"People have a reverence and a respect for the police department," Mayor Josephine Matela said. "They demand and deserve respect from the public and Trustee Peter DeToy has demonstrated a lack of respect toward the office. ... I don't think his words can be ignored."

Because of alleged comments, in which DeToy used profanities, made in a recorded conversation with Brockport police dispatcher Dave Smith on December 5, and because of another recorded phone call on October 31, village officials have asked for DeToy's resignation from the board. The December 5 call was made by DeToy to the police dispatcher. DeToy was operating in his capacity as part of the village's volunteer ambulance corps.

"We are exploring our options," Matela said. "And DeToy's removal from office is certainly an option."

Trustee Morton Wexler said the tapes made of the phone calls contained language that was quite profane and threatening to members of the police department.

"DeToy stated he would 'put a bullet' in people," Wexler said. "To call people names is not morally right but may not be illegal, but I question the statements of saying you are going to put a bullet into someone."

The phone conversation allegedly stemmed from an incident in which Smith asks DeToy about his son, Michael DeToy, a police officer in the department. Officer DeToy was on sick leave at the time of the incident.

Wexler said if this type of threat was made in a school, the student would be suspended and if it happened in a workplace the employee would likely be suspended and accused of harassment.

"The village board is the employer and the police department (personnel) are our employees and we have a right to protect our employees from harassment," Wexler said.

Wexler said there has been animosity on the police force and between some village board members since the firing/resignation of former police chief Gary Zimmer.

"It was sort of a hard push and the police department has been split on that issue," Wexler said. "Michael DeToy had made accusations that animosity had been shown toward him because of the stand he took on the Zimmer issue."

According to Wexler, nothing had ever been filed in writing by Officer DeToy to substantiate his claims of harassment on the force.

Matela said there are people out there who would like to turn this event into a political thing. "This is not about politics. This is about maintaining the integrity of the office of elected official," she said. "We all have a code of conduct to uphold when we take that oath."

Matela said the DeToy issue is another sad commentary for the village to keep having to deal with situations that keep them in the press in a bad light. "We have to find ways to overcome these obstacles and move forward," she said.

Matela said village officials have had no contact with DeToy or his attorney regarding the status of DeToy's resignation. "This type of behavior cannot be tolerated by someone who is in the village's employee," she said.

Wexler said what has happened in the community in the past 11 months is an embarrassment.
Matela said following her election a gentleman came up to her and said "little lady you have stepped into a hornet's nest."

"This is nothing I can't handle," Matela said.

Peter DeToy, a former New York State Trooper, who has been on the board since 1993, had no comment on the request for his resignation. Matela will deliver a "state of the village" address at the Monday, January 7 village board meeting at the village office.

"We will overcome these obstacles and move forward," she said.