A detective from Hartford, Connecticut, assigned at the major crimes unit, was suspended after inviting his colleagues to wager where their city's first murder of next year would take place.
Detective Condemned for Offering Wager on First Murder of 2021
Police Chief Jason C. Thody accused Detective Jeffrey Placzek of being unmindful in a Facebook post, denouncing the cop's "appalling lack of judgment" and "extreme insensitivity."
Placzek proposed a betting pool on the location of the city's first homicide next year.
Detective Placzek was claimed to have proposed the wager in a group message to co-workers last week. He faces four months of unpaid leave in a discipline advisory ordered on Monday by the police chief.
This week, the majority of the Hartford Police Department's detective bureau is under probe following the disclosure of the "dead pool" for the group to wager.
Placzek is a 16-year veteran of the department.
Placzek was suspended and will not be paid for 120 days and was removed from the Major Crimes Division.
According to Thody, Placzek's return to the department will be dependent on passing a fitness for duty assessment and completing a restorative justice program.
The police chief reported that the probing commenced on Friday, and he expects it to be completed by the end of the following week.
Lieutenant Paul Cicero, who oversees the Major Crimes Division in which Placzek served, was one of the recipients of the message. It would immediately be implemented, and he would be removed from his position as the department's public information officer.
According to Thody, "I find the behavior and the lack of empathy that he showed in that text message to be disturbing and I want to make sure that he is mentally and emotionally fit to be a police officer," reported WNPR.
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The news was made known on Friday when a local blogger wrote regarding the act on his web page, indicating he had heard about a group message's invitation to department personnel to the "Major Crimes Dead Pool."
Also, according to Thody, he was "disgusted, angry, and disappointed" to discover that a detective had attempted to initiate a betting pool on where the Connecticut city's first murder next year would transpire.
Officials stated the accused sent a message to at least 19 individuals last week. He requested them to pay $20 to mark a spot on the city's map.
Thody stated he had reviewed the text message, and the facts are transparent.
"I have immediately reassigned the detective out of Major Crimes, and he will be charged with violating the code of conduct this afternoon," wrote Thody on Facebook, reported New York Daily News.
Thody found that no actual bets were placed but remarked the department would nevertheless be subjected to specific discipline in short order, which the officer could appeal.
"The idea that one of our detectives would discuss betting in any way on a tragedy is appalling. I have heard from many members of our community who are distraught about this, and I want them to know that I share their anger," reported The Hour.
