City of Bridgeport hires two Felons

[radiocity]

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Bygones are bygones for rookie firefighter
AARON LEO
Article Last Updated: 08/26/2007 11:23:54 PM EDT


BRIDGEPORT — Earl King Jr., a rookie city firefighter now in training, went from a college student to bagging crack cocaine for the Adrian and Russell Peeler Jr. drug gang.
After testifying against them at trial and serving a federal prison sentence, he earned a college degree and held two city jobs, one working with children.

He may have to testify again in the pending death penalty phase of Russell Peeler Jr.'s case. Peeler has been convicted for his role in the 1999 homicides of an 8-year-old witness and his mother.

King, meanwhile, since Aug. 13, has been training with 17 other new Bridgeport firefighters at the Joseph Elias Fire Training Center in Fairfield, despite past opposition from the city's fire chief and personnel director to former felons being hired as firefighters.

Fire Chief Brian Rooney and Personnel Director Ralph Jacobs, however, now are looking past King's history.

"I will teach and train whoever the city gives us," Rooney said. He added he is too busy as chief to personally help train the rookies.

Jacobs said recently that his hands were tied.

"If he's on the list, I have to hire him. For me, it's a legal obligation," he said.

King could not be reached for comment, but Susan Wallace, the lawyer who successfully argued to keep his name on the list, was pleased.

"We've been waiting," she said. "Justice delayed but served. Sometimes it takes patience."

The events leading to King's hiring started when Jacobs, shortly after


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he was hired 2 years ago, scrapped a 69-year-old, unofficial civil service policy that discouraged people with felony convictions from applying.
A felony is a serious, but not necessarily violent, crime that carries at least a year in prison.

King's supporters have called his involvement with the Peeler gang a youthful indiscretion.

In addition to Jacobs and Rooney, the city's Board of Fire Commissioners also opposed hiring King and the other felons.

After the controversy, the commission toyed with different restrictions on allowing felons to be firefighters. But the panel stopped when the state Legislature tried — but ultimately failed — to enact such a policy.

Other communities don't have policies that ban the hiring of ex-felons, either, Jacobs said. But he would still like to craft a legally defensible city policy.

State law allows the hiring of former felons for public jobs on a case-by-case basis, accounting for the time since the offense and its severity. The exception is the prohibition on hiring a former felon as a police officer because state law bars them from carrying firearms.

King and the other firefighter rookies must now pass 13 weeks of training and a year of different assignments through the city's fire stations. The rookies are on probation until next Aug. 13.

[radiocity]

Bridgeport adds to firefighter ranks
AARON LEO aleo@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 08/23/2007 04:10:37 PM EDT


BRIDGEPORT — The city is expanding its firefighter
ranks, with 18 people in training to join the force.
The class has four white men, six black men, five
Hispanic men and two black women, said Ralph Jacobs,
the city's personnel director.

The city now has about 305 firefighters, according to
the union, Bridgeport Fire Fighters Association Local
834. The union's last contract expired in July 2003.

The rookies are training at Joseph Elias Fire Training
Center in Fairfield before they are given a range of
different assignments at the city's fire stations.

They were officially hired Aug. 13 and are being paid
about $32,000 a year, city officials said.

Jacobs identified the candidates as: Robert Beaudry,
Marcus Dierna, Necole Dundy, Bobby Hernandez, Earl
King Jr., Erique McCalla, Michael Mentes, Edward
Moore, Ryshon Penix, Darren Pettway, Regina Scates,
Wilfredo Terron Jr., Jose Torres, Joseph Torres,
Christopher Vega, James Walton, James Zavodjancik and
James Boyle.

They will train 13 weeks and then start a year-long
rotation through the city's fire stations, said Fire
Chief Brian Rooney. They will be on probation until
Aug. 13, 2008, he said.

In past rookie classes, he said, most of the
candidates pass the training process.

"We really work with them. Last class, the people even
came back at night. We do our best to get them
through," he said.

Prior to this class, the most recent class of rookie
firefighters started training April 3, 2006.

All the


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candidates were chosen from a list based on a 2002
entrance exam. The list is valid for two years after
the date of the first hire.
The latest crop of rookies will get classroom and
field training, from learning how to roll and store
hose to giving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and
administering a defibrilator.

Then there's training in areas such driving a fire
truck and fighting fires. Practice fires are set in a
facility on the training grounds.

"They burn hay and wood in there and they create
conditions like a regular fire," Rooney said.

Rooney, who rose through the ranks from firefighter
before becoming chief, recalled his training days, 34
years ago.

"I was in training for one week and I was put into the
fire house," he said, noting the contrast with today's
more comprehensive training.



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Jose Torres is also a Felon

[VladAmok]

Gotta love that city. Always looking to hire the best and most qualified for the jobs.

How is it possible to hire people that did an injustice to the public by committing crimes, to work in a public safety position.

Strange. It also appears that the city is playing its usual game of catch up.

"Other communities don't have policies that ban the hiring of ex-felons, either, Jacobs said. But he would still like to craft a legally defensible city policy."

Nothing like waiting till the last min.

[scotts48]

It is a shame that good, law abiding citizens have a hard time getting FF jobs while these types of SCUMBAGS get picked up without a problem. It makes me sick to hear these stories.....i have a lot of respect for the everyone who tries and tries to get hired and only have it shoved down their throat and thats putting it lightly. ( 7 years and still trying for me )

Best of luck to everyone.

[stealth]

Those at BFD are not thrilled about this either, but it's just business as usual there. In Mr. Jacobs defence, he was hired in the middle of this mess and is now trying to play catch up. He probably wishes he stayed in Colorado.

[osfd100]

Do you guys remember a few years ago there was an Indian Tribe that filed a law suit claiming that parts of Shelton, Trumbull and all of Bridgeport was rightfully their indian territory. They should have settled out of court and just given them Bridgeport

[radiocity]

The new City of Bridgeport rookie Class for Firefighter .Here is the break down of the new rookies in this class that failed Background check by City of Bridgeport Police Dept but was hired By City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and Ralph Jacobs, the city's personnel director.


Reasons for failing background check range from bagging crack cocaine for the Adrian and Russell Peeler Jr. drug gang, prostitution, arm robber, assault, and Drugs dealer


New Felon Firefighter - Earl King JR

New Felon Firefighter Jose Torres

Failed Background check Firefighter Erique McCalla

Failed Background check Firefighter Necole Dundy


Also an unknown rookie in this class was arrested by Town of Fairfield Police Dept for assault on wife or girlfriend the weekend before the start of the rookie class. City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and city's personnel director Ralph Jacobs failed to remove him from the class.

Two rookies are over the age of 55


Next class of 20 in January 2007 will have two more Felons who failed background check for dealing & making drugs, arm robber and assault

[scotts48]

F'ing unreal................

[Tooanfrom]

We live in a funny old world--we had a guy sacked for pocketing a ball of twine at a job--ball of twine about the size of a small orange.

Mind you this was in the days when you failed to get in if you wore glasses for any reason--no women other than in the role of Con Off's, cooks and cleaners--and your ethnicity did not matter as long as you were male and reached the required standard-medically and morally.You could be fired any time in your probationary period of two years


We now go full circle--one legged,humpty backed,midget, lesbian, ethnic minority drug taking murderers (extra points if you have an "attitude" problem) only need apply


P.S Better yet illiteracy is a bonus 50 points

[CONN732]

I can't believe the union isn't fighting to keep felons from infiltrating the Bridgeport Fire Department! What good is it?

When things get hot, we need to know the guy next to us isn't going to turn tail and run.

Am I wrong?

[bptff834]

The new City of Bridgeport rookie Class for Firefighter .Here is the break down of the new rookies in this class that failed Background check by City of Bridgeport Police Dept but was hired By City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and Ralph Jacobs, the city's personnel director.


Reasons for failing background check range from bagging crack cocaine for the Adrian and Russell Peeler Jr. drug gang, prostitution, arm robber, assault, and Drugs dealer


New Felon Firefighter - Earl King JR

New Felon Firefighter Jose Torres

Failed Background check Firefighter Erique McCalla

Failed Background check Firefighter Necole Dundy


Also an unknown rookie in this class was arrested by Town of Fairfield Police Dept for assault on wife or girlfriend the weekend before the start of the rookie class. City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and city's personnel director Ralph Jacobs failed to remove him from the class.

Two rookies are over the age of 55


Next class of 20 in January 2007 will have two more Felons who failed background check for dealing & making drugs, arm robber and assault

Actually it was Dierna , and it was his mother that he beat up(less challenging) and let's not forget the one from the last class who beat his 14 year old sister the week before he was hired and recently was grabbed by the state police for throwing his girlfriend out of his car on I-95 and then caught speeding AND with drugs.He's still here.
.........give us your tired, your poor, your , your..........

[radiocity]

Data as of the Previous Business Day Docket InformationDocket No:F02B-CR07-0226209-SProgram: Court:Arresting Agency:Arrest Date:Bond Amount:Bond Type: Activity: Awaiting Disposition Next Court Date: 9/19/2007 10:00 AM

Miscellaneous: Bridgeport GA 2 LOCAL POLICE FAIRFIELD 8/3/2007$0 (This case only)Promise to Appear (Released From Custody)Companion: Defendant InformationLast, First:Birth Year:Times on the Docket:Represented ByIERNA MARCUS 19822 Current ChargesStatute Description Class Type Occ Offense Date Plea Verdict Finding
53a-183b INTERFERING W/AN EMERGNCY CALL A Misdemeanor 1 8/3/2007
53a-182 DISORDERLY CONDUCT C Misdemeanor 1 8/3/2007
53a-62 THREATENING 2ND DEG A Misdemeanor 1 8/3/2007

[PapaGanoush]

The new City of Bridgeport rookie Class for Firefighter .Here is the break down of the new rookies in this class that failed Background check by City of Bridgeport Police Dept but was hired By City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and Ralph Jacobs, the city's personnel director.


Reasons for failing background check range from bagging crack cocaine for the Adrian and Russell Peeler Jr. drug gang, prostitution, arm robber, assault, and Drugs dealer


New Felon Firefighter - Earl King JR

New Felon Firefighter Jose Torres

Failed Background check Firefighter Erique McCalla

Failed Background check Firefighter Necole Dundy


Also an unknown rookie in this class was arrested by Town of Fairfield Police Dept for assault on wife or girlfriend the weekend before the start of the rookie class. City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and city's personnel director Ralph Jacobs failed to remove him from the class.

Two rookies are over the age of 55


Next class of 20 in January 2007 will have two more Felons who failed background check for dealing & making drugs, arm robber and assault

Are people speaking up in the editorials down there? Or does no one seem to give a rats behind?

[VladAmok]

Nobody cares. Its business as usual.

[CONN732]

Are people speaking up in the editorials down there? Or does no one seem to give a rats behind?

There hasn't been a public outcry because the papers have hushed up the whole situation. They only tell have the truth and the readers think we're dealing with choir boys. The 1st responders know about it. But the BFFs have to start fighting. They need to start a letter campaign to city officials, mayoral candidates, the CT Atty general, every newspaper in the area, FFs in neighboring towns. Start a wildfire instead of putting one out. (Literarily speaking, of course). If the BFFs don't care, no one else will either. "Business as usual" is unacceptable. That's exactly what the the people behind the felon-hiring want. They expect the BFFs to fold.

[CONN732]

Nobody cares. Its business as usual.

Don't count on it!

[CONN732]

The new City of Bridgeport rookie Class for Firefighter .Here is the break down of the new rookies in this class that failed Background check by City of Bridgeport Police Dept but was hired By City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and Ralph Jacobs, the city's personnel director.


Reasons for failing background check range from bagging crack cocaine for the Adrian and Russell Peeler Jr. drug gang, prostitution, arm robber, assault, and Drugs dealer


New Felon Firefighter - Earl King JR

New Felon Firefighter Jose Torres

Failed Background check Firefighter Erique McCalla

Failed Background check Firefighter Necole Dundy


Also an unknown rookie in this class was arrested by Town of Fairfield Police Dept for assault on wife or girlfriend the weekend before the start of the rookie class. City of Bridgeport Civil Service Commission and city's personnel director Ralph Jacobs failed to remove him from the class.

Two rookies are over the age of 55


Next class of 20 in January 2007 will have two more Felons who failed background check for dealing & making drugs, arm robber and assault

I found this on the AP Wire Service. If LA doesn't take felons, why does the city of Bridgeport, CT? Bridgeport needs to get its act together. It's putting all of us at risk. Who's watching your back?

CONN732

______________________________ _



Fake firefighter showed up at disasters Sat Sep 8, 3:59 PM ET



James Campbell seemed to relish being a firefighter, showing up in uniform at the World Trade Center, train wrecks, the aftermaths of hurricanes including Katrina and wildfires.

He even posed for his driver's license photo in a Los Angeles County firefighter's uniform.

The problem is, authorities say, he was never a firefighter.

Police arrested Campbell on Friday on suspicion of impersonating a firefighter, possession of stolen property and being a felon in possession of firearms.

Inside his apartment, officers said, they found a pile of official gear: dress uniform, flight suit, yellow firefighting suit, department patches, fire helmet, wallet badge and an L.A. County Fire Department radio. On Campbell's walls were hundreds of framed photos of him at disaster sites in uniform, authorities said.

"This is a guy who really wanted to be a firefighter. He wanted to act as a hero," Orange County Deputy District Attorney Andre Manssourian said.

Campbell even created a DVD of some of his firefighting excursions, which may have been used to promote his business, Frontline Safety Products, which sold safety equipment and taught first aid courses, mostly to construction companies and government agencies, Manssourian said.

Despite his efforts, Campbell had no chance of being a real firefighter. While working as a paramedic in Arizona, he was convicted of credit card fraud in 1987. His paramedic's license was revoked and the felony would have prevented him from joining the Los Angeles County Fire Department, authorities said.

"The public puts a lot of trust in firefighters," said Fire Department spokesman Sam Padilla. "People don't think twice about an unknown man with big baggy clothes or a uniform. It's a shame that someone is pretending to be a firefighter to take that trust and bend it, distort it."

[radiocity]

Courthouse outbursts mar Peeler case
DANIEL TEPFER dtepfer@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 09/25/2007 01:43:28 PM EDT


BRIDGEPORT — Russell Peeler Jr.'s long-time girlfriend went berserk in the lobby of the Main Street courthouse today minutes before she was to take the stand in Peeler's death penalty hearing.
Angelina Keene, the mother of Peeler's three children, walked into the courthouse lobby sobbing in response to a subpoena issued to her by the state.

Once in the lobby, Keene fell to the floor and began rolling around and screaming, "Help me, Jesus! Help me, Jesus!"

It took several judicial marshals to restrain her until medics arrived. She was taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center.

A Superior Court jury is hearing evidence to determine whether Peeler should get the death sentence for ordering the Jan. 7, 1999, deaths of Karen Clarke and her 8-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Earl Avenue duplex.

Cory King, a former cohort in Peeler's drug operation, has been on the witness stand today to testify how in late 1998 Peeler was fixated on killing B.J. after learning the boy was going to testify against him in his trial for killing Clarke's fiance, Rudy Snead.

King testified that Peeler had even acted out killing the boy when Peeler let out a loud sigh in the courtroom.

"You're crazy man, what are you doing?" Peeler yelled to King.

King stood up in the witness stand as if to confront Peeler and was restrained by marshals. Judge Robert Devlin Jr. then excused the jury and warned Peeler about his behavior.

"Your remarks were calculated to cast question


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on Mr. King's testimony," the judge told Peeler

[stealth]

Soon Mr.King will be riding a fire truck in BPT. Will he be a target of the Peeler family and will a FF be caught in the crossfire? Thank you Bpt. civil service.

[gfd337]

Thats nice , good luck to all the fellow BPTFF that have to work with this potential hazard in motion.