Liberty to change response by police

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

A panel has been studying the Mary Rush case.

LIBERTY — More than five months’ worth of investigations into how police responded to calls for help the night 87-year-old Mary Rush died have ended, and the verdict is in.

“The evidence gathered by the committee revealed significant errors made by the dispatcher as well as errors in judgment made by the individual officers. More importantly, the exploration of this incident has revealed significant problems with supervision and training within the Liberty Township Police Department,” the report said.

Rush, 87, of Mansell Drive, was found on her front porch, unconscious with severe cuts, just after 7 a.m. April 28. The porch area was covered in blood, and a large rock was found by a nearby broken window.

Her leg was broken and caught in the railing leading to the porch. Township police have since determined that Rush locked herself out and was cut trying to gain entry to the house.

Police checked the area by car twice in the early hours when Rush likely would have been outside, after a neighbor complained of someone crying out — but they did not find her.

Township trustees commissioned an independent review of the police department’s response to and investigation of the 911 call before the discovery of Rush.

The review was conducted by the Kent State University Trumbull Campus’ Public Safety Training and Research Center, which runs the campus’ state-certified Police Training Academy.

According to the report, released at Monday’s trustees’ meeting, the police department’s working climate at the time of Rush’s death was unprofessional, confused and lax as well as having a severe lack of supervisory oversight. Supervisors, the report said, were absent in the department on evenings and weekends.

The report adds that the department maintained a “hostile and confrontational atmosphere” where officers avoided coming to the office when former Chief Anthony Slifka was working. Slifka has since reached an agreement with trustees ending his employment with the township.

The report said Dispatcher Joe Lavaglio made several errors in receiving the 911 calls from concerned neighbors, including obtaining only minimal information from callers and not keeping the caller on the line. Other department employees also told investigators that Lavaglio indicated he believed the caller was mentally ill — making a “crazy” gesture with his hands after the second call.

Lavaglio has resigned from the department effective Oct. 31.

The report says officers responding to the calls did in fact respond quickly to both calls and did not divert from standard practices in handling the first call. Answering the second call, however, officers should have left their cars and walked the neighborhood and met with the individuals making the 911 calls, the report said.

These recommendations were listed in the lengthy report:

UEliminate “officer-in-charge” shifts and instead provide formal supervision during all shifts.

USupervisors placed in charge of 911 operators.

USupervisors should conduct regular employee evaluations.

USupervisors should address performance and training problems revealed through evaluations.

USupervisors should direct officers and dispatchers in a fair and professional manner.

USupervisors should review past training and assess what gaps exists. Supervisors should also be assessed for training needs.

UOffer a formal debriefing to all employees involved in an incident such as the death of Rush.

UFormalize and expand the directories developed by dispatchers that list vital information on residents with special needs.

UOrient officers and dispatchers on the demographics and locations of special and diverse populations.

UInvest in more community policing practices.

Atty. Mark Finamore said he and Administrator Pat Ungaro will conduct meetings to implement the recommendations. He said the recommendations will go a long way toward improving the police department.

The death of Rush, and the circumstances surrounding the police response, already have prompted township officials to establish a senior watch program in which police routinely touch base with seniors who volunteer to be part of the program. There will be an open house introducing the program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 22.

The Rush tragedy also has inspired groups such as Comfort Keepers, which helps assign police officers to senior citizens within the community, to get involved. The officers stop in each day to say hello and make sure everything is running smoothly within the home.

Some of the things officers look for are messes, whether the resident has food in the house and if that food is spoiled, and whether the resident seems confused or disoriented.

jgoodwin@vindy.com