Detective’s entry into Biden motorcade prompts probe by YPD internal affairs

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

jgoodwin@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The internal-affairs divi- sion of the Youngstown Police Department is trying to determine how and why one of the department’s detectives joined the motorcade during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the Valley this week.

Detective John Kelty was working as part of the local security detail during the vice president’s visit. At some point, Kelty reportedly pulled into the Biden motorcade with no official reason to be there.

Detective Jose Morales, with the department’s internal-affairs division, verified it is looking into the matter.

Police Chief Rod Foley said the incident could have become serious given the level of security around the vice president. He said the threat level was not increased during the inci- dent because someone recognized Kelty as a local police officer.

“You never want to put someone in a situation like that. The Secret Service has a job to do moving these dignitaries around,” said Foley.

The investigation, Foley said, will take some time. He said officers will have to determine just how he ended up in the motorcade and speak to witnesses before any determinations are made.

“We are looking into it and will be talking to all the witnesses and so forth, so it will take us a couple of weeks to clear it all up,” he said.

Foley would not speak on any potential punishments for Kelty, saying the investigation needs to be completed.

“It’s too early to determine that. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but it is puzzling as to how someone could get tied up in a vice-presidential motorcade,” he said.

Kelty has been at the center of public scrutiny twice recently. He was reprimanded by Judge Maureen Sweeney earlier this year for failure to turn over evidence in a murder trial and was given time off work last year for turning in overtime that was not legitimate.