ITHACA, NY (WSKG) - The Ithaca Police Department has failed to investigate an array of cases for nearly a decade, according to a press release from Mayor Svante Myrick's office.
The release stated that a number of cases were claims of sexual offenses and described them as being inadequately investigated. It also stated that the police department has taken "appropriate action" against officers involved. It is seeking to terminate the officer it claimed is directly responsible.
The department did not name any of the officers involved.
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The police department has turned over information about the investigations in question to the Tompkins County District Attorney and New York Attorney General's office.
“I am shocked and saddened by these revelations, which can easily erode public confidence in the IPD," said Mayor Myrick. "I do, however, draw encouragement from the confidence that I have in the IPD’s current leadership, including a new Chief, a new Deputy Chief for Professional Standards, and new policies established by new leadership in the Investigations Division, under which the IPD is proactively ensuring that a failure of this sort will never happen again.”
That new police chief is Dennis Nayor, who was appointed last year. He echoed Myrick's statement. "I was disgusted to learn of this appalling failure in our Investigations Division, leaving un-investigated so many assigned cases involving the most vulnerable victims of some of the most traumatic crimes," he said. "New leadership in that unit quickly identified these failures and we immediately implemented proactive administrative measures to address this situation."
The Ithaca Police are also asking anyone who feels a past complaint went unanswered to contact the department. Particularly, any sex offense.