Police chief announces demotion, suspension for detective who proposed homicide wager

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    HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) — A Hartford police detective has been demoted and suspended over a wager he proposed involving the city’s first homicide of 2021.

Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody announced on Monday that Det. Jeffrey Placzek was suspended without pay for 120 days and removed him from the Major Crimes Division.

It came after Placzek allegedly proposed a betting pool related to the location of the first homicide of 2021.

Thody said Placzek will make his return to the department was contingent on passing a fitness for duty evaluation as well as completing a restorative justice program. Thody also charged him with conduct unbecoming of a police officer.

In addition, Thody expected the ongoing investigation into the members of the department who received the text message to be finished by the end of next week.

Thody announced that Lt. Paul Cicero, who supervises the Major Crimes Division where Placzek served, and was one of the recipients of the text message, was removed from his role as the department’s Public Information Officer and suspended from overseeing the Major Crimes Division pending the outcome of the investigation.

Cicero also faced additional discipline based on the outcome of the investigation, as do other supervisors who received the message, according to the department.

“Officer Placzek’s conduct was unacceptable and damaging both to our department and our community, and today I am demoting him and imposing a four month suspension without pay,” Thody said. “It is critical that every member of the Hartford Police Department conduct themselves in a way that builds and strengthens a relationship of trust with our community, and this conduct undermined that relationship and undermined the work of every single officer on our force. In addition to his demotion and lengthy suspension, I am also making his return to the department contingent on passing a fitness for duty evaluation and participation in a community-based restorative justice program, which we will design in consultation with community leaders.”

Thody said it appeared several supervisors took no documented action when receiving the text message and did not report it to him.

“Any supervisor who saw this text message and did nothing in response will also face discipline, and all the circumstances of this text will be investigated. To me, the fact that there ultimately was no betting pool does not change the fact that this warranted a serious response,” Thody said.

It reached city hall and city councilors responded.

Hartford City Council Democrats called for a division-wide investigation. City Council President Maly Rosado released a statement that said “… I think anyone who would participate or knowingly approve of this type of behavior should be held accountable. However, like with any profession, there are some bad apples and as the city’s elected leaders we have take steps to increase transparency and accountability within the Hartford Police Department.”

City council Democrats fashioned a budget to redirect police funding to community sensitivity training and they’re in the process of authorizing the “Police Accountability Review Board.”

While no actual wager took place, Thody said it’s still a violation of department policy. He said “at a time when we are trying to build trust, I am disappointed in this behavior as I am sure all of you are.”

“When I read this text message, I was disgusted, angry, and disappointed. 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. I am also taking this action to demonstrate to everyone in our department that, as professional police officers, even on our worst days, and no matter how many difficult and painful things we see every day, we must maintain the high standards of conduct that our community rightly expects of us – the most important of which is a deep and fundamental respect for every single person we serve in this community,” Thody said.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin released a statement that said “The officer who sent this message demonstrated a profound disrespect for our community and a deeply troubling lack of judgment. Chief Thody has imposed serious discipline, including both demotion in rank and a lengthy four-month suspension without pay, which I support, and I expect that additional discipline will be coming for supervisors who received this message and failed to take action.”

Placzek is a 16-year veteran of the department. The department said he has no prior disciplinary record beyond one instance of documented counseling related to an incident where he damaged an elevator button with his foot, which he self-reported.

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