ITHACA, N.Y.—Calls made by the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association (IPBA) for the identity of an anonymous whistleblower to be investigated will not be taken up by Tompkins County District Attorney Matt Van Houten, determining there is no crime to investigate.
The complaint led to New York State Police Investigating three Ithaca Police Officers over allegations of committing overtime fraud: then-Acting Chief John Joly, as well as lieutenants Jacob Young and David Amaro. All three officers had their names cleared by investigators, an outcome confirmed by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. The full results of the investigation are expected to be released by the Tompkins County District Attorney’s office in the near future.
When announcing the results of the investigation, the IPBA called for the whistleblower’s identity to be investigated and their motivations assessed—claiming the allegations were politically or personally motivated.
The call by the police union came at a time when the City of Ithaca is pursuing enhancements to its whistleblower protections for officers in the Ithaca Police Department as a part of the city’s Reimagining Public Safety initiative, aiming to foster a more transparent department by going further to protect those who allege wrongdoing internally. Thus, the police union’s request has proven to be problematic for some in city government.
In a statement to The Ithaca Voice, Tompkins County District Attorney Matt Van Houten...
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