At the moment the resignation of Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale last Thursday raises many unanswered questions.
Dale, the county’s top police official, tendered his resignation after a meeting with Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano after a report that he personally ordered the arrest of a worker for a third-party candidate for county executive for political purposes.
Dale was hired as commissioner in January 2012 after more than 40 years with the New York City Police Department.
The arrest has a very bad smell.
On Oct. 5, police officers boarded a N41 bus in Roosevelt and arrested Randy White for failing to pay $250 in fines stemming from an outstanding arrest warrant for a misdemeanor counterfeiting conviction.
So far there has been no explanation that justifies using this kind of force to take down a man who failed to pay a relatively minor fine.
What we do know is that Dale learned of the warrant the day before the arrest. We have also been told that White was a worker for a third-party candidate for county executive.
Mangano said in a statement, “District Attorney Rice today brought a troubling matter to my attention regarding questionable influence within the Nassau County Police Department. Upon further investigation, the District Attorney found no evidence to indicate criminality but the investigation itself indicates a fresh look at internal procedures is warranted.”
Rice wrote that although Dale’s “personal involvement in this case was unusual, and while the public is right to be concerned …Dale’s mere involvement in this case is not evidence of a crime.”
She added, “Commissioner Dale claimed it is not unusual for the Department to go to such great lengths to apprehend the subject of a ‘failure-to-pay’ warrant.”
We don’t believe that.
But, if this is true, why did Dale abruptly resign? Why did Mangano accept his resignation? Why was Dale told about a man wanted for failure to pay a $250 judgment?
Surely that’s not a major crime, even in Nassau County. Why was Randy White handcuffed and dragged off a bus like Public Enemy No. 1?
The district attorney should not close this investigation until all of these questions are answered.
The public needs to be satisfied that Dale didn’t misuse his powerful position for some political purpose.
