Ansonia police officer Mustafa Salahuddin has retired from the Ansonia Police Department, citing lost passion for the job after a years-long ordeal in which he was arrested, and then found not guilty, of stealing a garden hose from the department.
Salahuddin submitted his notice to the city Wednesday.
A hearing was scheduled to discuss Salahuddin’s employment Wednesday evening, but in light of the retirement, it was canceled.
“I have lost all passion for the job and at this point in my life I no longer have the desire to be a police officer, in Ansonia, or any other city,” Salahuddin wrote in a statement distributed to the press shortly before the scheduled hearing.
City labor attorney Fran Teodosio informed the Board of Police Commissioners of the action at 5 p.m. Wednesday, during their monthly meeting.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” Teodosio said after the meeting. “For all parties.”
Teodosio would not say exactly how much money Salahuddin would qualify for in retirement benefits. He said it’s based on a formula that takes into account how long he worked as a police officer and his age.
Retirement benefits are handled by the municipal employees retirement fund.
Salahuddin is 48 and has worked at the department for at least 10 years.
Background
Salahuddin was arrested in July 2008 and charged with sixth-degree larceny for allegedly stealing a garden hose from the police department in May 2008.
A hose went missing the day after it was purchased, and the department asked for an independent investigation from state police.
Salahuddin was found not guilty after a trial in March 2010.
He hasn’t returned to work since that trial — citing post traumatic stress disorder prompted by the entire situation.
Last month, the city scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Salahuddin to discuss his refusal to return to work. It was postponed until Nov. 3.
Statement
In his statement to the press, Salahuddin said his doctor advised him against coming to the hearing because the stress could have a negative effect on his health.
The statement was e‑mailed to reporters by Salahuddin’s attorney, Rob Serafinowicz, who was not at the hearing either.
Salahuddin outlined the pride he took in his career as a police officer, citing his role providing guidance to young people and helping people in trouble.
Salahuddin blamed Chief of Police Kevin Hale for his loss of passion for the job.
“I was forced to endure a situation where I was accused of a crime I did not commit, and where the facts of the case show no crime was committed,” Salahuddin wrote.
He accused Hale of “manipulating our system of justice for his own malicious personal reasons.”
Hale denied the accusation, saying that he turned the investigation over to state police so it could be conducted independent of the department.
“I manipulated nothing,” Hale said. “The justice system is its own system. I asked for an independent review from the state police. That’s how it go into the justice system.”
When asked if he was happy about the retirement, Hale said: “It’s time for everybody to move on.”
Reaction
Greg Johnson, the president of Ansonia’s NAACP, attended the police commission meeting Wednesday. Afterward, outside City Hall, Johnson said Salahuddin’s retirement was “heartbreaking.”
“It’s a sad day for Ansonia. It’s a sad day for the Ansonia Police Department,” Johnson said.
Johnson urged the Ansonia Police Department to ramp up efforts to recruit more African American and minority officers, and said he plans to meet with Ansonia Mayor James DellaVolpe to talk about the possibility of a civilian oversight committee to review complaints about the department.
