The Ansonia police officer who went on medical leave during an investigation into “irregularities” with evidence processing in the department has left the force.
Matthew Macero, a decorated, 12-year veteran of the department, retired from the job Nov. 6.
After a special meeting of the city’s Board of Police Commissioners at City Hall Monday, Police Chief Kevin Hale confirmed Macero had retired.
The chief declined further comment.
Hale announced in September he had asked state police to conduct “an independent criminal investigation into irregularities that the Ansonia Police Department has discovered in the processing of evidence.”
The state police probe is ongoing. No charges have been filed.
Sources told the Valley Indy in September that the investigation involves drugs that had been stored in the evidence room.
Macero went on leave at roughly the same time as the probe began.
At the time, his lawyer, Daniel Esposito, released a statement saying Macero’s leave was medically related.
Esposito stressed that Macero had not been charged or even questioned in the probe.
Contacted via e‑mail Monday evening, Esposito issued a statement saying Macero opted to retire “after proudly and selflessly serving the citizens of Ansonia and the State of Connecticut for the past 12 years.”
The statement said Macero planned to continue his career in public service, albeit “in a less arduous role.”
“As it relates to the Connecticut State Police probe regarding irregularities at the Ansonia Police Department, we encourage all to refrain from speculating as to any relationship between Officer Macero’s retirement and the ongoing probe,” Esposito’s statement went on. “My office has been, and will continue to be, in regular contact with the Western District Major Crime Squad and to date, Officer Macero has been charged with no offense or any violation of departmental protocol.”
The Ansonia Police Commission learned of Macero’s retirement Nov. 6.
Accomplished Career
In the days after the investigation was announced, the Valley Indy filed a freedom of information request for Macero’s personnel file.
The city released the file Oct. 24.
According to attendance records contained in the file, Macero was never suspended nor otherwise disciplined at any point during his 12-year career.
The file contained letters from Hale congratulating Macero for having perfect attendance at the job in 2005, 2006, and 2009.
“You have demonstrated both professionalism and a devotion to public service,” the letters said.
Macero received positive performance reviews from supervisors during his time with the department, and his file also included commendations from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a letter of appreciation from a Bridgeport police officer who was pistol-whipped and kidnapped from her Ansonia home by a fellow Bridgeport officer in 2008.
Prior to working at the police department, Macero was in the U.S. Navy, serving from 1993 to 1997. He received a NATO Medal and National Defense Service Medal, among other awards.
In May, Macero was given a departmental citation for more than seven years of work as an undercover officer serving in the Valley Street Crimes Unit and the Ansonia Police Department’s Anti-Crime Unit.
More Oversight?
Though no one specifically discussed Macero — or the state police investigation into evidence handling — the city’s Board of Police Commissioners took steps Monday to revise the department’s rules regarding evidence.
The commissioners also backed the police chief’s recommendation to hire a new sergeant.
Hale said he recommended the evidence room changes partly in reaction to the circumstances which led to the state police probe.
“It was due partly to that, but there were some revisions we had to make anyway,” Hale said of the changes made to the department’s evidence rules.
The new sergeant’s position — if approved by the Ansonia Board of Aldermen — would be an “administrative sergeant” who would handle the department’s property room and also be in charge of records and permits, among other responsibilities, like scheduling.
The new policy was not publicly available Monday night because Hale said it has to be revised with the changes made Monday by the police commissioners.
Hale said that there has always been supervision in the department regarding the handling of evidence, but the new policy includes some “fairly major revisions” with respect to the specific process of how it is processed and handled.
The department has six sergeants currently.
Hale said during Monday’s meeting the department would hold a sergeant’s exam and probably promote a patrol officer to sergeant, then name one of the department’s current sergeants to the administrative position.
The resulting patrol vacancy would probably not be filled due to budgetary concerns, Hale said.
