Kovach back as a patrolman

Photo

Tim Bowers

By Ed Runyan

The president of one neighborhood watch group credited the officer with helping clean up blight and crime.

WARREN — Patrolman Richard Kovach, who was fired from the Warren Police Department, is back on the beat as a road patrolman.

Kovach was fired for his actions during his stop of what he believed was a murder suspect, and suspended for Tasering a woman outside a tavern.

He has been on special assignment with the department since he returned to duty in April, after an arbitrator reversed Kovach’s firing and gave him back pay.

Since then, Kovach, a 13-year patrol officer, has been visiting all of the businesses in the city to update the department’s contact list, said Police Capt. Tim Bowers. The list is used to contact someone in the event there is an alarm drop or other incident involving a business.

Kovach also took some sick time since then and updated his training, Bowers said, noting that anyone who misses work for a time would need to fill in gaps in his training.

Police Chief John Mandopoulos ordered Kovach to return to duty as a road patrolman effective with Wednesday’s afternoon shift.

Bowers said Kovach could have been assigned to additional administrative tasks but with overtime in the department being nearly eliminated, the department needs every road officer it has.

Bowers said he doesn’t know if Kovach is assigned to a particular area of the city as he was before his termination. Assignments by district are made according to seniority, Bowers said.

Kovach formerly patrolled an area bounded on the south by High Street and stretching north and east from Park Avenue. A neighborhood watch group called Neighborhood Takeback has credited Kovach with helping reduce blight and crime.

Atty. Frank Bodor, president of the organization, last week submitted a letter to Mayor Michael O’Brien, signed by a representative of all 11 neighborhood watch groups, saying the city needs to do more to stop prostitution, drug dealing and other criminal activity throughout the city.

In an interview, Bodor said criminal activity has picked up on Kovach’s old beat since he was fired.

“He was an excellent officer because he spent his own time with the cleanup of the area,” Bodor said. He believes it showed that Kovach cared about the area where he worked.

Bowers said he doesn’t think Bodor’s wishes had anything to do with Kovach being put back on road patrol. Mandopoulos could not be reached to comment.

Safety-Service Director William “Doug” Franklin fired Kovach Dec. 6 over an Aug. 24, 2007, traffic stop of city resident Timothy A. Brown II, son of city Patrol Officer Tim Brown.

Police were actually looking for Timothy Brown’s half brother, Stephen Brown, suspected of being involved in a homicide.

Police stopped Timothy Brown in front of police headquarters on South Street and Kovach radioed that he had the murder suspect but mentioned Timothy Brown’s name in error, he testified later. He was fired for illegally searching Timothy Brown’s car.

Kovach was also suspended for 60 days for the way he treated Heidi Gill of Howland on Sept. 2, 2007, outside of the Up A Creek Tavern on East Market Street. A video of the Tasering incident — showing a screaming Gill being repeatedly Tasered and injured — made national news.

runyan@vindy.com