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have the ability to talk to the staff. They can’t direct staff to take action. But they can get information. Just like residents can speak to staff. Why can’t commissioners, who are also residents?
Additionally, while that document is dated May 30, the last edit was made to it in October, which is when Hudak took over the department on a temporary basis and shortly after that Tastet was reassigned. It was an 18 minute edit. To write that? Reyes called those facts relevant. He also noted that while Tastet was reassigned in 
October, her access to IA records continued. She perused several grievances by officers and several complaints as well as a formal case against another lieutenant and three cases related to Hudak. We don’t know what she was looking for.
For the audit, Reyes also requested all the emails between her and former Chief Weiner. “To determine when the aforementioned investigation was initiated and to determine what if any legitimate purpose the investigation may have served and the result of the investigation,” the report states, adding that none were found about the Hudak investigation.
Apparently, all the communication was verbal? Doesn’t that mean that Tastet should be deposed?
“From the review of the aforementioned files, it is not clear when the aforementioned investigation into communications between then Major Hudak and Commissioner Lago was initiated, or what violation of law, ordinance, or policy was being investigated, and why no formal documentation was initiated concerning same. If there was an ongoing investigation of any sort, as stated earlier, it should have been documented using an internal affairs case number,” the report states.
“The failure to do so raises questions concerning the legitimacy of the investigation and the motivations for same.”
Ya think?
The report states that basically, and against policy, the Internal Affairs section was being used as an investigatory arm of the chief of police.
Leen told Ladra that city policy is to have those kind of investigations handled by an independent agency.
“If anyone needs to investigate elected or appointed officials, it should be the State Attorney’s Office or the Ethics Commission and not people that work for our chief of police or administrator,” Leen said. “That investigation should never have been asked for.”
Lago thinks so, too, and it’s part of the reason why the commissioner has called a special Sunshine meeting with the other commissioners on Wednesday. He told Ladra he wants to know why his conversations with any city employee is any of anybody’s business. And why it took him until days ago to get a report dated July 21.
“From my understanding, Chief Weiner was authorized by Salerno to look into who Major Hudak was having conversations with. That’s extremely troublesome,” Lago said about being the subject of a secret investigation. “That shouldn’t be happening in the public sector. It’s within my rights to have communication with staff.”
I’d also ask how do we know if there aren’t other investigations that we don’t know about? How do we know this wasn’t ordered by Salerno and what other strings he may have still been pulling even after he was ousted.
Lago also wants to ask City Manager Cathy Swanson Rivenbark why she won’t name Hudak the permanent chief. Swanson-Rivenbark has talked to commissioners about a restructuring she will propose that basically makes her new assistant city manager in charge of Public Safety, Frank Fernandez, the de facto top cop with two chiefs (read: assistant chiefs), Hudak and Major Raul Pedroso — who was part of Weiner’s loyal troops — reporting to him.
Read related story: Gables Police shake up makes new manager top cop
“I’m doing my own research and I haven’t found a department in the state with that kind of alignment where it’s been beneficial and sustained,” Lago told Ladra.
He’s worried that it’s top heavy. “You’re talking two significant salaries instead of one and 191 police officers now reporting to two people, not one. This provides an increased opportunity for chaos and insubordination.”
Additionally, he can’t understand why Swanson would make any change if Hudak has been so successful in the ten months since he was appointed. Crime is down by 20 percent in the first six months of this year when compared to 2014. Morale is up.
“In the private sector, you reward people for their achievements and leadership. You don’t penalize people for that kind of thing,” Lago said.
Swanson told Ladra last week that my sources just tell half of the story. She said that the department is divided and that Hudak is not a hero to all. Well, that is to be expected. Neither are the other two guys, by the way.
She also said her “realignment” would put the “unique talents” and resources in the police department to better use. But nobody is buying that. A lot of people think that this is a personal vendetta against Hudak, who once lead the IA investigation into her BFF then-assistant city manager Maria Alberro Jimenez — now Alberro Menendez and assistant city manager in neighboring Pinecrest — regarding a city contract that went to her then-boyfriend.
It looks like there could be a showdown between the commission — where Hudak arguably has the five votes to make him permanent chief — and the new city manager, a strong-willed manager with a Napoleon complex who told Ladra that she has the power vested in her to make this decision. And that she’s made it.
All I know is that grudges die hard in the Gables.
And that Tastet was recently rewarded with a job as the new assistant for the new chief, er, Public Safety Director Hernandez.
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Communicating with city officials isn’t in itself a “violation” but insubordination is…and that is exactly what Hudak was doing and has done his entire career. Feeding false information to a city commissioner, bribing a public relations expert named Freddy Balsera to launch a bogus campaign claiming the chief cooked the books and generally sucking up behind his boss to get him ousted is nothing but insubordination. The problem is the commissioners fall for his BS and drink the cool aid just like everyone else who doesn’t know Hudak for what he is- including Reyes. This is a guy who screwed up rape investigations and lost his detective assignment; was impeached as VP of the union by his own membership. Had city officials unarrested and covered up complaints against his cronies. Hudak has a longgggggg and ugly history and never should have been promoted past the rank of sergeant. When he made Major is the day the department fell apart and went downhill. And that promotion only happened because he sucked up to former chief Hammerschmidt- a loyal UM fan- with UM game tickets and but kissing all day long.
Hudak wins the support of rank and file by doing the same thing he does with Commissioners- cozy up to them, get them off the hook when they screw up and preach a bunch of BS that they fall for. It works.
Now the city has made yet another devastating mistake by “restructuring” and putting 2 people who are enemies in equal positions of “Chief”. What this does is split the department right down the middle with a faction on one side and another on the other side. Nothing will get accomplished, decisions will be undermined, games will be played, power struggles will never end, loyalties will grow stronger in 2 camps and the department will sink yet further into the dysfunctional place it has been for so long- thanks only to poor decision making thanks to a complete lack of leadership from the city.
Swanson will argue and justify her decision by saying that’s what Fernandez is here for. Problem is he is a complete tyrant and egotistical manager (aka non-leader) who operates just like Salerno did. Nobody respects him or can work under his management style. Commissioners: ask the city how many people have quit since he came in: one is Jason Gitzlaf- the most customer friendly and professional employee you could ask for and the other is Lonnie Hill- another true professional- both who left thanks to Fernandez. And more are on the way.
The ONLY thing that will fix CGPD is to start fresh. The department has become so toxic that nothing will repair it until you have new leadership across the top. The only thing that will get things back in order is to get rid of Hudak and Pedroso- and now Fernandez, and bring in true law enforcement professionals who care about the job and the department and the people that work here. Hudak and Pedroso only care about their titles- nothing more.
When Hammerschmidt was selected- a good chief- the city had formed a selection panel comprised of individual city residents, business experts and community leaders independent of the politics and out of the reach of CGPD/Hudak/and any other influencers.
It is time for a new direction and a resolution to the long and deep problems of CGPD. Put together an independent panel made up of local law enforcement veterans with a history of respect, well respected community leaders, business experts who know and demonstrate leadership and put a new management team in place. Then develop a leadership training program based on the expertise of programs like Chick-fil-A, The Ritz-Carlton or the IACPs leadership in police organizations training. Then we will be able to move forward and work with pride in a department that has fallen far from its former self.
On its face, this IA investigation seems to be a witch hunt. One must know deeper details as to why the investigation even started. I’m sure information will come out about what was collected. A source outside the department who knows both Lago and Hudak has said that the investigation was started due to an deal between both of them involving a trade of votes from the Commission by Lago in return for favorable deals from the County involving Lagos contractor family construction business. I urge everyone to not jump to conclusions. Let’s let the facts of the investigation play out. Hudak is connected to the County by marriage and Lago has influence in Coral Gables commission chamber. Lago brings his sock puppet, Quesada with him in the deal. I even heard that Quesada was caught cheating in Law School at FIU. A personal friend of his actually told me while having drinks at Blue Martini. Lago is shady and so is Hudak. I think there is an attempt by both of them to raise the stink level so high that people would turn away from this in hopes it does not go public. I’m considering doing a public records request so that I may inform myself. I urge everyone do the same. I also think the alias Ariel Fernandez is actually Jaime Edward Hudak