f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

A few days ago, we told you the tale of our Schenectady Spider-man’s

jail break.  Edwin Ortiz got out of a recreation yard fence and did some

fancy rooftop jumping to make his escape.  Somehow, Ortiz’s escape

was not discovered for two hours — despite his having been marked

down as “counted” six times on his tier, after he supposedly returned

from recreation.

Ortiz was a known flight risk and had been on “extraordin-

ary watch,” according to Sheriff Harry.Buffardi, who faces re-

election this year.

The names of the responsible guards were finally released on Wednesday,

along with the news that they were being fired.  (Schenectady [NY] Gazette,

“Sheriff fires 2 after jail escape,” March 2, 2006, reproduced here, reply 15;

Albany Times Union, “2 guards lose jobs after jail escape,” March 2, 2006)

 

                                                                                         

 

Sheriff Harry Buffardi announced that he had fired Deputies Gerald Treacy

and Jayme Paul, after they completed interviews with the State Depart-

ment of Corrections.  Non-criminal, disciplinary actions were also filed alleg-

ing that they failed to make proper counts and engaged in other actions that

wasted time and energy in discovering the escape.   Paul failed to notice that

Ortiz escaped from the rec yard and was not among those returning from the

yard.  Paul also went through the gate from which Ortiz made his escape, but

never noticed that Ortiz left it “grossly deformed.”  Teacy reported that he saw/

counted Ortiz six times after Ortiz had escaped, and then delayed reporting

the disappearance once he realized Ortiz was not present.

 

When he was interviewed after being re-captured, Ortiz said it wasn’t 

Deputy Paul’s fault for not noticing his absence or getaway.

 

 

 

According to Gazette reporter Steven Cook:

“There were supposed to be six inmates on Ortiz’s

tier, Buffardi emphasized.

 

” ‘I don’t think it’s a difficult or tremendous burden

for us to require a count to six people,‘ Buffardi said.”

The County Sheriff’s Benevolent Association said it wouldn’t have com-

ments on the firing until after the Department of Corrections issued its

report.  Paul and Treacy were not available for comments, but could grieve

the disciplinary charges and take them to an arbitrator.   Buffardi said he

did not want to make it sound like the deputies did not usually do their jobs,

but that there was enough “gross negligence” to warrant firing them.  Paul

was hired in April 2004; Treacy has been on the job for 5 years.

 

Joseph Suhrada, a Republican county legislator and frequent critic

of the sheriff, said Treacy and Paul were being used as scapegoats

to take heat for the sheriff. Suhrada also questioned why it wasn’t

until two hours after Ortiz was noticed missing that surrounding police

agencies were alerted to the escape.  “Whoever made that decision

should be fired,” Suhrada said. [Times Union]

 

“tinyredcheck”  Here are a half dozen haiku from our

Alaska haijin friend, Alice Framption.  That’s right,

3 plus 3. 

 

 

Lenten rose
I let loose
his hand

 

 

 

 

 

fog all day
the whiteness
in my ears

 

 

 

 

 

his Christmas package . . .

the icy steps

of the post office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in the sickroom

winter sunlight

on the mountain picture

 

 

“snowflakeSN”

 

 

blossoms . . .
I dust off the last
jar of cherries

 

    

 

 

eviction notice —
a moth ricochets
in the lampshade

 

 

alice frampton

“Lenten rose” Haiku Canada Newsletter

“his Christmas package” – The Heron’s Nest (March 2006) 

“fog all day” – Frogpond XXIV:2; World Haiku Assn

“in the sickroom” – Stone Frog; New Resonance 3

“blossoms”- winner, 2006 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

“eviction notice” —  The Heron’s Nest (March 2004)