The same day three members of the Ithaca Police Department were apparently cleared of wrongdoing involving a state police investigation- the acting police chief took an indefinite leave of absence.
While those things didn’t happen at the exact same time, it highlighted the tumultuous conditions within the department and City of Ithaca.
Acting Chief John Joly is taking an indefinite personal leave from his role leading the department. He was ultimately passed over this winter for the permanent job, despite being a finalist for it.
Joly has been with the department for 18 years, and has been acting chief since Dennis Nayor’s retirement in May 2021.
He apparently also plans on taking the City to court over a ‘hostile’ work environment. Details on that remain unclear at this point.
The City of Ithaca was celebrated for its willingness to ‘rethink’ policing, as the state phased in that initiative for communities to reimagine how they police. However, the City has little to show for it at this point.
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