Chester Police Chief Under Scrutiny Amid Allegations of Misconduct
In January 2023, the Mayor of Chester, a village in Orange County, New York, received an explosive anonymous letter from a police officer alleging that Police Chief Timothy McGuire engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a woman at the station. The letter accused McGuire, who was a sergeant at the time, of boasting about the affair and collaborating with subordinates to conceal the woman’s visits, including instructing officers to leave the station when she arrived.
Despite the serious allegations prompting a formal investigation, a reported investigation was claimed to be nonexistent by the Chester Police Department ten months later. A public records request filed by New York Focus and MuckRock revealed conflicting information, showing 18 pages of misconduct allegations against McGuire withheld by the department. The investigation reportedly exonerated McGuire and inadvertently led to the resignation of the anonymous whistleblower.
In a trend observed across multiple police departments in New York, many have declared an absence of misconduct records, with almost a third of 228 agencies responding to similar records requests claiming no documentation exists. This lack of transparency is exacerbated by recent legislative changes that have reimposed barriers on accessing police misconduct records, raising concerns among civil liberties organizations.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office recently provided a draft report uncovering details from the initial investigation, wherein McGuire acknowledged the affair but denied any wrongdoing during work hours. The officer who filed the complaint maintained his claims, supported by text messages exchanged between him and McGuire.
As it stands, Police Chief McGuire continues to lead the Chester Police Department amid ongoing scrutiny, with allegations of misconduct lingering in the community and within the department itself.
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Photo credit nysfocus.com
