3.27.2026 Press Conference - Council President Ponte

What's that? Good afternoon everybody.

Today I scheduled a meeting with several of my colleagues on the city council in an effort to find common ground with the mayor following his letter indicating his intent to veto the city council's resolution calling for an independent investigation.

The city council is simply seeking to determine whether there was any abuse of power within the Fall River Police Department. Nothing more, nothing less.

We owe that to our residents.

And just as importantly, we owe that to the many dedicated police officers who put their lives on the line every single day to protect this community.

These officers deserve to work in a department that is beyond reproach. One that the public fully trusts because even the perception, I want to make it clear, the perception of misconduct or abuse of authority is damaging. It damages the department. It damages the profession of policing and it damages the morale within the ranks and the confidence within the community.

Transparency is not optional in government. It is essential.

We outlined, in my opinion, a reasonable and responsible path forward to Mayor Coogan. However, if this investigation continues to be blocked, we are prepared as a council to act. First, as a private citizen, I have already filed a complaint with the Fall River Police Department regarding this matter. Under departmental policy, that complaint must be investigated.

Second, also as a private citizen, I will be initiating a fundraising effort to retain independent legal counsel.

That legal action will seek to clarify two critical issues. Number one, the city council's authority regarding confirmation of appointments and reappointments. Number two, an injunction on contracts until the courts can rule on the council's rights under the city charter, including our authority to conduct investigations.

Also, the city council will continue to move forward with this investigation. I want to make it clear. The city council will continue to move forward with this investigation.

as duly voted in this chamber by this council. If an independent investigator is not allowed, then this body will conduct the investigation itself openly and transparently, similar to congressional hearings, so the public can see and hear the facts. And finally, if this effort to block transparency continues, I will strongly urge my colleagues to withhold support on matters that come before the council

until this issue is resolved because accountability cannot be selective. It needs to be consistent. So, let me close with this.

We are all asking for good government, accountability, and transparency and an independent review that tells the truth.

If there was no wrongdoing, then the investigation will confirm that and strengthen the public's confidence. But if there are violations of police policy, of trust, or the law, and we must address them.

That could mean reforms. That could mean discipline. That could be referral to appropriate authorities.

That's our responsibility, and we're not going to walk away from it. I'll answer any questions that you may have.

The mayor today said that he has contacted the attorney general to look into this.

Um I guess what's your reaction to that and is is that at least one step in a direction to find out what happened here?

I mean that's a start. Um sure. But I believe that's a criminal investigation, the attorney general. We're we're looking, as I indicated, to determine whether or not there was procedural issues, departmental issues, chain of command issues.

I didn't My first reaction wasn't to go criminal, wasn't to contact the attorney general's office.

What What is your hope in terms of hearing back from the police department on on your on your complaints?

Well, I mean, as a private citizen, I have a I have every right to go to the police department and file uh a complaint. Um, we're we're we're going down the process of getting to the bottom of this and I'm exploring all options from a private citizens perspective as well to uh conduct that.

And what is your fundraising efforts? I mean, how do you hope that's going to evolve as we move forward and any timelines that you see that may bear fruit to moving forward in terms of getting outside legal? I'm fairly confident that the community will come together like it has in the past to do the right thing because all the council's trying to do here is the right thing and if corporation council doesn't

want to continue to cooperate with the city council in their efforts then we'll take it on our own to do so.

How much do you expect or hope to fund raise?

No idea. This is all coming together rather rather quickly.

The mayor today accused you of saying you'll cut out issues that come to the city council. Respond to that if you if you don't get your investigation. Look, I'm being completely clear. I I mean, I have issues with the fact that he's holding back and putting roadblocks in place to conduct an investigation into the fall of a police department. And there should be no equivocation on where

I, as one counselor, come from. If I'm going to vote no, I have a right to vote no. I can't vote for nine, eight other city councils. I'm going to vote as I wish under each topic. But I have an anticipation that, you know, I'll continue to do what I got to do that's in the best right uh best interest of the city of Fall River.

You read the article or the 14page affidavit in the search warrant?

Yes, I read the article. I read the search warrant. I I I read all of the documentation that was in there. Um because as an elected official uh I feel that uh it's our responsibility to read what's available and what's in front of us. Not not read it or read some of it or read part of it or or maybe read a quarter of it or no I I I read all of

it. That's why I co-sponsored a resolution with my colleague PC councelor Pekkham who chairs the public safety committee.

Anyone from the city council asked corporation council to bring an opinion forward?

Not to my knowledge. It is to my knowledge. I don't believe anybody on the city council asked corporation council Ramsey to furnish his opinion to my knowledge.

Um I asked attorney Ramsey this this afternoon about um few years ago the counselor hired uh KP Law to do some work for them. I asked what was different um in that instance in this instance. Um he mentioned that he saw their work back then as sort of helping his office in terms of drafting ordinances and working with the council um on on that aspect of things. Um do you see any difference in terms of

asking for legal counsel between what happened then and what you're asking for now?

I mean I think there was two different circumstances uh when it comes to that.

Um the council at that time under a different council uh felt that they wanted to have their own independent council uh that gave opinions on behalf of the city council. Um, it's my understanding that corporation council didn't like the opinions that came from another lawyer uh at that time and um they didn't proceed after I left the council to to to go forward with outside counsel anymore. Make it clear, we're

not looking for outside counsel right now. We're looking to get what all we want to do here is an investigation of the police department. And I am completely confused as to why under any circumstance under any circumstance the mayor does not want to cooperate with such investigation. I don't understand it. And I called a meeting at 9:00 this morning to find out why we can't get to the bottom of this and all work

collectively to do the right thing by the residents of Fall River. That's what we're looking for. That's it. This there's nothing bigger. There's nothing larger. That's it. That's all we're looking for.

Ask this to the mayor. Does it concern you that the Facebook poster Anony you said check the drug desk of officer Robelard mayor ordered an investigation with Jeff Cordoza.

It turned out the officer was suspended.

A report came out from Jack Soua former police chief and I asked the mayor today is he on uh you know drug task force like that and said I don't know the chief can promote who she wants that kind of stuff. Does it concern you that the might be doing the drug?

Yeah it's very concerning. Um, look, I don't, to be fair, I don't have a whole list of who's in what department. Um, but if it is true that an individual, a former police officer um was uh suspended or reassigned duties uh as a result of messing with evidence or dealing with drugs and is back in that unit. That's very concerning to me.

extremely concerning because a prior this current administration and a prior chief made appropriate action, conducted an investigation and determined by an outside investigator that wrongdoing could have been done and reassign the person and dealt with the discipline accordingly.

Why is this any different? I don't I can't like there's so many unanswered questions here that I can't answer. And and in the fact, Keith, to answer your original question too, the letter that was sent to the attorney general's office had a clear low blow to me, which doesn't make any sense to me either, that I had a a uh my partner, uh, Michael Sylvia published an online Facebook article

critical of the application as if I was walking around with that reporter in city hall or at the police station.

Everybody makes Let me just make one thing clear. I was going to buy a radio station with a reputable social media platform that has hundreds of thousands of Facebook likes. I was going to revi revive a radio station to bring it back and keep an icon in the city and it didn't work out. I'm not business partners with him right now. So, this is, you know, I heard the mayors today

say that he's going to, you know, make all these articles public. Yeah. You know what you do when you go into business even before you start it? you file limited liability corporation documents that's recorded at the Secretary of State's website. Like to me, how how wouldn't we be celebrating entrepreneurial people trying to hold on an icon in the city and then we're going to he's going to draft his letter asking

for an investigation with a slight me.

That's that's that's a that's a that's a deflection of of of the problem. And it just goes to show you that you're trying to cloud the judgment of the attorney general, who I haven't spoke to, which I believe I heard him say he got a text from her saying she's going to investigate it this weekend or next week. She's too swamped. I don't have that ability to counselors don't have that ability to speak to the attorney

general.

I'm not looking for a criminal investigation. I want to find out what's going on in the police department. It's not a hard question. It's not a hard investigation. Stop with the roadblocks and do the right thing. That's all we're trying to do here. Don't try to deflect on the other problems with guta moments and threats. I've made no issue with what where I stand for 10 years being on

the city council and I don't anticipate no matter what the issue is to stop that.

Any other questions?

No. Okay. Thank you so much.