Clifton police chief irate over council's response to his request for a new vehicle

CLIFTON — Police Chief Thomas Rinaldi was irate with the City Council after it tabled his request to buy a new chief of police vehicle using drug forfeiture funds and questioned his need and the motive for the request.

While some council members said they wanted more information about why the chief asked to replace his existing vehicle, a 2021 Dodge Durango with fewer than 15,000 miles, other members said it smacked of privilege.

Several members of the council cited an email from a resident who questioned the need to buy more than the base model. The requested Yukon has a "luxury package" that includes heated seats, an infotainment system and other perks, according to GMC.

Councilman Tony Latona said the money requested, $72,000, to buy a new Yukon could be better used to improve the equipment and training of the rank and file, who give their "blood, sweat and tears" performing their police work.

"I almost can't believe we are having this conversation," Latona said, adding that the city has plenty of extra vehicles available for the chief's use.

Rinaldi, in response, said he came up through the ranks as a patrolman, a narcotics detective and a member of the Passaic County Narcotics Task Force.

"I take great offense to the accusation that I am capitalizing on the blood, sweat and tears of the officers doing the day-to-day work, putting their lives on the line," Rinaldi said. His police work, he added, resulted in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of dollars and vehicles before he was appointed police chief on Feb. 28, 2020, just two weeks before COVID shut down the city and nation.

Rinaldi said he led the department through difficult months during the pandemic, when at times his department was decimated by the number of officers out with COVID-19.

"To insinuate that I did not do the work over the years is a great insult to my character, integrity and work ethic," Rinaldi said.

At Tuesday night's meeting, council members voted to table the chief's request. Councilman Chris D'Amato said he wants to know what would happen to the vehicle the chief is currently using.

"The concerns raised by some of my colleagues were reflective of the concerns from the resident email," D'Amato said. "Mainly that in a tight budget year, could this money be used to offset expenses for other existing police vehicles, and also what is the year and condition of the chief’s present vehicle that he’s looking to replace?"

Some council members questioned the need and wanted to know what else the forfeiture funds could be used for.

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"I'd love a new car all the time myself, but we simply cannot afford it," Councilwoman Mary Sadrakula said.

Rinaldi also said he asked to replace the 2021 Dodge Durango with 14,000 miles because it has largely been a lemon.

"My current vehicle has had numerous issues since its rollout," the chief said. "Wiring, mechanical and weatherproofing issues had resulted in my vehicle being at numerous dealerships for periods of months. If it were not for these issues, I would not be looking for another vehicle."

The laws of forfeiture dictate that funds can be used to purchase vehicles.

"Almost every chief has purchased vehicles for themselves using forfeiture funds to save the city money," Rinaldi said. "In four-plus years of being chief, this was my first purchase request."

He said all three of the department's captains drive 2023 Chevy Tahoes.

"In believing that my vehicle should be on par or slightly above theirs, I first opted for a Chevy Tahoe," he said, but because of a shortage of inventory, he expanded his search to include a GMC Yukon. The ones he found included the luxury package.

Regarding his existing police vehicle, it would be filtered down to one of the other divisions — the detective bureau, narcotics division or community policing, Rinaldi said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New car request reaction leaves Clifton police chief irate