Lorain councilman says he was barred from crime watch meeting
Jason Hawk | The Chronicle-Telegram
LORAIN — When City Councilman Dennis Flores showed up to a neighborhood watch meeting Thursday night, he was firmly asked to leave.
Several watch captains met at City Hall to plan a crime-prevention picnic in August. Flores said he is a watch captain, too, but when he tried to get into the meeting, he was stopped by Lorain police officer David Kusznir.
“He said he didn’t want me there,” Flores said. “I was worried that if I went in there, they would call the police and have me escorted off the property.”
Flores, D-2nd Ward, was charged May 23 with DUI and trying to solicit a prostitute. He was one of six men arrested during a citywide sting.
A pretrial has been set in Lorain Municipal Court for Aug. 22, but in the meantime, Flores said police who run the city’s neighborhood watch aren’t giving him any breaks.
Kusznir told him not to be involved in the watch while the charges are pending, Flores said.
Mayor Tony Krasienko said Flores filed an official complaint against Kusznir on Friday with Safety Director Phil Dore.
“I know that Mr. Flores is saying something illegal might have happened,” Krasienko said. “The complaint is pretty vague.”
He said there will be an investigation to see whether any department policies were violated.
Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera said Kusznir had a “short, polite conversation” with Flores before the meeting and told him the neighborhood watch wanted a break in its relationship with the councilman.
“It’s hard to say we want someone to come fight drugs and prostitution when he’s been charged himself with soliciting prostitution,” Rivera said. “Until the issue is resolved in court, it doesn’t serve the interest of the neighborhood watch program to have Mr. Flores as a captain.”
Rivera said he supports Kusznir’s statements asking Flores to leave, especially because other neighborhood watch members have expressed concerns about Flores and his public image.
He said he plans to call Flores on Monday and try to come to a friendly solution to the problem.
“I think he really wants to make a difference, but he has baggage, you know?” Rivera said. “We’re more than willing to work with him, but right now we need him to address his issues.”
Flores said he doesn’t want to be judged for crimes of which he hasn’t been convicted.
He also said he shouldn’t be barred from any watch meetings, because he should be allowed to represent the people of the 2nd Ward, where he’s seen so much crime in the past few weeks.
Turning him away from the meeting was illegal, Flores said.
“It was intimidation of a public official,” he said. “If I had wanted to push the envelope, I could have fought it.”
Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Jason Hawk | The Chronicle-Telegram July 19th, 2008 in Top Stories. Popularity: 14% |
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Comments
Comment from
xfiles
July 19, 2008, 5:54 am
Now I have heard it all!!!!! Flores should be thrown off of city council if he is found guilty and he does not need to participate in the neighborhood watch program until he is proven innocent ; if he is guilty, throw him off of the program also.
You have to set a good example for people to be on city council and serve on programs like the neighborhood watch. It bothers me greatly that the young people and children are seeing that it must be ok to commit crimes and act like complete fools in this city.
Finally the Chief of Police has done the right thing and it has changed my opinion about him. This is how a Police Chief should act. It shows that he has morals and cares
about the citizens of Lorain.
As for Flores, I hope the judge does the right thing and does not look the other way like has been done so many times in this city for “certain officials”. Why should Flores expect anyone to give him any breaks. What a disgusting little worm. Go get some help Flores.
My final thought is that I think the residents of Lorain have elected the wrong Mayor. Saying that the complaint is pretty vague doesn’t hold water. Either he was charged with a DUI and trying to solicit a prostitute or he wasn’t.
Comment from
maerd
July 19, 2008, 7:22 am
xfiles- I think the Mayor was talking about Flores making a complaint against the police officer who would not allow him into the neigborhood watch meeting, not the pending DUI and prostitution charges.
Comment from
johnbear
July 19, 2008, 8:16 am
Not only should he not attend Crime Watch meetings, but he should not attend council meetings until this issue is resolved. Let the “public official” push the envelope and fight the ousting. I’m sorry, I meant let the “public embarassment” push the issue and let the council and citizens push the envelope with his pink slip inside.
Comment from
carrie
July 19, 2008, 8:39 am
I’m not familiar with the Neighborhood Watch groups. If they are private citizens who have banned together to help their neighborhoods, then they can keep someone out simply because they don’t like them. Nothing illegal about that. Either way, Flores should just shut up and stay home.
Comment from
Blade
July 19, 2008, 9:08 am
Carrie
You are absolutely correct. The neighborhood watch is a group of private citizens and if they don’t want him there, they don’t have to have him there. Who does he think he is? I can’t believe that he would bring this attention onto himself. I applaud Officer Kusznir for telling FLORES that he was not wanted at the meeting. Now I hope someone tells him that he is not wanted as a councilman either.
Comment from
ladalang
July 19, 2008, 10:07 am
This just blows my mind. How Dennis Flores can make everything about him is beyond me. The neighborhood watch tries to fight the very crimes Flores was arrested for.
He doesn’ t have an active block watch and never did. He claims he started one as part of his campaign so he used it as a tool to get elected.
I’m a block watch captain and I don’t feel comfortable with him at our meetings. He has never been active in doing anything but talk about having a block watch. We are trying to fight crime not rub elbows with it.
The police department funds the program so they have every right to say who can be in a leadership role in the block watch. Dennis can participate as a citizen but why would anyone consider him a leader after what he was arrested for. Why does the neighborhood watch have to have a black mark?
He needs to do what’s right an let the block watch alone. This isn’t about him it’s about the safety of the city. This guy just isn’t right in the head.
Comment from
Lovinglife4me
July 19, 2008, 10:20 am
We are trying to fight crime not rub elbows with it. That was a good one ladalang. I also would like to applaud Officer Kusznir for telling Flores that he was not wanted at the meeting. It amazes me he had the audacity to even show up. For those who say he is innocent until proven guilty, come on now, he was caught BIG time.
Comment from
Lovinglife4me
July 19, 2008, 10:22 am
He was probably hoping to find out where the next sting was going to be so he could avoid getting caught next time.
Comment from
leland_matuszak
July 19, 2008, 12:11 pm
I am so happy, the chief spoke up for Kusnir and showed how immoral Flores is. The Chief has always been my beacon morally, and I wish Flores had spoken to Cel and emulated what he has taught me in my experiences with him as a boss. I am so glad the chief pointed out Flore’s moral flaws and talks to him, and put’s him on the right path of morality. God Bless Chief!! I still admire you, and always will!!!
Comment from
Lovinglife4me
July 19, 2008, 12:23 pm
Leland give it a break already!!! Do you bow down when he walks into a room too?
Comment from
justsaying
July 19, 2008, 2:07 pm
Lovinglife4me, you took the words right out of my mouth with your first comment. I can’t believe this guy has the b***s to even show his face in Lorain, much less try to rid it of crime. Is there higher authorities *outside agencies*, that can be sought out to investigate these positions in Lorain ? I think if there is, you need to start with the Mayor and go right down the list, since the Mayor would even allow this type of trash to continue in his town.
Comment from
BigDaddyDday
July 19, 2008, 3:26 pm
You guys need to give Flores a break! The reason he got CAUGHT last time was because he missed the Block Captains meeting because he was ’smashed’. Now he’s trying to do the right thing by trying to find out where the next sting will be and you people won’t let him! Can’t you all see that he just trying to save the tax payers money by not getting arrested every time he tries to score a little ’snatch’! If you don’t start letting him in those meetings he’s going to take his business to Elyria or elsewhere! At least for now he’s spending his money in Lorain…and after all…isn’t that what we expect from our elected officials?
Comment from
johnbear
July 20, 2008, 7:56 am
All citzens can attend a Crime Watch meeting by showing up at next Council meeting. Everyone can just stand up and stare at Flores without saying anything since you can’t talk at these meetings as a citizen. This way he can’t complain about not being able to attend a crime watch meeting!
Comment from
ladalang
July 20, 2008, 9:23 am
It wasn’t a crime watch meeting they didn’t want him attending, he can do that as a citizen, everyone can. He wanted to attend a block watch captain’s meeting. Captains organize and work directly with the police as one point of contact for their particular neighborhood. It’s a leadership role that works directly with the Lorain Police Department (LPD).
Since he doesn’t have an active block watch, they basically just asked him to stop calling himself a block watch captain and associating himself with the LPD program.
I would imagine he’s scrambling now to finally get names of people who want to be in his block watch to legitimize he actually had one but that makes the block watch program look bad as he’s not exactly a role model for law abiding safety. And that was the point the police and the block watch captains were trying to make. His character is in question with the DUI and prostitution arrests.
I just don’t see this having a good outcome. The guy does whatever he wants. The program and the current volunteers suffer because this guy can’t accept the sigma that came along with being arrested. In my opinion he’s in denial and thinks he’s above the law. I spoke to a lot of captains and we just hope he goes away.
Comment from
johnbear
July 20, 2008, 10:08 am
I hope he goes away too, but I know that is wishful thinking. He could be an axe-murderer pedophile, but the adminstration and the city council would do nothing to remove him. This is a big joke to them and by doing nothing, they think people will forget about it. Keep up the pressure on your concilman to get this clown out. Unfortunately, when I called my councilman, he wouldn’t listen to me at all. By the way, Flores is my councilman and I am ashamed to say that!
Comment from
xfiles
July 20, 2008, 1:03 pm
johnbear
When Flores goes to court and he is proven guilty, can people in Ward 2 sign a petition to get him thrown off of city council? If so, it may be a way to oust him.
I was surprised at how many people stuck up for him when the story broke. I don’t think they have any morals either. I remember someone saying everyone makes mistakes and I know everyone does, even me. But, when you hold an office your reputation and character should be impeccable.
The best thing to do is to try to get the bum thrown off of city council along with anyone else of questionable character.
‘
Comment from
johnbear
July 20, 2008, 3:30 pm
I’m pretty sure when he goes to court, he will plead no contest and the sentence will be reduced to something very minor. I will shocked if he even receives a slap on the wrist. Mark this on your calendar and remember my prediction.NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO FLORES.
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