Syracuse Swears in Replacement Officer after Miotto Resigns
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
SYRACUSE – A new full-time officer was sworn in Tuesday to replace one who resigned after only seven months with Syracuse police, amid allegations of “consensual sexual conduct” while on duty.
Rich Miotto, 37, of Warsaw, resigned Nov. 2 as investigation into the allegations was starting. Syracuse Town Marshal Tony Ciriello has said that no charges will be filed and there will be no departmental discipline.
Council did not discuss the resignation during the meeting. Ciriello had declined to name the departing officer earlier this month, but confirmed Miotto’s resignation after the meeting.
Miotto, a veteran of the Warsaw Fire Department and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, joined Syracuse Police in March and served his first day as a patrolman April 4. He is the son of Milford Town Marshal Richard F. Miotto.
Reserve officer Ben Hostetler was sworn in during the meeting as the replacement full-time deputy marshal. A reserve officer with Syracuse for three years, he will begin full-time Monday and attend intensive training in January.
Ciriello said he chose Hostetler for the position because he was among the top five candidates during their last hiring process. Ciriello said, “He was right up there, and he has experience with our department.”
Also during the meeting, the council approved a zoned sewer rate for Oakwood residents and gave first reading to the establishment of an account for that infrastructure improvement money. Residential customers will each be charged a total of $1,012.50, payable in installments over five years.
Ciriello later told the council that since his department is now in charge of Oakwood streets, he and town attorney Mike Reed will work on an ordinance formalizing speed limits and stop signs in the next few weeks. Ciriello said he will not change anything already in place, though the town street department will be updating some signage to follow code.
The council also passed a law regulating the use of town rights of way along Syracuse Lake and other waterways. The law requires registration for use of town-owned streets and alleys abutting waterways, and spells out requirements for piers placed in public waterways.
Council members voted as well to approve the $14,860 purchase of two thermal imaging cameras by the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Fire Territory. The cameras will be bought through the fire territory’s equipment replacement fund.
The vote came with a stipulation from councilman Larry Siegel that the fire territory immediately dispose of the pair of old cameras.
Members also heard during the meeting that trash pickup originally scheduled for Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 will instead be Dec. 27 and Jan. 3; and that the annual holiday program in Veterans Memorial Park will be this Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. Before the program - which will feature carriage rides, food and entertainment, live reindeer and a visit from Santa - there will be children’s crafts from 1 to 4 p.m. at Lakeland Youth Center.
