OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT
The Bridgeport Guardians Organization Is Against Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia Taking The
Chief Exam Due to Her Illegal Appointment and Controversial Leadership.
The Bridgeport Guardians Organization would like to bring to light the fact that Acting Chief
Rebeca Garcia continues to show a pattern and practice of creating a hostile work environment
and retaliation against Black and White officers by launching frivolous complaints and internal
affairs investigations against Black officers she dislikes while favoring Hispanic officers with
high regards and respect. For example, Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia has handed out minimal to
no discipline against Hispanic officers and, in some cases, have personally removed their
discipline from the process of a mandated Loudermill hearing while unfairly targeting certain
Black officers of this organization, along with White officers, for unfair discipline by utilizing
the office of internal affairs to control the outcome of these illegal investigations, which fall
under the guidance of the Mayor and Board of Police Commissioners.
Under her poor leadership, it has been the worst in decades where Acting Chief Garcia has
created such a racial divide which has manifested into in-group favoritism as compared to the
days of past Bridgeport Guardians discrimination complaints where a federal consent decree
Bridgeport Guardians Inc. v. Delmonte was mandated under the remedy order to reform the
police department for civil rights violations and systemic failures.
As an organization, we fully support Lieutenant John Gale for his continued fight against racial
discrimination and equality for all officers within the Bridgeport Police Department and at the
hands of Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia.
It is for these reasons, the Ganim administration shall refuse to indemnify the unlawful actions
and overt discrimination exhibited continuously by Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia, and until this
occurs, she will continue to cost the city millions of dollars for her unlawful actions and
repugnant treatment against Black and White officers within the Bridgeport Police Department.
