NAACP meets with Meriden Police Chief

Meriden, Conn (WTNH) - The NAACP is meeting with Meriden's Police Chief after complaints have been lodged claiming unfair treatment.

The NAACP is concerned about several issues, including allegations surrounding the behavior of several officers, and alleged nepotism within the department.

Allegations that police chief Jeffry Cossette has gone easy on his officer son has sparked a lot of talk around town.

The department and the chief are being investigated by the state police and the FBI for how brutality complaints against the chief's son have been handled.

The son, officer Evan Cossette, can be seen on a surveillance video pushing a handcuffed man. A complaint claims he was treated favorably in internal investigations because his dad is chief.

The NAACP wouldn't speak specifically about this issue, but told News 8 they are not here to pick sides on current public issues. They are meeting with the chief to talk about what is right and wrong, and make sure all investigations are thorough.

"We're not here to pick sides. We don't want people to think that that's why we're here. We're here because we are concerned about what's going on, what's been said, and the concerns of the citizens in Meriden," said Barbara Holloman, President of the NAACP Meriden-Wallingford branch.

There are currently two lawsuits against the department by officers alleging invasion of privacy by the chief. Holloman says since those were filed, she's received more than two dozen phone calls from people within and outside the department complaining about various procedures, including the department's disciplinary process and hiring practices.

The chief was unavailable before the meeting. He has said in the past the investigations will show he's done nothing wrong.