Me with my Dad, and Judge Provenzano when my Dad became a United States Citizen in 1981.
BY DAVY V.
When I was 9 years old, Officer Friendly visited my third grade class at Jonathan Child #21 School in Rochester, NY.
I remember being so excited.
Officer Friendly gave my entire classroom plastic police badges and booklets which talked about Stranger Danger, as well as explaining what police officers do to keep communities safe.
I remember telling my parents all about how cool Officer Friendly was, when I got home from school that day.
From an early age, my parents raised me to respect law enforcement.
My parents would always say that the police in the United States were good, and that they could be trusted.
And if anyone knew about trusting police, it was my parents.
In 1968, my mom and dad fled Cuba, a communist police state, with my brother, who was just 6 years old.
They left everything behind, including their family members, to come to the U.S. in search of a better life.
Me with Retired Rochester, NY Police Officer Ron Fontaine in 2018.
One day my Dad introduced me to Rochester, NY Police Officer Ron Fontaine.
Officer Fontaine worked out of the RPD's Maple Section, on Child Street, which was right down the street from where we lived.
My Dad struck up a friendship with Officer Fontaine, and several other Maple Section officers, including Captain Russell Silipigni, Officer Tom Dean, Detective Sal Ruvio, Detective Vito D'April and Detective Vito D'Ambrosio.
He would regularly drop by the Maple Section police station with coffee and donuts for the officers, and sometimes I would tag along.
This was the early 1980's and policing was different.
In many ways, there was a better relationship between police officers and the communities they patrolled.
One reason for this was that unlike today, where the Rochester, NY Police Department is basically divided into two sections, East and West, in the 1980's the RPD had 9 sections throughout the city.
Which meant that officers weren't just responding to calls, they actually had personal relationships with the citizens in the communities they patrolled.
This was the time of the beat cop.
Officers knew the bodega owner at Maali's Market on Maple St.
They knew the pizza shop owner at Tashetti's Pizza on Child St.
And they knew the kids in the neighborhood.
In 1982, I was at Campbell Street Recreation Center practicing with my softball team when Officer Fontaine pulled up in his Dodge Diplomat RPD cruiser.
In the 1980's, the City of Rochester Recreation Centers gave kids a place to hang out, especially during the summer school break.
From arts and crafts, to playing softball, flag football, basketball, and even taking field trips, recreation centers were an outlet for us.
They also kept us occupied and kept us from hanging in the streets.
When softball practice was over, Officer Fontaine asked me if I would like to play softball for the RPD's Maple Section team.
In the 1980's the Rochester, NY Police Department had a program where each RPD section had a summer youth softball team.
And each section's team would play each other every week at Rochester's Cobbs Hill Park.
The very next week I was wearing a green "RPD Maple Section 2" t-shirt, a green hat, and playing left field.
My childhood home
In 1986 that relationship and trust that I had for law enforcement was shattered.
On a hot June summer day, our next door neighbor Earl Landers, an alcoholic who would regularly beat his wife Helen when he was drunk, became enraged when my Dad wouldn't give him money to buy alcohol.
My Dad refused to support his alcohol addiction because whenever Earl would beat his Helen, she would run to our house, where my Dad would call the police.
It was a vicious cycle.
The police, who knew Earl very well, would show up, and arrest him.
And in the morning, Helen would catch the bus to City Court, to Earl's arraignment, and would refuse to press charges.
Until the next time he was drunk and beat her again, where she would run to our house.
Well, that day Earl did not like that my Dad wouldn't give him money for alcohol.
And he was angry.
So he called the police.
And lied.
He told 911 that my Dad had just threatened him with a gun.
A few minutes later, Rochester, NY Police Officers Randall Benjamin, known on the streets aa "Rambo", and Mark Mariano, a rookie officer, talked to Earl, who they could clearly tell was drunk.
Both officers then walked up on our porch and began banging on our front door, demanding to enter our home and threatening to kick our door down if we didn't open it.
My Dad, who couldn't understand why the officers were so irate, or why they would believe a wife beating drunk in the first place, knew the law.
He told the officers that they could not enter our home without a warrant.
Then they started kicking our door in.
My Dad Mario Vara in a photo taken before Rochester, NY Police officers kicked or front door in.
There are certain things in life that you never forget, no matter how many years have passed.
Especially traumatic incidents and experiences.
It's been 40 years.
And yet, I can still clearly remember the loud sounds of the kicks on our door.
I also remember the sounds of the wood cracking and splintering, with every kick of the officers' boots.
And as I'm writing this, I can vividly recall their black Hi-Tek boots coming through the panels of the door.
Once inside, they pointed their guns at us and were yelling "Where's the gun?"
They went upstairs to my parent's bedroom and flipped their mattress and box spring over.
They dumped the dresser drawers out on the floor.
They knocked everything off my parents dressers, including my softball and football trophies which my Dad so proudly displayed in their room.
My trophies were on the floor in pieces.
Me with my dog Sinome in 1986
At one point, as they were leaving, Officer Mark Mariano yelled to me
to grab my dog Sinome, or he would shoot her.
I was crying and begging him not to shoot my dog, and Officer Mark Mariano grabbed me by shirt, and slammed me up against the hallway wall.
At one point my mom was pushed out of the way and fell.
And right before they left, as they were walking on the pieces of broken wood from our door that they had just kicked in minutes earlier, my brother Mano, who had recently had surgery for a hernia, told Officer Randall Benjamin that what they did, kicking in our door and entering our home without a warrant was a clear violation of our constitutional rights.
Officer Randall Benjamin looked at my brother, laughed in his face, and asked him, "Who are you, Perry Mason?"
I will never forget that day.
I will never forget how my mom was crying.
I couldn't believe that Rochester, NY Police Officers from Maple section, the same police station that I played softball for, had just done this to our family.
And I couldn't believe they would take the word of an angry, violent drunk who beat his wife.
After that day, I never looked at police officers the same again.
The respect for police that I was raised to have, was gone.
And so was the trust.
I remember how hurt my Dad was after that incident.
I could tell.
Even though my Dad tried not to let it show.
Having lived most of his life in Cuba, he could not believe that just like in Cuba, police here could also enter your home without a warrant, terrorize your family, and then just leave.
He was devastated.
And if that incident didn't completely shatter the respect and trust that my Dad had for law enforcement, what happened three years later would.
In 1989, I was dropping my friend Thomas off at his house after we had just gotten out of work.
As we were nearing my friend's home, I noticed a Rochester, NY Police cruiser behind me.
Every turn I made, the police cruiser also made.
After a few blocks, more police cruisers joined the first one.
A few minutes later, as I turned onto my friend's street, several more Rochester, NY Police cruisers were driving towards me from the opposite direction.
As I pulled into the driveway, my car was surrounded by Rochester Police cruisers.
RPD officers jumped out with guns pointed at us.
Next thing I remember is Rochester Police officers pulling me out of my car, dragging me towards the street, and slamming me face down on the cement curb, where the driveway meets the street.
I was trying to tell them they have the wrong person, but they wouldn't listen as they pressed my face into the ground.
In the two weeks prior, I had been stopped by Rochester Police a total of three times.
Each time I was stooped, officers told me that my car resembled a stolen car that they were looking for.
Even the license plate was eerily similar.
The only difference, they said, were the last two digits.
So I kept trying to tell these officers that they have the wrong person, that my car is not stolen.
They completely ignored me.
I was handcuffed, yet police officers were still pinning me to the ground.
I remember begging the officers to please get me my asthma inhaler as I couldn't breathe.
I could hear my friend's mom Ms. Hooper yelling at the officers telling them that I was her son's friend and asking them why were they treating me like this.
But they wouldn't listen.
After a while, they took the handcuffs off and they left.
No apology.
No explanation.
Nothing.
They didn't say a word.
They just left.
The officers didn't even call for medical attention.
It was my friend's mom who called an ambulance.
THAT was the incident that completely shattered my Dad's respect and trust for law enforcement.
And in the months and years that followed, my Dad became very active in the Rochester community, especially when it came to speaking out against incidents of police brutality and misconduct.
My Dad would attend every City Hall meeting, as well as other community meetings, calling for police accountability and change in the way Rochester Police treated minorities.
My Dad Mario Vara seated on right side of photo at a 1991 community meeting on police accountability along with City of Rochester, NY officials including RPD Chief Roy Irving, seated at center of table on left of photo.
My Dad Mario Vare (center) and Rochester, NY City Councilwoman Nancy Padilla (right)
Rochester, NY Police Chief Roy Irving
My Dad Mario Vara at a 1990 community meeting on police misconduct, held at Montgomery Neighborhood Center in Rochester, NY.
My Dad Mario Vara on location with his cable access television show La Voz Del Puebo.
My Dad even started a local cable access television program called La Voz del Pueblo (The Voice of The People) where he would feature local incidents of police abuse, and interview victims of police misconduct.
I remember how my Dad would never a miss a City Hall community meeting, or a Monroe County Legislature session.
My Dad became a voice for so many who were too afraid to speak up.
And my Dad was loud, and he was passionate.
And he made sure City of Rochester, NY officials including the Chief of police heard him.
My Dad became a thorn in the City of Rochester's side.
And they hated him.
So did many Rochester, NY Police officers.
They started pulling him over for absolutely nothing.
Just to harass and intimidate him.
One time, my Dad drove his car to the corner store to buy milk for my mom, and a Rochester Police officert got behind him and was blasting the loud alarm that police officers usually use when they're letting motorists know to get out of their way, or when they're going through intersections.
Only there was no emergency.
This Rochester Police officer was doing it just to scare my Dad.
The Rochester Police officer then pulled up next to my Dad and yelled to him, asking my Dad if he got any money from the lawsuit yet.
The RPD officer then laughed, and drove off.
The harassment and intimidation tactics continued.
In the 1980's, if you showed police that you knew your rights and if you stood up to them, and especially if you filed a lawsuit, it wasn't uncommon for them to gang up on you and intimidate you and your family.
And that's exactly what these Rochester Police officers were doing.
And it really started to take a toll on my Dad.
But my Dad was from the old school.
From a time where you didn't show emotion.
He grew up in a different era.
A time where to show emotion, was to show weakness.
So he kept it all inside.
Years later, my mom would tell me he was never the same after that 1986 incident where Rochester Police Officers Randall Benjamin and Mark Mariano terrorized us at gunpoint.
She told me that he felt helpless that day.
But she said he didn't want me and my brother to see him depressed, so he kept it all inside as much as possible.
But around 1992, I remember noticing that my Dad was different.
It was like a spark was gone.
He had become withdrawn.
And he stopped attending the City Hall and various community meetings that he would never miss.
And then he stopped producing and hosting his cable TV show, something
he was always very passionate about and loved to do.
On July 9, 1993 while I was at home watching TV in the living room, and my mom was cooking in the kitchen, my Dad committed suicide in his bedroom.
And when they were bringing my Dad's bodybag down the stairs of our front porch, I remember seeing Rochester, NY Police Investigator Lou Alletto, from Maple Section, laughing with other RPD officers, and flinging a cigarette butt on our front lawn.
I will never forget that.
InvestigatorAlletto never liked my Dad.
And I don't care what anyone says, to this day I truly believe he was happy that my Dad was gone.
I know a lot of RPD officers and City of Rochester, NY officials were.
In the 7 years from when Rochester, NY Police Officers Randall "Rambo" Benjamin and Mark Mariano terrorized our family at gunpoint in 1986, to the time several Rochester, NY Police officers beat me in 1989, thinking I was driving a stolen car, to seeing my Dad being harassed and retaliated against by Rochester Police as a result of him speaking out against police brutality and misconduct, to seeing Rochester, NY Police Investigator Lou Alletto laughing as my Dad was being brought out of out home in a bodybag...
I ABSOLUTELY HATED POLICE.
(Above Photos) Early 'Davy V' in 2001 in front of Rochester, NY Police Department's Maple Section
A PROMISE TO MY DAD
Me, my mom and my brother arrived at Hedges Memorial Chapel near downtown Rochester, NY around 12:30 p.m.
The first thing I noticed were several Rochester, NY Police vehicles in the parking lot.
There were two RPD cruisers and two Chrysler Reliant K cars, which were unmarked cars that the RPD were still using in the early 90's.
I remember thinking why were there Rochester Police officers at my Dad's wake.
Everything felt surreal from the moment we walked inside the funeral home.
I remember holding my mom as she was crying.
My mom kept repeating in Spanish that she couldn't see my Dad like this.
And as we walked into the room where my Dad was, I could see a group of five men at the end of the room standing in front of my Dad's gray metal casket.
As me, my mom and my brother made our way to my Dad's casket, Rochester Police Officer Ron Fontaine turned around and hugged my mom and my brother.
Officer Fontaine then gave me a firm hug and told me my Dad was a good man.
Officer Fontaine then looked at me and told me that he wanted me to know that my Dad loved me very much.
I will never forget how Officer Fontaine was crying.
So was I.
He really loved my Dad.
The other Rochester, NY Police officer was Tom Dean, an RPD officer my Dad also liked very much.
Then there were Rochester, NY Police investigators Sal Ruvio, Vito D'Ambrosio, and Vito D'April
They all hugged me, my mom, and my brother and offered their condolences.
I remember thinking, as much as I hated police, the fact that these five RPD officers who my Dad had a great relationship with, the same ones who my Dad would bring coffee and donuts to, for them to take the time to come and see my Dad and pay their respects, that really meant so much to me and my family.
That evening, during the second viewing of my Dad's wake, the funeral home was packed.
There were community leaders who worked with my Dad.
There was also some City of Rochester, NY officials such as City Councilman Tim Mains, and City Councilwoman Nancy Padilla, both who my Dad was very close with.
And there were even members of Rochester, NY's news media, including Times-Union columnist Bob Lonsberry, who would often write about my Dad for his REAL PEOPLE column, and who wrote a beautiful piece about my Dad after his funeral.
When everyone left, the funeral home director, a Puerto Rican gentleman named Jose, who knew my Dad from his community activism work, gave my family some time to be with my Dad before they closed his casket.
I walked up to my Dad and put my hand on my Dad's hands.
He was cold.
I told him I loved him.
And I made a promise to him.
I promised my Dad that I would never forgive the Rochester, NY Police Department or the City of Rochester, NY for everything that they put our family through.
I also promised my Dad that I would continue his work that he started, of being a voice in the community, exposing police misconduct.
And that was the day that 'Davy V.' was born.
My Dad never got to see our family win our lawsuits against the Rochester, NY Police Department and the City of Rochester, NY, including a Federal jury verdict against 7 Rochester, NY Police officers who over the course of a two year period engaged in a pattern and practice series of violations of my civil rights.
Convicted Greece, NY Police Sgt. and Former Rochester, NY Police Officer Nick Joseph (Photo NYSDOC)
In one of the incidents, Rochester, NY Police Officer Nick Joseph, who worked out of the RPD's Genesee Section 3, retaliated against me after I video recorded several RPD officers mistreating a Jamaican motorist in front of our Child Street home during a traffic stop in 1997.
One of those Rochester Police officers was David Joseph.
Nick Joseph's brother.
R News, a local news television station repeatedly aired my video of the traffic stop involving the Jamaican motorist.
And Nick Joseph didn't like that.
So he drove from a different police section, to the Maple Section neighborhood, to take out some brotherly street justice.
On a cold Fall day, me, my mom, and my Tia Martha, who was visiting from Florida, had just returned home from putting a wreath at my Dad's grave, when Rochester, NY Police Officer Nick Joseph and his partner Lamar Cousins pulled up in front of our house.
Nick Joseph yelled at me to come off my porch.
He then pulled his police cruiser in the parking lot of the auto body shop next to our home.
Then, as I was walking into my home, Rochester, NY Police Officers Nick Joseph and Lamar Cousins walked up on our porch and entered our home.
Without a warrant.
Rochester Police Officer Nick Joseph grabbed me, slammed me against the refrigerator and the kitchen sink, and handcuffed me.
Nick Joseph and Lamar Cousins dragged me outside and then Nick Joseph slammed me face first against the inside edge of his RPD cruiser's rear driver's side door.
Nick Joseph assaulted me under color of law and falsely arrested me, for my exercising my First Amendment right to record his brother David Joseph and several other RPD officers mistreating a motorist.
During the Federal civil rights trial, Nick Joseph sat next to six other Rochester, New York Police Officers at the defense table.
Every day of the trial they all came dressed in their police uniforms.
At one point during the trial, my mom who was 64 years old at the time, testified on the stand.
My mom knew how to speak English but she had a strong accent, so she was given an interpreter.
As my mom testified in Spanish about the incident with Nick Joseph falsely arresting me and assaulting me, Nick Joseph laughed.
Looking back now, I have no doubt the jury saw that.
Immediately after my family won our Federal lawsuit against the Rochester, NY Police Department, and the City of Rochester, NY, my lawyer Nira Kermisch turned and whispered to me:
"They especially hated Nick Joseph.", referring to the jury.
Rochester, NY Police Officer Nick Joseph would go on to work for the Greece, NY Police Department, a department with a long and dark history of corruption.
(Top Photos) Nick Joseph at his trial in New York State Supreme Court.
In 2008, Nick Joseph was at Spenders bar in Gates, NY, drinking alcohol and high off cocaine, when he got behind the wheel of his brother's Ford Fusion.
Trial testimony would later show that Nick Joseph was doing in excess of 80 miles an hour when he crashed into a stalled vehicle that was parked on the shoulder of interstate 390 North in Greece, NY.
Inside that car, a young mother, who was 6 months pregnant.
The impact of the crash was so violent that it ruptured her unborn baby's placenta.
Like a coward, Nick Joseph ditched his brother's car, and ran into the night in an attempt to escape accountability.
The baby, a little girl, had to be delivered 3 months prematurely via emergency c-section and suffered medical complications.
Nick Joseph was later convicted and served a prison sentence.
LEARNING TO TRUST AGAIN
"Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair."
Until someone has betrayed the trust you had for them, you don't know just how true that saying is.
And in many ways, that's exactly what the Rochester, NY Police Department did.
They betrayed the trust that I had for law enforcement.
As well as the respect that I was raised to have for police.
In 2009, I moved to the Town of Brighton, NY, a small Rochester suburb.
And over the years, I have gotten to know several Brighton, NY Police Officers, which isn't hard, as it's a small department of only 40-plus officers.
And before I even knew it, something interesting started to happen.
I realized that the Brighton, NY Police Department was different than the police departments that I had covered on my YouTube channel DavyVTV as well as on The Davy V. Blog.
They were definitely different than the Rochester, NY Police Department, and the Greece, NY Police Department.
Two police departments with a long, dark history of corruption and coverups.
Two law enforcement agencies who frankly can't seem to stay out of the news when it comes to scandals including police misconduct.
But it wasn't just that the Brighton, NY Police Department was never in the news, and was a professional law enforcement organization.
It was that I was able to approach Brighton, NY Police officers and actually have a normal and respectful conversation with them.
Something that I had never really been able to do with other police departments.
And the Brighton Police officers weren't just approachable.
They were professional, and respectful.
There's one specific interaction that I will never forget.
One time I was with my daughter who was around 5 years old at the time, when I introduced her to Brighton, NY Police Officer Mark Skidmore.
Officer Skidmore gave me and my daughter coupons for free ice cream.
That one organic interaction with Officer Skidmore reminded me of my Dad introducing me to Rochester, NY Police Officer Ron Fontaine, when I was 10 years old.
And it's something I hadn't felt in years.
My relationship with the Brighton, NY Police Department has not been perfect.
And there are a few videos of me bumping heads with a couple of officers during the almost 20 years that I have called Brighton, NY home.
Looking back, now that I'm older, I realize I could have handled those interactions differently.
The important thing is that when I have needed the Brighton, NY Police Department, they have always been there.
In 2015, when an armed ex-con with an extensive criminal history dating back to the 1980's stalked me and my children, when I was taking them to school, the Brighton, NY Police Department was there, and charged the individual.
By comparison, the same individual threatened to kidnap and murder my 5-year old daughter and the Rochester, NY Police Department and the Monroe County, NY District Attorney's Office refused to charge him.
And in 2022, Brighton, NY Police Department investigators Stephen Hunt and Mike Romach arrested an individual who stalked me online for the past 5 years, threatening me, sending me racist emails, and even threatening to desecrate my father's grave.
That individual was charged with stalking/hate crime.
My brother Mano would always tell me that I should show more of the positive side of law enforcement.
And I realized he was right.
Over the years, I have made countless videos highlighting many Brighton, NY Police Officers.
Officers like Brighton, NY Police Captain DeSain, Captain Caraballo, Captain Karch, Officer Stephen Hunt, Officer Newnan, Officer Barth, Officer Officer Needham, Officer Keirsbikck, Officer Moulton, Officer Barcellos, Officer Capeder, Officer Ruffalo, Officer Kaiser, Officer Hoag, Sgt. Clouston, Sgt. Peck, Officer Oquendo, and Officer Wilcox.
The past few years have been very hard for me.
In 2016, I lost my Tia Martha, who was like my second mother.
In 2022, I lost my mom.
And just last year I lost my brother Mano, my only sibling.
The Brighton, NY Police Department has been very supportive.
I'd like to say a few things about some of the members of the Brighton, NY Police Department.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE CHIEF DAVID CATHOLDI
When I moved to Brighton, NY, Chief David Catholdi was Captain Catholdi.
In 2019, Captain Catholdi was sworn in as Brighton, NY Police Chief.
And while I haven't had as much interactions with Chief Catholdi over the years, as I have with other members of the Brighton Police Department, such as the patrol officers, Chief Catholdi has always been professional and respectful.
And recently, Chief Catholdi did something that no other law enforcement officer or official has ever done.
He met me for coffee.
It may seem like a small thing, but Chief Catholdi didn't have to meet me for coffee.
But he did.
And for Chief Catholdi to take the time to meet with me, is something that means a lot to me and something that I appreciate more than he will probably ever realize.
And while I will keep the context of our conversation private, Chief Catholdi even gave me some really good advice and recommendations that have really helped me during a very difficult time.
I left our coffee meetup feeling a newfound respect for Chief Catholdi.
RETIRED BRIGHTON, , NY POLICE CAPTAIN / DEPUTY CHIEF
MIKE DESAIN
I have known retired Brighton, NY Police Captain and Deputy Chief Mike DeSain for close to 20 years.
Mike DeSain has always been there for me when I needed him, including during a very dark and difficult time for me having lost my Tia Martha (Tia is aunt is Spanish), my mom, and my brother.
Mike DeSain was a great cop.
But he's an even better person.
And he is one of the Brighton, NY Police officials most responsible for my learning to trust and respect law enforcement again.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE CAPTAIN JOSE CARABALLO
Captain Caraballo was the first Latino Brighton, NY Police Officer I met shortly after moving to Brighton, NY.
And as a Latino myself, I remember feeling very impressed that at the time, the Brighton, NY Police Department had two Latino officers, the other being Officer Julio Montes.
It's hard to describe, but as a Latino, and father of Latino and African-American children, there's something special about seeing my town's police department be culturally diverse.
For its small size, the Brighton, NY Police Department is very diverse with officers of different ethnic backgrounds including Latino, Brazilian, Native American, and African-American.
And although I'm fluent in English, there's something special about being able to communicate with someone in my native language, Spanish.
So I enjoy talking Spanish with Captain Caraballo every chance I get.
Captain Caraballo has been there for me each and every single time that I have needed him.
Including times when I just needed someone to talk to.
Especially after losing my brother.
Captain Caraballo has also given me great advice.
Most importantly, Captain Caraballo has always treated me with the utmost respect.
Brighton, NY Police Captain Jose Caraballo has played a key role in my learning to trust and respect law enforcement again.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE CAPTAIN TIMOTHY KARCH
Despite my having lived in Brighton almost 20 years, it wasn't until recently that I have gotten to know Brighton, NY Police Captain Tim Karch.
I'm not sure if I ever told Captain Karch this, but he has taught me one of life's most important lessons.
NEVER ASSUME.
The truth is, for years I didn't think Captain Karch liked me.
Let me explain.
After my Dad's suicide, I created 'Davy V.', a sort of alter ego much like Eminem's'Slim Shady'.
Only in my case, 'Davy V.' started as a way for me to deal with and channel the trauma and pain of my Dad's suicide, as well as everything me and my family experienced with the Rochester, NY Police Department.
But I never really expected'Davy V.' to sort of take on a life of its own.
And the truth is not everyone likes 'Davy V.'
Most people see 'Davy V.', the social media, online persona.
But few people have ever taken the time to get to know David Vara.
The real me.
And so for years I assumed that Captain Karch didn't like me.
So I didn't really interact with him.
And to be clear , it wasn't anything that Captain Karch ever did or say to me.
Not at all.
I think it was more his reserved, quiet nature.
And given my past experience with everything that me and my family have been through with law enforcement, I wrongly assumed that perhaps he too didn't like me because of the at times loud, and over the top 'Davy V.' character.
And while I wouldn't necessarily say that Captain Karch is a 'Davy V.' fan, (wait, actually that would be pretty cool, hmm...) I could not have been more wrong about him.
Captain Karch has always shown me the utmost respect, and has always been there for me when I have a had a concern.
And Captain Karch has also been very supportive after the recent passing of my brother Mano.
He has also shared advice as well as insight which has really helped me navigate through a very difficult time.
Recently, when talking to Captain Karch, I was reminded of something that I'm learning a bit late in life.
That oftentimes in life we tend to forget that despite some of us coming from different backgrounds, you'd be surprised to know what things you might have in common with someone.
This was the case when I recently learned that like myself, Captain Karch likes tofu.
I know that may seem insignificant to some, but at least for me, it's little simple things like that, that reminds me that aa humans we share more things in common than we realize.
Brighton, NY Police Captain Tim Karch has definitely played a key role in my learning to trust and respect law enforcement again.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE SGT. REBECCA HALPIN
When Brighton, NY Police Sgt. Rebecca Halpin learned of my brother's passing last year, she called me and asked me wheee I was.
Sgt. Halpin then drove to my brother's apartment where me and my son were starting to pack my brother's belongings.
Sgt. Halpin hugged me and offered her condolences to me and my son.
Expressing myself whether on my YouTube channel, or on here has never been hard for me to do.
And yet I can't put into words for this piece, how much Sgt. Halpin coming to see me and my son, and personally offering her condolences meant to us.
Like the other Brighton, NY Police members that I have mentioned, Sgt. Halpin has not only always treated me with respect, and has always been there whenever I've needed assistance, but she is yet another example of how the Brighton, NY Police Department has helped me trust and respect law enforcement again.
Some of my favorite videos on my YouTube channel DavyVTV, are videos where Sgt. Halpin and Investigator Derick Fera have invited me to come watch them fly the Brighton, NY Police Department's drone.
As a huge aviation fan, including having flown RC planes, I get excited like a kid whenever Sgt. Halpin invites me to come watch the drone flights.
And it's not lost on me that she doesn't have to do that.
But she does.
And I don't think Sgt. Halpin realizes just how much it means to me.
As I get older, I truly believe the universe works in mysterious ways.
I've experienced some of the worst when it comes to law enforcement.
And since moving to Brighton, NY, I have met some of the best in law enforcement.
And Brighton, NY Police Sgt. Rebecca Halpin truly is one of Brighton, NY's finest.
(TOP PHOTOS) Brighton, NY Police Sgt. Rebecca Halpin and Investigator Derick Fera and Brighton, NY Police Drone
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER / DETECTIVE DERICK FERA
Brighton, NY Police Officer (Now Investigator) Derick Fera is hands down one of my all-time favorite law enforcement officers.
I first met Officer Fera in 2018, and after introducing myself, and sharing a few laughs , I left thinking "That's one cool cop."
Well, he's more than just a cool cop.
He's a real life superhero.
In November of 2020 Officer Fera was on his way home from work when he saw a vehicle on the side of the road with a frantic mom saying her baby was choking.
Officer Fera immediately used his first aid training and removed the obstruction in the child's airway, saving the child's life.
The videos I have made of Officer Fera over the years, are some of my favorites highlighting Brighton, NY Police officers.
Investigator Fera has always treated me with respect and has always made me feel genuinely welcomed when he flies the Brighton Police Department's drone.
A great law enforcement officer.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE LIEUTENANT KEITH WOODARD
One of the things I sometimes tell Brighton, NY Police Lieutenant Keith Woodard is he makes me feel old.
Lt. Woodard is much younger than me, but I actually remember when he started.
And he looked like he was fresh out of college!
As a supervisor, I don't really get to see Lt. Woodard too often but one of the things I really appreciate is that when we do see each other, our conversation pretty much picks up where we left off the last time.
In the years that i have lived in Brighton, NY, Lt. Woodard has played a key part in my learning to trust and respect law enforcement again.
Another great police officer.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE LIEUTENANT ALLISON LAUBACHER
Lieutenant Allison Laubacher is one of the first Brighton, NY female police officers that I met since I've lived in Brighton.
She has always treated me with respect, has always been professional, and has always been both responsive and accessible whenever I have had a concern.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER JOE LABARBERA
Brighton, NY Police Officer Joe LaBarbera is a throwback to the beat cop of the 1980's.
Before the Rochester, NY Police Department shattered the trust and respect that me and my family had for police, my experience with police officers from the Rochester, NY Police Department's Maple Section was with officers who didn't just respond to calls, but who actually knew the folks who lived and worked in the community they patrolled.
Police officers who genuinely enjoyed checking in on the members of those communities.
And that's Brighton, NY Police Officer Joe LaBarbera.
Brighton, NY Police Officer LaBarbera has played an integral part when it comes to my learning to trust law enforcement again.
A GREAT COP.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER TAYLOR BARTH
If I had to write down a TOP TEN list of my favorite Brighton, NY Police officers, Brighton, NY Police Officer Taylor Barth would definitely be in it!
One of the coolest, most down to earth, and approachable law enforcement officers I have ever met.
Officer Barth has always been there when I have had a concern or needed assistance.
Most importantly, Brighton, NY Police Officer Taylor Barth respects the First Amendment protected right to record.
In fact, just recently, as I was filming Officer Barth pulling over a reckless motorist, another individual started yelling at me for exercising my First Amendment protected right to record.
The individual then approached Officer Barth in full KAREN mode.
Officer Barth very professionally proceeded to educate the Black Karen that I had every right to record in public.
Officer Barth is definitely responsible for my learning to trust and respect law enforcement again.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER JOYCE BARCELLOS
Brighton, NY Police Officer Joyce Barcellos is another example of the Brighton, NY Police Department's cultural diversity.
Officer Barcellos is from Brazil, and therefore speaks fluent Portuguese.
My favorite thing about Officer Barcellos is that she's always upbeat, and has a smile on her face.
It's clear that she loves her career and I have truly enjoyed the times I've talked to her.
Another great police officer who has always treated me with respect.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER CARLOS OQUENDO
Like Captain Jose Caraballo, Brighton, NY Police Officer Carlos Oquendo is Puerto Rican, which means I appreciate being able to speak with him in my native language, Spanish.
Always professional and always has a smile.
Another great cop.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER DAVID KEIRSBILCK
The first time I met Brighton, NY Police Officer David Keirsbilck, I couldn't believe what he said to me.
He said he used to watch my YouTube channel DavyVTV when he was in college!
First thing I told him was that he just made my day.
Second thing i told him is I really am getting old.
You know you're been doing something too long when the college student that used to watch your videos, now patrols your town.
Brighton, NY Police Officer David Keirsbilck is ONE COOL COP.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER AUBREY NEEDHAM
Officer Needham is another Brighton, NY Police Officer who you can tell truly enjoys his career.
He always has a smile and an enthusiastic, upbeat attitude.
Officer Needham has always treated me with respect.
Another great police officer.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER TYLER MOULTON
I haven't seen Officer Tyler Moulton in a while, as he's been out on leave.
Another great Brighton, NY cop who I always enjoy talking to.
The Davy V. Blog sends Officer Moulton best wishes and may he feel better.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER DANIEL NEWMAN
Officer Newman is one of the newest additions to the Brighton, NY Police Department.
When we first met, we bonded over our love for Hip Hop.
Especially Wu Tang.
I enjoy talking with Officer Newman every chance I have.
Another great cop.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER MARCUS CAPEDER
Officer Capeder was actually one of the very first videos I made highlighting Brighton, NY Police officers on my YouTube channel DavyVTV around 2015.
Another great Brighton, NY Police Officer.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER DARYL WILCOX
Officer Wilcox was with the Rochester, NY Police before joining the Brighton , NY Police Department.
Officer Wilcox has always treated me with respect and I have always enjoyed talking with him.
Another cool cop.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER HEIDI KAISER
I've known Officer Kaiser for years but haven't had many interactions with her.
However, this past summer, when an individual questioned my First Amendment protected right to record, Brighton, NY Police Officer Heidi Kaiser, very professionally explained to the individual that I have the right to record.
I thought Officer Kaiser handled the situation perfect.
To be completely honest, better than I did.
Another great Brighton, NY Police Officer.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE OFFICER JEFFREY RUFFALO
I haven't had many interactions with Officer Jeffrey Ruffalo, but this past spring as I was filming a video of Brighton Police officers working a traffic safety detail during the annual Lilac Festival running marathon, Officer Ruffalo, was riding one of the Brighton Police Department's Harley Davidson motorcycles when he pulled up at a traffic light next to where I was standing.
Brighton, NY Police Officer Ruffalo said hello and asked me how I was doing.
That simple little question can make such a big difference in someone's day.
Thank you Officer Ruffalo.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE SGT. STEPHEN HUNT
Sgt. Hunt was actually the first Brighton, NY Police officer that I met when I moved to Brighton, NY.
And he was one of my favorite Brighton Police officers.
Sgt. Hunt has always shown me respect, and has always been professional.
Unfortunately, I don't get to see or talk to Sgt. Hunt like I used to, but I'm thankful and very appreciative to him and retired Brighton, NY Police Investigator Mike Romach, for identifying, arresting, and charging the individual in 2022, who spent years stalking me online, sending me racist and threatening emails, including threatening to desecrate my Dad's grave.
At the time, Sgt. Hunt was an Investigator, and his quick work not only led to the individual being identified, but also led to him being charged with stalking / hate crime.
Brighton, NY Judge Karen Morris, issued me a 4 year order of protection ordering the individual to stay away from me and my family.
BRIGHTON, NY POLICE SGT. BRADLEY CLOUSTON
The first time I met Brighton, NY Police Sgt. Clouston was when he followed me all the way to my home.
I don't think he expected me to get out of my car and ask him why was he following me.
He said he didn't know who I was and apologized.
Sgt. Clouston is actually a very nice officer, and has always shown me respect.
RETIRED BRIGHTON, NY POLICE SGT. JULIO MONTES
Sgt. Montes was one of the first Brighton, NY Police officers that I met when I moved to Brighton, NY.
My favorite thing about Sgt. Montes was that I could speak Spanish to him, something I don't get to do much.
After getting to know Sgt. Montes, he was always there whenever I needed assistance and he always answered my calls.
Sgt. Montes always showed me respect.
In closing, I'd like to say this:
When writing about the incidents that me and my family have experienced with law enforcement, one thing that was very challenging was deciding which incidents to list, and which to leave out.
Over the years, there have been other incidents, not only involving the Rochester, NY Police Department, but also other law enforcement agencies, including the Monroe Country , NY Sheriff's Office who have targeted and retaliated against me and my family.
I will be writing about those in the near future, as well as talking about those incidents in an upcoming film.
This wasn't easy to write about.
In many ways, writing about a traumatic experience feels like one is reliving it all over again.
And that's how this felt for me.
I think a lot of folks walk around holding traumatic experiences inside.
Refusing to talk about them.
And I think some of them even believe that by not talking about those experiences, by not recounting and sharing them, they will somehow just magically go away.
Please don't lie to yourself.
They won't.
As hard as it was for me to do this, I feel a certain load has been lifted off of me.
It's hard to describe.
Some things can't be explained.
But in a way it feels good to have shared my story.
One of the reasons I wrote about what me and my family went through with the Rochester, NY Police Department was for my children.
Although they're older now and they know what their father, uncle and grandparents went through when it comes to the Rochester, NY Police Department, I still felt the need to write it down.
I also wrote this for everyone who over the years has called me a "cop hater", as well as a lot of other very nasty and hurtful things.
And I also wrote this to publicly thank the Brighton, NY Police Department, whose officers and supervisors have been very supportive through what has been one of the hardest times in my life, losing my brother, my only sibling, and the last member of my family of origin.
The Brighton, NY Police Department has not only helped me learn to trust and respect law enforcement again, but they have also helped me look at law enforcement differently.
The Brighton, NY Police Department has helped me realize that there really are good police officers, who truly went into a career in law enforcement, because they want to help people.
A lot of law enforcement officials read The Davy V. Blog, and watch my YouTube channel DavyVTV.
To them, I would like to say this:
First, thank you for taking the time to read my piece.
If you take anything away from my story, it should be how a young child who was raised from an early age to respect and trust law enforcement, had that trust and respect betrayed by a few police officers who frankly should have never been allowed to wear a badge and uniform.
I'm sure you know the saying about "A few bad apples..."
Well, remember that those same "few bad apples" are tarnishing your department or law enforcement agency's badge and image.
Those same "few bad apples " are actively working against everything YOU represent when you put your uniform on.
And when you wear your badge.
As a law enforcement officer, please remember that you will leave a lasting impression with everyone you interact with.
Especially the youth.
I know it's not an easy job.
But please try to make every interaction a good one.
Especially with the youth, many of who were raised to respect and trust law enforcement.
Like I was.
Many who, whether you realize it or not, look up to you.
Lastly, to the police chiefs, sheriffs, and law enforcement supervisors:
NEVER be afraid to apologize, whether personally, or for the actions of your police officers.
It's been 40 years since the Rochester, NY Police Department terrorized me and my family.
40 years.
And no apology.
