April 22, 2014
Dear Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton:
I write this letter requesting that you reinstate Joe Sanchez, an NYPD hero unjustly dismissed 30 years ago. In response to a recent request to reinstate Office Sanchez, Commissioner Bratton had an Inspector Sweet, send a letter saying “Your request is denied". Inspector Sweet’s terse reply was in response to former NYPD Hispanic Society President Detective Edward Martinez as well Officer Herman Velez, Officer Sanchez’s partner the night he was wrongfully set-up. To refresh the Commissioner’s recollection, Officer Velez had the honor of piloting an NYPD helicopter for him.
Is Inspector Sweet’s terse response evidence of racism and disrespect directed at Hispanic police officers? One hopes not! If there are “road blocks” to Officer Sanchez being reinstated, as some have alleged, they were placed in Joe’s file with one purpose: to shut him up and shut him down. I am making a YouTube Documentary and I have to explain briefly why so I dubbed him the Hispanic Serpico. Officer Sanchez doesn’t consider himself the Hispanic Serpico but I do. He took a bullet to his career and unlike Serpico he had to provide for four children and his wife.
NYC paid $26.8 million to NYPD Hispanic Officers discriminated against from 1996 - 2003. What about officers prior to 1996? 0 dollars. In my opinion any “road blocks” in Mr. Sanchez’s file were discriminatory and prejudicial yet Mr Sanchez does not want money just an honorary reinstatement.
It should be noted that former NY State Assemblyman Nelson Denis, has been interviewed by me, and states that Joe Sanchez should be given an honorary re-instatement. I have filmed a diverse group of NYPD and IAB officers who state that Joe Sanchez should be given an honorary re-instatement. We also have a Petition on change.org with 150 signatures. I have enclosed letters from Charles Joe Hynes, as well as more documents to underscore Officer Sanchez was wronged, including from a juror who wrote Mr. Hynes, in support of Joe's reinstatement. I have a YouTube interview with her as well filmed 30 years later this asking for his re-instatement.
A respected NYPD retired high ranking officer, whom I had the honor of meeting, asked for Joe’s reinstatement, but was told to FORGET him. Why is the NYPD behaving this way?
My late dad was a decorated WWII Vet, and Joe served with distinction in Viet Nam. Both were teenagers when they served our country. Joe was wounded with shrapnel, but his fellow soldiers did not forget him. Everywhere Joe Sanchez has served: Viet Nam { Purple Heart }, NYPD, Port Authority PD, US Postal Service, to State Correction Officer, he has garnered commendations and respect.
Commissioner Bratton, you are a Viet Nam vet; would you forget a fellow soldier or officer or leave him behind? No! Why then would you treat Joe Sanchez this way?
Please do justice for Joe. We hope that you will do what is right.
However, please know that we will continue on until we get a mayor that wants to send a message to all of New York: stop punishing whistle blowers, especially those in the NYPD.
One personal note: I have already documented the important facts of Officer Sanchez’s case in two YouTube interviews of IAB officers. I interviewed the initial investigator who says
the allegations against Joe were unfounded and that he was surprised at the time to hear Joe Sanchez was indicted and arrested.
I have dedicated my life to justice and to making the city safer and fairer. I am a whistle blower and a victim of NYPD's and IAB's vindictiveness. The NYPD acted on a threat made to me that if I took any legal actions, the tables would be turned on me.
I am fighting for justice for Officer Sanchez, an NYPD hero, who won more medals in 10 years of service with the NYPD than many NYPD officers receive during their entire careers. Please have a look at this Wiki page, which shows Officer Sanchez’s many decorations, all attesting to his valor.
The two IAB supervisors Joe Sanchez reported to back in 1983 concerning two of Joe's superiors who were corrupt, were supposed to investigate Joe's information without bias. Instead they tipped off Joe's supervisors and the tables were turned on Joe. Joe was later wrongfully indicted and arrested on bogus charges of ripping off 6 drug dealers he and his partner, Herman Velez, arrested. You can check out my YouTube video on this incident. Google: Joe Sanchez drug bust. These IAB officers betrayed Joe Sanchez and sent a message: if you speak up you will be retaliated against. Ask Mr Kelly and all commissioners past and present to name one NYPD officer that has blown the whistle and not been retaliated against: You can’t.
Joe Sanchez and I both hope and pray that we will persevere in both our cases until we find a mayor and NYPD brass that truly respects all People and wants to get to the truth.
We would welcome a meeting to look at Officer Sanchez’s file and address any allegations that lead to Inspector Sweet’s terse response denying Joe Sanchez an honorable reinstatement.
It should noted my YouTube documentary makes NYPD history with 2 Internal Affairs investigators as well as other NYPD officers agreeing to be interviewed all stating, give Joe Sanchez an honorary reinstatement.
Thank you,
Suzannah B. Troy
cc: Inspector Sweet
Deputy Commissioner Susan Herman