Formed in 1917, the New York State Police has much in common with the Catholic Church.  Both organizations are built around the notion of doing good, helping and protecting others, and providing a beacon of hope for those in need.  Another notable similarity between the Catholic Church and the NYSP … until 1973, when women first joined the State Police, the ranks of Priests and Troopers were composed only of men.

There is at least one other way in which the Catholic Church and the NYSP are alike … both entities place the very highest priority on safeguarding their image.  And if a recently surfaced case from upstate New York is any indication, some State Police members have proven themselves equal to Catholic prelates in their willingness to ignore and denigrate victims of ghastly behaviors perpetrated by their employees.

In the matter at hand, the Albany Times Union reported in April, 2024, the breathtaking details of Roger Coon, a now-deceased State Trooper who, in 1982, was allowed to retire from the force despite credible allegations of child sex abuse having been made against him.  It was later determined that this predator had, for years, been abusing young boys while on duty and in uniform, yet he was permitted to leave the State Police without criminal charges or disciplinary action, and with his full pension intact.

The Criminal Justice system, though, had not heard the last of this pervert, for a scant two years after leaving the State Police, Coon was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to the molestation of three boys between the ages of 10 and 12.  Notably, the allegations in his case detailed more than a dozen incidents that took place immediately before and after he left the State Police.  Finally, in 2001, he was sentenced to six months in jail and five years’ probation for the sexual abuse of a 9-year-old boy.  This irredeemable deviant died in 2003.

It is important to note that when information about Coon’s criminal behavior first became known, the State Police took a page from the playbook of those Catholic leaders who worked tirelessly over the years to protect the image of the Church, while downplaying the horrific scandal of child abuse.  A written recommendation from a NYSP Investigator is especially telling:

Since the Saratoga County district attorney has elected to forego any criminal prosecution and Coon is no longer subject to division disciplinary proceedings, further investigation into this matter would only provide for possible widespread public knowledge and embarrassment to the division.

In other words, rather than conduct a wider search for other children who might have been harmed by this pedophile, the primary goal suggested by the author of this report was that, first and foremost, the image of the organization be protected.  Put differently, he proposed that the State Police should “keep the lid on things” and, when it came to the possibility of any additional victims, well, everyone would just have to keep their fingers crossed that none would come forward.

Given the concerns over image expressed by the Investigator above, one is left to wonder whether things might have turned out differently had the allegations against Roger Coon been fully investigated when they first surfaced.  How would the public and the media have reacted?   Would knowledge of the perverted actions of that one Trooper have irreparably tarnished the reputation of the State Police?  Would making public the results of a meticulous investigation have helped or harmed the stature of that agency?  In short, would the image of the NYSP have been enhanced or diminished by a demonstrated willingness to deal quickly and seriously with malfeasance within its ranks?

What is abundantly clear is that after forty-two years, this case and the manner in which it was handled have created a public relations nightmare for the New York State Police, while resurrecting the pain endured by victims of child sexual abuse.  Two days after their initial report on this case, the Albany Times Union published an editorial on this matter with a damning and accurate title:

A Stain on the Badge