In Springfield, Massachusetts, trust between the community and the police department is already fragile. That trust was further damaged this week when patrolman Anthony Bedinelli, a twice-fired officer whose terminations were overturned in arbitration, was promoted to sergeant.

Bedinelli’s troubled record is well-documented. He was fired not once but twice — and only returned to duty because of arbitration rulings. He served a six-month suspension and had previously been passed over for promotion because of his history. Yet now, despite this record, he has been elevated to a leadership role in the department.

This is not accountability. This is a failure of oversight. When officers with repeated disciplinary problems are promoted, it sends a devastating message to the community: misconduct is tolerated, and even rewarded. That undermines public confidence, demoralizes good officers, and erodes any chance of building real trust between the police and the people they serve.

Springfield residents deserve a police department where leadership is earned through integrity, professionalism, and service — not through loopholes and technicalities. Promoting someone with such a checkered history tells the community their concerns don’t matter, and it risks putting a problematic officer in charge of others.

We call on Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers, and the Springfield Police Commission to immediately review and reverse the promotion of Anthony Bedinelli. Further, the City of Springfield must work with the Massachusetts Legislature to reform arbitration laws that allow repeat offenders in uniform to dodge accountability.

Police officers wield enormous power — to arrest, to use force, to make life-or-death decisions. With that power comes responsibility. Promotions should never go to officers who have lost the public’s trust. Springfield deserves better.

Add your name if you agree: Springfield must end the practice of rewarding misconduct and ensure its police leaders are worthy of the badge.