Police Union Calls for Removal of Monticello Constable Over Past Case

The Liberty Police Benevolent Association is calling for the removal of a Monticello constable, criticizing the village’s hiring decision and citing concerns tied to a prior criminal case involving the appointee.

In a letter posted publicly on Facebook, the union — which represents police officers in the Village of Liberty but does not represent officers or constables from Monticello— urged Monticello officials to remove Yermia Solomon from his position.

“In the interest of maintaining integrity, accountability and public trust, we strongly urge the appropriate authorities to take immediate action. Yermia Solomon should be removed from his position without delay,” the letter states.

Phillip Pantuso of the Times Union said the dispute is unusual because it involves a police union in one municipality weighing in on hiring decisions in another.

“You have one police union for one town’s officers commenting negatively on the hiring practices of a neighboring municipality,” Pantuso said.

The union cited a 2017 case in which Solomon, then a Monticello police officer, was charged with two counts of third-degree rape involving a 15-year-old.

Pantuso said Solomon later resolved the case through a plea agreement that was subsequently vacated.

“He ended up taking a plea deal in that case to a lesser charge,” Pantuso said. “But because of a really obvious but really minor technical error, that plea bargain was actually thrown out.”

He said the issue involved incorrect information in court paperwork filed by prosecutors.

The plea was vacated in 2022 following appellate review, and the case was later dismissed.

Pantuso said Solomon later sought to return to law enforcement in Monticello but was not reinstated as a police officer. He was instead appointed in 2024 as a constable under the village’s constabulary system.

“Monticello had established a constabulary,” Pantuso said. “There are three constable positions — one is a full-time court officer and two are part-time roles that handle parking enforcement.”

He said Solomon serves in one of the part-time roles focused primarily on parking enforcement.

“It’s essentially walking the streets of Monticello, looking for parking violations and writing tickets,” Pantuso said.

Pantuso said the union’s letter was released after months of internal consideration and was publicly posted but addressed to officials.

Monticello officials defended the appointment.

The village attorney said Solomon was “vindicated through the criminal process” and said the hiring was lawful. The attorney also criticized the union’s statement as “political gamesmanship.”

Monticello’s police chief said he had no concerns about Solomon’s work in the role, citing his prior training.

Image Credit: Village of Monticello