Second Monroe County Children’s Detention Center employee arrested this month

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — For the second time this month, another employee of the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center has been arrested.

Gregory Bodine, 49, was charged with second-degree harassment and criminal obstruction of breathing on Dec. 13, according to Brighton Police.

Chief David Catholdi says Bodine, of Rochester, allegedly committed the crime against a juvenile who was in detention on Oct. 23 at the detention center. He was issued an appearance ticket.

The arrest was revealed by Monroe County Executive Adam Bello Wednesday in a press release calling for changes in who runs the center. Meanwhile, the search is on for a new director.

Bello said changes to the detention center are necessary to “address the changing nature of the center’s population.” He said the children at the center are older, more numerous, and the allegations against them tend to be more violent than in the past. According to Bello’s statement, many of the children at the center are awaiting trial for allegations of assault and possessing illegal guns.

Thalia Wright, commissioner of the county’s department of human services, concurs.

“Many of the youth we get with the charges they have, unfortunately some are murder charges, attempted murder, gun charges. “A lot with the climate we see in the community right now, as they wait sentencing, it’s been very difficult around safety,” she said.

Bello said it may be no longer be appropriate for the center to be overseen by the Department of Human
Services. In the next 90 days, the Office of Public Integrity will make recommendations on policy changes.

News10NBC previously reported that an employee at the Children’s Detention Center was arrested after people reported that he allowed two children in the bathroom so they could engage in “slap boxing” on November 23. Camera footage shows the employee hitting a child in the face after the child exited the bathroom, according to deputies. 

“We will not tolerate violence at the CDC — and that goes both ways — on the part of county
employees as well as for the juveniles detained there,” Bello said.

You can read the full letter from County Executive Bello here: