Fall River committee recommends denial of two taxicab driver licenses after police cite convictions

At a meeting of the Fall River City Committee on Regulations, members voted to recommend denial of taxicab driver license applications for Robert Allen and David Carrero after police officials said each applicant’s criminal convictions made them unsuitable for licensing under the department’s background standards.

The recommendation matters because the committee’s actions will be forwarded to the full City Council for final action; licensing decisions affect driver livelihoods and the city’s public-safety oversight of for-hire transportation.

Deputy Chief JT Horford of the Fall River Police Department told the committee, “The reason for the denial is, the criminal history is concerning, regarding the background that we do on the licensing, so that's why it was denied.” Horford spoke during the committee’s review of Robert Allen’s application after the police chief had denied the license.

Robert Allen, the applicant, said the record considered by the…