"Do you have your papers?"
Posted on 02/09/2007 8:13:33 PM PST by kristinn
WRENTHAM - Police Chief Joseph Collamati has asked Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating to investigate allegations a town police officer may have posted information on an Internet blog critical of selectmen.
Collamati said Thursday the allegations, discussed in open session by selectmen at the end of their meeting Tuesday night, "demeans the reputation of everybody here" in the police department.
The police chief wants the district attorney's office to conduct an independent investigation.
"Quite frankly, I was a little disturbed by the allegations. I don't think they're true," Collamati said. "The officers of the Wrentham police department feel their character has been assassinated."
Collamati said individuals calling themselves "Little Bill" and "Guinness Boy" made the negative comments on a blog on Feb. 23, 2005.
The blog's address, www.freepublic.com/focus/f-news, now leads to MegaGo.com, which offers a "one click search" of keywords.
Collamati said he had done a preliminary look at the text.
"I don't see anything in there that refers to a Wrentham police officer, but politics does strange things," Collamati said.
Selectmen say they heard a police officer had used the name "Guinness Boy," but hadn't confirmed that.
"They were making fun of John Zizza and Mary Dunn and me," said Selectwoman Jennifer Firth, who raised the issue at the selectmen's meeting at the urging of board member Richard Dion. "It was concerning the election" of April 2005, and ideas being bantered about on how to unseat Greg Pazurchek.
Pazurchek ended up being defeated by George Labonte, who has a relative on the police department. Firth, who had been on the board since before 2005, won another term last year. Dunn and Zizza were selectmen during 2005.
Labonte pointed out at the selectmen's meeting that anybody can say they are anyone on a blog.
Firth called the Internet site a "political blog written on a left wing Web site, Free Republic," which included a chat room.
Firth said she has no problem with referral of the case to the district attorney's office.
"We certainly welcome him to do so, and file any complaint he would like to," Firth said of the police chief.
Information about the blog text was left anonymously at the selectmen's office, and that was forwarded by Dunn to Collamati for investigation, Firth said.
The matter was later discussed by selectmen in closed session.
Firth said Dion, who resigned at the end of the selectmen's meeting for personal reasons, wanted the blog issue discussed in open session against her wishes.
"There was no reason to put it in a public political forum," Firth said, adding she questions the credibility of blogs. "I thought it was inappropriate. You don't know who the people are who are actually chatting."
Selectmen and police officers have not had a smooth a relationship in recent years, and that worsened with budget reductions this fiscal year that led to layoffs of two patrolmen, one position of which has been restored.
There has also been controversy over improving public safety communications coverage in the west end.
In recent months, selectmen have discussed accountability and discipline procedures of police officers and firefighters with Collamati and Fire Chief Robert Morrill, but there have been no serious problems with the rank and file.
"I greatly respect the police department and think they are doing a great job for the town," Firth said. "I have nothing negative to say."
"a left wing Web site, Free Republic"
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One has to ask why a left wing site would have the word 'free' in it, because liberalism is not about freedom, it is about control backed up by the threat of force.
Sounds like they are making much a due about nothing
Do they really think everyone in that town likes them?
They need to grow a thicker skin
Appropriately enough, one of the writers' last names is Gelbwasser, which means "yellow water" in German.
yeah, Wrentham. I was born next door in Franklin.
Left wing????
This bloke wouldn't know his arse from his elbow!!!!
Quick, call out the SS officers! /s
LOL I can see how any intelligent person would feel the need to comment on such uninformed and prissy politicians... Apparently they've never heard of free speech.
"Do you have your papers?"
Can you tell me where I may find the chat room, senior?
Hahahaha! Thanks for the evening entertainment!
These chowderheads would probably also think that the Declaration of Independence was slander against King George. They really don't 'get' the fact that insulting politicians or government is protected speech of the highest order. If it wasn't, let's just say that Free(Re)public would have been shut down long before even Kerry started campaigning. I recommend these Selectmen take a flight to Cuba or China where they will their attempted censorship at least has a chance. Nobody can insult the integrity of a politician in either of those places. They'll feel right at home.
Ugg, bad edit.
Yo - Chief Joseph Collamati - I gotcher probe - right heeeeerrrreeeee.
O-TAY!!!
The new nobility.
New England's version of a city council.
They have lots of weird things.
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