Firth called the Internet site a "political blog written on a left wing Web site, Free Republic,"
Firth must have seen all those pro Rudy threads. 
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."
Wow, just wow. I mean I know its late and everything, but I just keep reading and laughing. Best post in quite a while. Thanks for all your work.
E
(those people are STILL morons, especially the fancy-pants reporters)
I think it's one rank below a Primechoiceman and two ranks above Sosoman.
LOL!
LOL!!
Sad that a police chief cannot get a simple website address right.
Thanks for the ping. I don't get the story either. Sounds like Firth is singing her own rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee".
Firth called the Internet site a "political blog written on a left wing Web site, Free Republic,"
Firth must have seen all those pro Rudy threads.
If she was trying to avoid being made fun of, this kind of childish whining and obvious ignorance isn't the way to go about it.
That's quite the glaring error. We expect that type of reportage from the nyslimes.
Right. LOL
I'm on it...
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.
Just curious, was this info faxed from a Kinko's in Texas? ;-)
God forbid anyone talk back to or criticize our "betters..."
Furthermore:
The (I believe) Massachusetts/New England term for city or town counciil members.
Hadn't seen this Tee shirt before...
The written name of the website is free public.com not free republic.com.
Learn something new every day...
5.56mm
The original thread has been removed. I posed a question for help and advice from local Freepers that I knew on how to run a local campaign. In my question for help I referred to a local organization as the town "bleeding heart liberals". There were replies to my string by some that could be deemed as incindiary. However, I cannot control what is posted by others in reply. I can control what I post, and I stand by my postings on the original thread which has since been removed more than a year from today. I think the town has bigger fish to fry than political blogs.
The article describes someone without a clue about FR.
The main problem with this whole situation is based on wild assumption. The thread is being looked at in the whole and not the sum of it's parts. It is not being broken down by who said what, and who is who. It's basically, "they are saying this about us" and they is guinnessboy or littlebill, they said all of this stuff, which is completely off base. What's even further off base is that they are certain that all identities have been made and that they are coming from certain town officials, I assure you that absolutely none of the Sun Chronicle article is factual.
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