Northfield Police Chief: Inadequate facilities to blame for suspect escape

The Greenfield Recorder ^

[qwerty1234]

During a contentious discussion at Monday’s Selectboard meeting, Police Chief Robert Leighton said inadequate police facilities are to blame for the escape of a suspect earlier this month.

...

The Northfield station does not have any separate area to hold detainees. There are stations to handcuff suspects to the floor, but Leighton said the department “tries very hard to not treat people we arrest like animals,” adding that police try to allow detainees some mobility to use their right to a phone call or be fingerprinted.

[qwerty1234]

So the officers chose not to use the $50 pair of handcuffs that would have solved this problem, but instead places the blame on the taxpayers for not spending a few million $$$ on a new station for him (in this tiny town of 3600 people and only 74 arrests for the whole year)

If I was on this selectboard I would fire this joker as soon as possible.

[qwerty1234]

“Is it common practice to leave an already combative detainee alone with one officer in an already tactically insufficient police station?” Meisner asked.”

[VTenigma]

Fail

[FreedomPoster]

Agree with your assessment.

[EagleUSA]

Blaming SOMEONE ELSE for incompetent failure. Seems to be the standard operating procedure nowadays.

[G Larry]

Or....INCOMPETENCE?!?!?!

[Mastador1]

Appears he thinks he’s Sheriff Andy Taylor in a town called Mayberry but is actually more like Deputy Barney Fife.

[billorites]

More than just a whiff of passive-aggressive tactics being used by police in Happy Valley.

[atomic_dog]

I saw this in the article:
"Leighton transported the injured officer to the hospital himself, leaving Sheperd with one other officer in the station. When asked why he drove the officer, instead of calling an ambulance, Leighton said there were facts that Meisner was unaware of — and he could not divulge — that led to the decision."

That's probably the root cause. About seven years ago my wife was transported about 1-1/2 miles to the hospital. The charge was $3500. That's why he drove him. If they're breathing and not bleeding never go in an ambulance.

[bgill]

They act like animals. They should be treated like animals.

Most animals are no where near as bad as most punks.