Posted on 02/24/2007 11:12:45 PM PST by conservative in nyc
A district attorney's investigation has found there was no evidence a local police officer posted unflattering and threatening remarks about a selectman on an Internet blog, and now the police union is demanding the resignation of Selectwoman Jennifer Firth for pointing the finger in their direction.
Saying the police department's reputation was tarnished, the police union demanded Wednesday that Firth resign for alleging at a Feb. 6 selectmen's meeting that a town police officer threatened online to kill a selectman two years ago.
The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office found no evidence after a two-week investigation that the freerepublic.com blog posting Firth cited constituted a threat against Gregory Pazurchek, who was seeking re-election but lost to George Labonte in April 2005.
Also, "there is no basis, in fact, that the author of the said cited entry is (or was) a Wrentham Police Officer," First Assistant District Attorney Dennis C. Mahoney wrote in his report Tuesday.
The Wrentham Police Association now wants Firth off the board for making what it called a "false and scurrilous allegation."
The union is exploring its options if Firth declines to leave, said Detective Sgt. William McGrath, the union president.
If a town police officer made such a charge on local cable TV, McGrath said, "we'd be fired. It's that simple."
"Selectman Firth's willingness to make false criminal accusations in public that tarnish the reputations of the Wrentham Police Department and the police officers who serve the Town of Wrentham make her unfit to hold public office," the union said in a statement. "Furthermore, Ms. Firth's stated belief that political activity by police officers or any town employees should result in the employee being withheld from promotion only strengthens our resolve."
"I never said that," Firth said of the latter charge.
Firth maintained two weeks ago and again on Wednesday that she didn't want the matter discussed in open session.
Public discussion was requested by Selectman Richard Dion, who resigned later in the meeting, Firth said.
"It was requested to be put in open session by Chief Collamati as well," Firth said of Police Chief Joseph Collamati Jr. "I didn't want it put in open session."
Firth, who two weeks ago questioned the credibility of blogs and noted it is difficult to confirm the author of postings, attributed the call for her resignation to politics.
"It is a funny coincidence it just happens to be on the three-year cycle the contract is up and the budget is about to be discussed," Firth said. "I think it is an attempt to discredit me and try to remove me from the negotiating process."
Collamati had requested the independent investigation by the district attorney's office after Firth raised the allegation during the selectmen's meeting.
Wednesday, Collamati called for Firth to recuse herself from votes on police matters.
"Quite frankly, going forward, I have some concerns about Jennifer having input on matters involving the police department," Collamati said. "I'm very concerned about her being biased toward the police department."
The postings on freerepublic.com were from Feb. 23 to April 9, 2005, according to a transcript Collamati provided to The Sun Chronicle.
In the first transcript, replete with grammatical errors and misspelled words, a poster named "Little Bill" said "Guinnessboy, a mad active FReeper, is running a Campaign for his future Father in Law for Chairman of the Board of Selectman in a Mass Town, against a disgusting rat. He needs advice from those FReepers that have run for local office, winners and loosers, winning tactics and misteaks made."
The same day, a poster named "PAR35," replied, "Winning tactic ... Kill your opponent."
Two later postings stated, "The election is on April 4th. The candidate's name is George A. Labonte, running for town selectman in Wrentham. He is running as an independent, just so you know the incumbant is Greg Pazurchek who is backed by the Wrentham Citizens Alliance (code name for democrat bleeding hearts)."
Labonte has a relative who is a police officer.
The transcript identifies "Guinessboy" as Ronald Groves.
Firth told a state police investigator this month that "two years ago, she might have heard that Ronald Groves was a police officer then, but she doesn't know for sure," according to the district attorney's report.
When the trooper asked Firth why she said a police officer made the threats, "she said that was the rumor."
"Ms. Firth said somebody told her that, but she couldn't remember who it was. Ms. Firth stated she thinks she heard the rumor on the street," the report states.
The selectwoman said she is actually pleased the police department was cleared.
"That is very good news," Firth said of the DA's finding.
This could vindicate:
from today's Sun Chronicle:
Union tells its side of Wrentham police feud
Sunday, March 11, 2007 12:24 AM EST
This letter represents the police officers who comprise the Wrentham Police Association. We are asking Wrentham residents to take a moment and consider our concerns.
We submit to you that Selectwoman Jennifer Firth should step down from the Board of Selectmen as she has proven herself unfit to hold that position. Our call for Ms. Firth to step down is echoed by Town Moderator Keith Billian, quoted in the March 4, Sunday Boston Globe as follows: "For a member of the Board of Selectmen to act in the manner she did, without doing her homework, and making these statements based on rumor, I don't think she has the integrity to sit on the Board of Selectmen."
The facts are backed by hard documentation; public records available to any resident upon request. The documentation includes the minutes of the January executive session; the e-mail from Ms. Firth to Selectmen Dion and Labonte and the e-mail from Ms. Firth to Town Moderator Keith Billian; the tape of the February 6 Board of Selectmen's meeting; the Internet blog Ms. Firth claimed as proof of her allegation; and the District Attorney's investigation. Whether or not you are a political supporter of Ms. Firth should not matter. If you look at the documentation and withhold bias, you will reach your own conclusion.
The documentation, available for your scrutiny, provides the following:
Selectwoman Firth was arguing to remove the chief of police position from Massachusetts Civil Service and place the position under the direct control of the Wrentham Board of Selectmen. Ms. Firth expressed verbally at the executive session and in print on her e-mail, that she doesn't want to consider certain police officers for promotion due to their political activity. In the same e-mail, Ms. Firth states: "We may be required to hire people like this if we go civil service and they are high scorers on the exam."
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When Mr. Billian questioned whether Ms. Firth's e-mail violated the Open Meeting Law, he addressed it with Ms. Firth and she agreed to read it out loud at the Board of selectmen's meeting on February 6, 2007. Prior to the meeting, Ms. Firth sent the town moderator a second e-mail that read: "I had hoped we wouldn't have to publicly disclose the blog in which a police officer suggests killing a candidate for local office (Greg Pazurchek) as it will definitely compromise public confidence."
On Feb. 6, Ms. Firth failed to read her e-mail as promised to Mr. Billian as the agenda indicated she would. Instead, Selectwoman Firth used her position and a public meeting to repeat her allegation that a police officer, whom she stated was identified in a blog document she held up as proof, threatened to kill a political candidate. Selectman Zizza supported the allegation stating he read the blog and confirmed the officer was identified. Ms. Dunn stated she didn't know what everyone was talking about.
The chief of police requested the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office to investigate and determine if a threat was made by a police officer. The DA's report includes an interview with Ms. Firth, conducted eight days after she made explicit allegations against the police. Remarkably, Ms. Firth informs investigators she "doesn't know" who wrote the entry and "doesn't know" who she was referring to as a police officer. Ms. Firth also "doesn't recall" sending the e-mail. The District Attorney's Office formally concluded the threat was not real and a police officer was never identified in the blog, contrary to the claims made by Selectwoman Firth and Selectman Zizza.
After the District Attorney's report was released and in spite of the finding that the allegations were false, Chairwoman Dunn publicly proclaimed her "100 percent" support for Selectwoman Firth and has refused two requests from the Wrentham Police Association to be placed on the agenda for the last two meetings so we can respond. Ms. Firth was placed on the agenda to read her e-mail with one week's notice. Obviously, the damage control wagons are circling.
Now, Ms. Firth informs The Sun Chronicle and Country Gazette that the complaint filed by Wrentham Police Association to the Ethics Commission will not be pursued. The fact is that The Wrentham Police Association complaint was not formally received by the Ethics Commission when Ms. Firth publicly pronounced it dead. The fact is our complaint has not been dismissed or even addressed. Does Selectwoman Firth have an explanation for her claim that our complaint is not being pursued? It this another thing she misinterpreted? Who will she blame for her actions this time?
None of what you just read can be dismissed as "he said, she said." Selectwoman Firth's words and writings are her own. All of it is available for your review. Ms. Firth cannot run and hide from her own words, nor will we allow her to blame the police who she targeted for a smear campaign.
In closing, this subject has absolutely nothing to do with contract negotiations. We understand it is the job of selectmen to put our wages and benefits on the table to negotiate. What Ms. Firth tried to do is put our integrity on the table and we will not stand for that. Our integrity is not up for bargaining Ms. Firth.
William McGrath
President
The Wrentham story of the Board of Selectmen vs. the Police Union did not go away today.
There is a new story in the Sun Chronicle today about the selectment hiring an outside independent legal council at $130-$150/hr to do another investigation because apparently the word of the Norfolk DA wasnt good enough.......in other words, the selectmen were proven wrong and need to use town money in the time of deficit and overruns to carry on their witch hunt.
To the Wrentham citizens: there is a recall citizens petition being proposed to vote by the selectmen, I suggest showing for that vote, it's the only check & balance that will be available to the monopoly style gov't our town now has.
OJ Simpson paid alot of money to be "right", at least it came from his own pocket............
What is this all about? Anyone got a link to the thread the comment is taken from?
I coulda been famous!
I know the paper up there is staffed by liars, totally without credibility, who, so far as I know, never retracted the libel they printed about me.
Now, they claim that they got the quote which they falsely attributed to me from the cop. Even if that were true (and I doubt that it was) they could have clicked on the link at that time and still have gotten the story straight.
I had posted some uncomplimentary things about the quality of the reporting, and apparently the reporters took offense and decided to get even.
I’ve got some time this afternoon. I’ll see what I can dig up.
I would have loved a chance to comment on the comment I didn't make.
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