New Haven Register
SHELTON, Conn. — It’s standard policy that city police officers are prohibited from consuming alcohol while on the job.
However, what happens if an officer is seen drinking, in uniform, but is not on duty?
That question came up last week during a meeting of the Board of Aldermen’s Public Health and Safety Committee. Officer Ed Dobbins again raised a complaint with the committee that he made almost a year ago about fellow officers allegedly seen drinking beers after the 2009 Memorial Day parade.
Dobbins filed the initial complaint last May against Police Chief Joel Hurliman, for failing to uphold the department policy. Dobbins said the city’s labor attorney was assigned to investigate the complaint, but to date, Dobbins said he has been denied access to the findings of the investigation.
“The basis of that complaint involved officers under the director of Chief Hurliman being allowed to consume alcohol on duty in uniform,” Dobbins said. “The city and its administration have engaged in repeated changes of the Shelton Police Rules and Regulations to recklessly allow this conduct to continue. It appears that the current rules continue to jeopardize public safety and violate state law. Such action also opens up residents to civil liability for allowing uniformed officers to carry city-owned firearms while consuming alcohol.”
Dobbins handed the committee a 155-page report documenting his concerns about the department’s alcohol policy, and in particular, the incident of officers supposedly seen drinking beers following the Memorial Day Parade.
Hurliman did not comment on Dobbins’ complaint, saying he hadn’t seen the results of the investigation. However, Hurliman did say the incident Dobbins’ referred to did not involve any officers who were on duty.
Alderman John Papa, who heads the Public Health and Safety Committee, said while the committee accepted Dobbins’ complaint, he believes Dobbins brought his issue to the wrong venue.
“This has been an ongoing thing that is between (Dobbins), the mayor and the police chief. ... They have to iron it out,” Papa said. “The complaint needs to be handled by the chief and the Police Department.”
Alderman John Finn, who also sits on the PH&S committee, said he has requested a copy of the investigation report, but to date hasn’t received anything. He said officers should not drink in uniform.
“No officer should be drinking while in uniform either on duty or social,” Finn said. “No officer should stop at a bar for a drink while in uniform. If they do, yes, it would be against the rules.”
Dobbins has had issues with the department before. In April 2009, he was suspended for 30 days for refusing to answer questions for an internal affairs probe. He came under scrutiny for his investigations into cases involving asphalt millings and contaminated soil.
Hurliman had assigned internal affairs to look into Dobbins allegedly conducting unauthorized investigations, including the asphalt and soil cases.
Dobbins indicated in reports that some city employees spoke with him on condition of anonymity in fear of retaliation.
One of the cases dealt with city workers allegedly being told to take Route 8 asphalt millings, which is ground-up asphalt, to American Legion Sutter-Terlizzi Post #16 property. The millings, which the state offers to municipalities for free, can be spread for parking areas. Dobbins claimed the work was done at the direction of Mayor Mark Lauretti, who frequents the club. Police ultimately concluded there wasn’t any criminal wrongdoing, and there was no probable cause to make any arrests.
Copyright 2010 New Haven Register