By Milton J. Valencia
Boston Globe
HAMILTON, Mass. — With last week’s indictment of four people, including a former police chief, and the disciplining of several officers, officials in Hamilton hope the town can move forward from a scandal that has rocked its police force.
“We’re finally about to turn the corner and move on from this,’’ David Carey, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said last night. “We think we’ll be back on track.’’
The town had been under a dark cloud since officials discovered last year that police officers had failed to take the proper re-certification courses to be emergency medical technicians and lied about it. The discovery was made around the time the department was under scrutiny for the way it managed federal grants.
Then, a months-long investigation by the state attorney general on behalf of the towns of Hamilton and Danvers resulted in the indictment Friday of four people, including former Hamilton police chief Walter D. Cullen.
Also indicted were: James Foley, a former lieutenant with the Wenham Police Department; Henry Michalski, Jr., a former training coordinator in Emergency Medical Services; and David J. Mastrianni, a training instructor with the Hamilton Police Department. They are expected to be arraigned Aug. 13 in Essex Superior Court on charges ranging from EMS violations to, in the case of Foley and Michalski, obstruction of justice. They did not respond to calls for comment.
Also, five Hamilton police officers and four Danvers police officers face severe discipline for lying about taking the proper recertification courses and for working without the certification. Until last week, the Danvers police officers’ involvement had not been disclosed.
As part of the punishment, the officers facing discipline must within the next year: pay back to their towns any money they have received for being EMT certified; pay their towns an additional $5,000; accept an unpaid suspension of 30 eight-hour shifts; and agree to work without pay for 30 eight-hour shifts.
Carey said yesterday that he has heard differing opinions among residents about the discipline, with some residents calling for the officers to be fired or face charges. But, he said, the punishments and, in some cases, criminal charges were recommended by the state attorney general’s office, who he said offered its expertise to the town for an investigation that had overwhelmed the department.
Cullen and a Hamilton police sergeant retired at the end of last year, and the town has selected a new police chief, a Connecticut State Police lieutenant, who will help the town move forward.
Town Administrator Candace Wheeler said the conclusion of the attorney general’s investigation last week punctuates tumultuous times in town. The police officers will begin or have served their suspensions, and the officials who were charged will go before the courts.
“Closure will take some time, but this was by far the biggest element,’’ Wheeler said. She also said the punishment was appropriate to preserve the trust in the police force. “I think that will go a long way toward healing the concerns and disappointment of the citizens.’’
Copyright 2009 Boston Globe