Attempting to abduct a 10 year old child walking home from school? Or placing fliers on mailboxes?
Evidently, to our police chief, the fliers are the greater crime!
At tonights selectmens meeting chief Consentino commented on WMUR's headline story tonight, that on Thursday last there was an attempted abduction in Atkinson!
We are only NOW hearing about this 4 DAYS after the incident!!! WHY???
Chief Consentino claims it is because he didn't find our about the incident until the end of the duty day on Friday when he was cleaning out his inbox. He stated that by then it was too late to involve the school or the media.
This blog finds it improbable that an incident of this magnitude happens in Atkinson, and the chief of police doesnt even know about it for 27 hours after it happens!
Compare that to chief Consentino's brief self appointed stint as a federal US Postal Service Inspector, where he saw the crime being committed, pulled over the perp, called the USPS inspectors, complained to the postmaster, and reported all of this at a selectmens meeting that night! Yessiree!! Justice is swift when you have previously pissed off our chief law enforcement officer.
Yet when one of our children is in danger from a possible child predator, the story is "well no one told me"!
Another episode in the lives of our Keystone Coppish chief of police.
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
EDITORIAL-
A voice of compassion, an example of fairness and reasonable government.
One who believes in the strength and comfort you, your children and your family can draw from good government leadership.
A person who knows Atkinson is our home -- our most important possession that must be preserved and protected through fair taxes and sound community planning and where our children must be safe to grow to become a new generation of leaders.
One who knows that the citizens of Atkinson are all neighbors with her leadership to be dedicated and responsive to all.
One who believes that when those from Atkinson have served our nation and honors are deserved, those honors must be given.
In Valerie Tobin, we now have a leader we know we can entrust with these responsibilities because they are part of her character.
It is our honor to endorse Valerie for election to Atkinson’s Board of Selectmen.
Just a note for those who wish to count the deer.
In January 08 this blog had 16,000 hits and 1,500 unique visitors (for the month).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
EDITORIAL-
"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." [TP, 1776]
We take no small measure of umbrage at such a hostile official act against this BLOG’s patron. Therefore, a timely Editorial comment is both appropriate and necessary.
Discussion of Atkinson’s financial direction, from any viewpoint, is fundamental and encouraged and we will always attempt to limit and correct errors.
However, Righteous indignation towards purported error of such inconsequential nature is not appropriate.
The ENTIRE car deal is problematic. If it was caused by poor judgement, improper exercise of authority, neglect or mistake or even specious reasoning, this will never trump the facts that the entire questionable transaction started and ended within a very small circle of confidants.
We find the entire circumstances surrounding the disposition of the police Cruiser highly irregular at the least and the "explanations" somewhat trifling and exhaustive of our intellect.
Mr. Consentino: It’s time to go. Being Chief of Atkinson’s Police Department is NOT a birthright. That is a fabled legend of yesteryear.
Historically in Atkinson, police chief appointments were made "under the hand of the selectmen" for terms of one year at a time, as was also the case in the beginning of Mr. Consentino’s assorted and discontinuous stream of appointments to this position.
Your only remaining credential established on a claim of indispensability has faded.
So time is neigh. Plan a graceful exit, Clean out your desk, Accept the gratitude and tearful sentiments from some. We plan no editorial recriminations. It is time. Thank you for your service, We wish you a long and happy retirement. Bon Voyage.
LETTER
"To All Atkinson Residents,
I am writing to ask for your help. A member of the Atkinson Police Department needs our help. I am here to ask for your help in Corporal John Lapham's fight for his life. As you are aware, John has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been once again hospitalized with an infection that is threatening his life. He is one of the bravest people that I have ever met. He has never asked of anything from the residents of the town. Now is our chance to step up and help both him and his family out. As everyone is aware John has been out of work for a few months. His family has been busy helping John to get better. He needs our help, and I am hoping that this town can step up to the plate and help. From the moment that I met John, I have admired him. He does alot, but never asks for anything in return. He has helped so many people in this town. I for one am one of those people. Please help him.
There is a fund set-up in his name at TDBanknorth in Plaistow. Any amount will help John, while he is out of work. It would be great if this town could help ease a burden off his wife.
Thank You
Also if anyone would like to send a card, please address it to:
John Lapham
c/o Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Ctr.
Inpatient mail
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Please show Corporal John Lapham, that this community can stand up and show our support to those in need. I for one, miss John and can not wait until he can get better and return to work. Please show him that we support him. "
86 comments:
Look people, two words: Warrant Article. You want Chief out? You have to use the vote to do it. The selectmen are all talk. They will do nothing over Chief's alleged fiduciary mismanagement...false statements to the BoS...and blatant disregard for town policy.
However, this brings me to another point. I also believe that the people will do nothing. The people had their chance last election season and no one had the stones to put forth a warrant article for a full time police chief...and even take it a step further...by filing one to separate elderly affairs from the police department and make it truly "stand alone" department within the town...one with its own budget - so EA can stop skimming funds from the PD's budget - and its own department head that is appointed by the BoS and not self appointed in a way that is strikingly similar to a third world dictator declaring himself generalisimo supreme / el presidente...
Use the vote
Seriously, what will it take? We watched, mouths agape, Mr. Sullivan obviously annoyed but not DOING OR SAYING ANYTHING!
Side note... how is it that AYB can get an apb out over the phone system when there is a rain date for activities but the police chief cannot use the system for this? UGH!
Incredible! Even though he was in the office all day Friday, he -- THE CHIEF OF OUR PD -- didn't learn about the abduction until he cleaned his in-box in the afternoon??? Does his own force have such little respect for him that they fill out a report of an attempted abduction and just drop it in his in-box without someone bothering to tell him?
Can you imagine his day at work? Come in, look at new cars to add to the police force, go on patrol to ensure our mailboxes are safe, back to office. And then..."Well, time to go home, I guess I will clean my in-box. All these pesky lawsuits can really clutter one's mailbox! What's this report? Holyana! An attempted abduction in our town? I should call Meghan Carey of the Tribune. Too bad it is so late on a Friday afternoon though. It would be rude to disturb her with news on a Friday afternoon...I wish the Ham and Beans supper at the Community Center was today. I'm hungry...I guess I'll pick this up on Monday. No one knows about it anyway."
Please, Atkinson selectman, do the right thing and remove him from his position. This man is not only an embarrassment to our town, he is a LIABILITY!
Absolutly sickniing the delay was. I am sure there are parents that still are not aware of what happened last week. Attempted abduction gathers dust in the folder, but political agenda gets imediate action.
I found it very interesting that the chief treated the possible attempted abduction so casually but seemed to move on to the "Boston Cane" item with enthusiasm.
Did anyone else find it odd that the chief let the Lt. customize his car so that it couldn't be easily moved around the department for greater use.
Seems like the police chief is trying to give away all the town money he can, either elderly or police money but the fire chief is trying to charge people using for the ambulance that they just purchased, I feel like I was not told the whole story of the fire chiefs plans when the ambulance was purchased. I hope the selectman shine a lot more light on the fire department .. I think it's an area that may need a lot more transparency.
Isn't the second in command at the police department also the chairman of the school board? So Lt. Baldwin should have notified the school, he had the inside track. So I would have to say that once again his ineffectiveness as both a Lieutenant and School Board member shine through.
Sad prediction: Until someone gets seriously hurt or killed, the chief will not be removed. The children in this town were endangered when the PD "lost a gun" in December. "Black ice" in April led to a cruiser crash. Misappropriation of funds. We get closer and closer to the edge.
I just hope he is replaced in time to prevent a signficant tragedy from occurring.
Maybe because one of the Lewis family is associated with ayb? They own more than property. In response to the question of how did the chief not know about this abduction for 27 hours? He knew immediately but, once again, it was his choice to do what he wants with the information (especially if he thinks it will make the town look bad)
The more i think about this delay of the police dept getting the info to the parents at school , the angrier i get. The attepted abduction was last thursday, and fri, and monday children walked home from school without any knowledge of any of this. Two days. This should outrage all.
I thought I heard Phil say that his officers went to the Academy to talk to all the kids on Monday, about safety.
There were no talks on Mon. I was there all day. But police are here today talking to kids.
And Mr. Sullivan great idea, getting rid of one of the PD's "pleasure vehicles", but as usual...
NO FOLLOW THROUGH!
I'm still stuck on the police car issue ... do we really need cars for high speed pursuit. These officers get in accidents at low speeds, I think it's recless to allow them to do high speed persuits. Can you just picture the cheif in one of those smart cars.
The schools seem to have an automated method of contacting all parents and teachers for snow storms and other emergency situations. Seems like it would be nice if the town had a similar systems for attempted child abductions or other emergency situations.
Why didn' they use the broadcast phone service to warn parents?
What a collossal, absolute, complete failure. This man HAS GOT TO GO.
WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE?
I'm sorry but I have to believe that our chief was too focused on his new cruiser to issue an alert. The last time something like this happened, the school got something in th shuttle in one day. They activated the phone tree to alert everyone, and now it takes 5 days?
Too bad the potential stalker didn't criticize chief consentino or God forbid file a complaint against him, I'll bet then he would have been on top of this!
Atkinson-Factor said...
The more i think about this delay of the police dept getting the info to the parents at school , the angrier i get. The attepted abduction was last thursday, and fri, and monday children walked home from school without any knowledge of any of this. Two days. This should outrage all.
I believe this illustrates how out of touch PC is with the residents of this town. Then again, what do you expect from a man, who at a 2004 Selectman's Meeting referred to alcohol as "demon's brew"?
Source
Can't wait to see the spin Consentino and the Lt. (as well as the BOS) put on this one. WHAT A DISGRACE. Hang your heads in shame!
Unbelievable, every citizen of Atkinson, every one of us, has a piece of responsibility for this out of control man still begin in office.
He is worse than a bully; he is a bully willing to hide information that could bring criticism on himself at the cost of the safety of the town, or he is incompetent.
Either way, he has to go. Our only hope at this point is Paul Sullivan, but will either of the other two hacks have the stones to support him?
Let's not forget, when the gun was lost, the POLICE DEPT activated the SCHOOL Dist. phone alert to warn parents about that. I guess that was more dangerous to the public, and our kids than this.
The Chief continues to lie. he went on TV stating that he notifyed the school. He did no such thing. He blew it off as nothing and then reported it to the paper. He made the School officals look like fools for not notifying the parents. The school knew nothing about this until news 9 called and then showed up in the walker line. once again, it is the way or no way. shame on him for the way he handled this. he always boasts about taking care of the children...what a joke. by the way the police did not talk with the children today at the academy.
what was the Chief's agenda for lying about telling the folks at the academy that he told them about this "abduction" when clearly he didn't. was it his way of sticking it to Ms.Webster or to make Kathie Dayotis look bad? I have the a lot of respect for Lt. Baldwin and know that he will do the right thing both as a police office and chairmen of the school board. Someone needs to find out where and why the ball was dropped so something like this does not happen again. I hope that the SAU is looking into this Big Time...
Hey Anon @ 6:45
Don't get me wrong I think the Chief totally mishandled this event, but I don't think he actually said he DID notify the school, I think he said something like, he arranged for his officers to go and talk to the kids.
I could be wrong, but if you are going to vilify him at least do it for something he did(God knows there are enough legitimate issues), and not for something he did not do.
However if I rewatch the meeting and find I am wrong, I will apologize and retract this. LOL
To Macciard:
I am referring to news 9. I believe he stated that the school was informed. If I misunderstood that then I apologize. However when he made the comment about having his officers going to the school to talk with the kids that just didn't happen. ask your children ,they will tell you that no police officer came to the school to talk to them, nor was it brought up during the monday morning meeting as he claimed it was. He is not telling the whole truth and he needs to admit that.
Enough about the cops cars. The fact is...cops crash cars...and believe it or not...it does snow in April in New Hampshire...and as shocking as it may seem there even can be black ice in early April. Get over it. The officer was not hurt...and isn't that the MOST important thing? Or is it money for a stupid car?
In regards to the reported attempted child abduction allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment, let's look at this from all sides...
We know that a report was filed with the police, right? Well what should also be known is that a police department - yes, even Atkinson PD - is a paramilitary organization. What this means is that there is a chain of command that must be adhered to. So...the report is filed...the officer taking the report forwards it up the chain of command and hopes that the correct action or his or her recommendation is taken. I agree that the ball was dropped...it is not the reporting officer's job to notify the school...that should have been done by either the LT or the Chief. Now comes the question: Does every case like this need to be reported to the school and potentially cause a panic over an unsubstantiated and isolated incident? Won't this generate a "cry wolf" environment after a while if numerous reports come in and the school is "locked down" and reverse 911 is activated? Isn't it similar to the color coded warning system used by US Homeland Security? Does anyone know what color is flying today? No, because it is so overexposed and "wolf" has been cried too many times. This is a serious issue and ahould be taken as such. But, this is the time that parents have to teach their children to be on guard and prepare for situations like this. The Chief handled this situation poorly...but it is my thinking that the matter had to have been investigated by the police department. All I can think about is the "bomb scares" at Timberlane. Remember? They used to evacuate EVERY time one came in? Well...now they don't...Why? Overreaction and overresponse to a situation that could have been handled quietly and professionally without causing a panic...or giving some ne'er do wells the idea that they can run amok and cause chaos.
The one thing the people of Atkinson have always been good at is spotting and reporting "suspicious" people. We know who belongs and who doesn't. I know I have called the cops to come and check out a vehicle I saw parked on my street...or a person I never saw walking through my neighborhood. And regardless of anyone's personal feelings towards the PD...they have ALWAYS come when I have called...and have come QUICKLY...sometimes is less than 3 minutes from when I placed the call. The cops have checked out either the vehicle or the person and took appropriate action. For those of you who have spoke follishly of "outsourcing" the PD you would not get a reponse that fast..if at all to a call like that if another town or the state police were covering. APD does a good job despite leadership problems and low morale...
Let's keep an eye out for each other. If you see or hear something. please call the police immediately. Don't wait...the faster the call goes out the faster they can come to check it out. Talk to your kids! Lets be safe and watch each other's backs...but's lets do it without "Crying wolf".
This would be my opinion and simply that...In this day and age there are attempted abductions all over the world. Atkinson is not exempt from this.This would be why we talk to our children everyday about the dangers of talking to strangers ect.Obviously
this parent had done their job well at explaining the dangers to their child. I personally would not let my 10 year old walk home by them selfs.
I am aware this could happen anywhere. Things have changed since we were children and unfortunately we have to change to protect out children..Now I think residents should be aware of this situation but to send everyone out looking for a silver car..would be a bit over the edge.Like I said we are all aware that this could happen anywhere at anytime...we are not living in a bubble....Thanks...
oh and to just add to my last comment
I do feel a loaded lost gun was much more dangerous then an attempted abduction..the key word being attempted....Had a child actually been abducted i am sure they would activate the school phone service..and an amber alert would be issued....Just my opinion..Thanks..
I apologize, Anon. I thought you were talking about his comments in the selectmens meeting
There was an attempted abduction of a ten year old boy and I consider this to be important enough to be handled seriously by the PD. That the Chief didn't even know about it for 27 hours tells me that he is incompetent. That the officer taking the call did not follow up tells me that he/she is also incompetent. Whoever failed to act should be fired. My tax dollars are being wasted on people not doing their duty. I'd rather see them over react to a threat to my children than stand by and assume that it's a false alarm before it's deemed such. That is just reckless. If Timberlane is igoring bomb threats, I have a problem with that too. I'm furious.
One more thing to add....It really was not an attempted abduction..Since
when is it a crime to ask someone if they would like a ride? This woman never tryed to grasp this child or even get out of her car...so in my opinion this was handled well.There is a report and it was investigated.
The issue really is that the Chief didn't even know about the attempt for 27 hours and I question the entire PD's ability to protect us since they are clearly mismanaged and out of touch with each other.
I have lived in Atkinson for 35 years. I have known Phil for most of that time. I believe he has generally done a decent job in town, and has had the best interests of the town at heart.
But now I am beginning to question all of that because I have seen behavior from him in public over the last four years, that if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I never would have believed.
I have seen him scream at people reading letters he didn't like. I have seen him threaten to call the police on the budget committee chair for asking questions. I have listened to the "vendetta" excuse too many times to count, applied to everyone who criticized him in any way, I have seen him act childish, and churlish to resident who pay for him to be there, and it all sickens me.
I have read the newspaper articles and lawsuits on the taxpayer site, and reading them jogged my memory and I remembered all of those incidents, and there have been alot of them.
Why is it that everytime there is a controversy in Atkinson, it is surrounding something Phil said or did, that he probably shouldn't have?
I think it is time to move on, I'm sorry.
And yes I am signing this anonymous because I dont want to be the next vendetta story.
im not sure if you live in lala land or what but an atempted abduction would be if someone actually graped a child and tryed to force them in their car.Asking them if they want a ride is not an atempted abduction.. Bomb scares are handled when it is a legitamate
threat...but if you would like your tax dollars going to investigating every little incident.
Then our taxes would be 10 times higher. When you complain about every thing the Police do it makes this blog un-crediable
To Anon at 10:49
How can you say this was not an attempted abduction? Your police dept was notified that there was an attempted abduction by the parent and should proceed as if it were such until it is proven otherwise. A child was offered a ride then followed in a car by an unknown person. What part of this don't you understand? Every time this happens in towns, it is investigated seriously by the local PD, except in Atkinson. Our top nut was clueless.
What we need is a new warrant article to get him out since the BOS is not doing it. We really need a strong person to sponsor it and I'm sure we'll get enough signatures. I'll put my name on it after all that has happened over the years. I too thought the complaints were exaggerated or made up but not any more. I've had it. Articles to make the position FT, to take the elderly affairs out of the PD. We need both. Someone please do this.....
If this incident happened at 2:30-3:00, like the Chief said, where were the Chief and the Lt. who both are at the P.D. or in town "monitering" the radio during the day, may be we will be told there was a communication breakdown, due to the lack of a TOWER in town. Seems to me they had more important things going on. Next they will say we need more Officers, and they will be hired from OUT of TOWN, how about more CG buddies of the Lt's.
I DO live in la la land, that is what Atkinson has been for years, the laughing stock of the area. My tax dollars are wasted already on things that are even less significant, the pleasure vehicles for example. That the top nut could actually call them pleasure vehicles out loud, is proof that he is way out of touch with what is appropriate use of town assets and taxpayers money. If the PD can waste MY tax money on gas for the Lt. to drive to work in another town, they can spend some time doing some actual police work here. You bet your butt I live in la la land.
'un-crediable' is not a word.
Im saying an attempted abduction would be TRYING TO PHYSICALLY GRAB THE CHILD...Not asking someone if they want a ride..not trying to make light of anything just stating that This was not an attempted Abduction in my opinion..
Anonymous said...
One more thing to add....It really was not an attempted abduction..Since
when is it a crime to ask someone if they would like a ride? This woman never tryed to grasp this child or even get out of her car...so in my opinion this was handled well.There is a report and it was investigated.
Are you for real? Ladies and gents, meet our next police chief!
There has been a lot said about the chief, some true, some not.
What I do believe is what I've seen with my own eyes so it is not hearsay.
I've seen the chief yell, in a loud and threating voice, at a citizen in a public forum.
Thanks to YouTube, I've seen the chief admit to violating town policy regarding sick pay.
Again, thanks to YouTube, I've seen the chief admit to learning about an abduction attempt in his town by clearing his inbox.
The BOS has to ask themselves. Would they tolerate these kinds of behaviours from another department head. As someone said, Mr. Stewart was "reamed" for much less.
Listen guys, time to end the double standard and the nonsense before something really bad happens.
To anon of "not an abduction"
Say if you are right, and this was a misunderstanding. That is not the point, the point is the school was not notified for 4-5 days after the inncident took place. The newspaper was notified, Not the school, not the parents. The school should of been the first place to call. To give the parents a heads up for safty concerns of children that walk home. That is not overreacting, that is common sense.
I agree the school should have been notified..but saying the officer should be fired is umm a little over the edge..Im not disagreeing that we need a new Police chief. I just think he has served his time and should enjoy retirement. But There are officers who work hard for this town. doing alot for the community and get not an ounce of credit for it.. Lt. Baldwin is one....
RE: May 21, 2008 8:54 PM
Ask yourself, were was the good LT. during all this? A member of the school board. Employed by the Town of Atkinson.
When does anything happen? When the chief clears his inbox.
People: Get this straight. Clear your mind of all preconceptions. The system is broken, big time. And the taxpayers are being "reamed" for it.
The chief dropped the ball. The Lt. dropped the ball. In any other other town, or business, people would be fired.
What is it going to take to fix this? A real tragedy? I pray this does not happen, but if it does, the BOS will be responsible because of their negligence in doing what needs to be done.
The chief is a bully. He intimidates people aided by his position. Take that away and all you have is another disgruntled citizen. BOS, think about it.
I find the duplicity of this situation charmingly ignorant. Here we have the extensive public outrage of the "attempted child abduction" and how the police did nothing...yet nearly every single person who posts on this blog is anti-police and are more than happy with ONLY ONE OFFICER ON THE ROAD AT A TIME!!!! You cannot have your cake and eat it, too.
The situation was reported...that report was filed...and it was investigated...but one officer - allow me to repeat myself - ONE officer can only do so much...and the officer who took the report did not have the authority to activate a school lock down or reverse 911...as one other Anon poster put it; the police are paramilitary...things go UP the chain of command and have to be approved.
Support your rank and file cop. We need a FT chief and MORE than one guy riding around taking calls while the Chief and LT spend their days in meetings and doing go knows what else. Thank you.
"Enjoy retirement"!
For all those years of trying to do what is best for our town I thanks the Chief. Now after the last 5 years he has abused his position beyond believe. So much so that he should be "enjoying" retirement in Jail!
There is a rumor that near the time that the the reported abduction attempt occurred Atkinson duty officer was delivering a personal letter to one of our “unliked” residents.
Does anyone actually thing that the LT is better than the Chief? Do you think that the LT will be the next Chief? I am a little curious to hear feedback.
I do not know the two all that well, since I just moved to town. Thanks to the sign on the front lawn of a residence on Maple Avenue, I found this website. Now I am informed.
If there's only one cop working the town, why do we need so many cars? I find that charmingly ignorant and biased. If the one cop is busy delivering personal letters to harass residents then that is grounds for a law suit against all those who are allowing police assets to be used for personal purpose. This would make the town liable yet again. I'd like more info on this one.
Addressing the commnet above about "Cops crash cars". Seems the black ice in April has gotten under your skin. The first thing that came to mind when I read your comment is that this person probably doesn't pay taxes in Atkinson, or maybe you are just well off financially and would like to donate the next car to the town. Give me a break, high speed chases for speeding !!
Saying this Blog is ANTI-POLICE. Pretty much covers it.So anything that is reported by this blog, about the Police in Atkinson has a "SPIN" on it. Just take that into consideration when reading....Meet the officers in town and make your own Judgement. thats where my opinions come from.
One cop riding around doing the work and two cops in meetings, it doesn't surprise me. Complain to your Chief about this, not to the residents. He's in charge of who is doing what in the PD.
I find the one officer comment a little strange .. the station is a mile away and you have a radio.
I blame the rank and file as much as the chief for letting this situtation in town continue. Speak up if you see a problem. Expose stupidity and corruption.
We need to get rid of the PD leadership that is putting Atkinson children at risk.
Thankfully, no kids were hurt when the gun was lost. Thankfully, no kids got abducted this time.
One of these days, our PD's luck is going to run out and a major tragedy will occur. Our options are that we can wait for it to happen or we can be proactive and do something now. Our kids are defenseless and are waiting for the real adults in town to take action to protect them. If we are relying on the current chief of our PD for our kids protection, we are sadly mistaken and not being diligent parents. We must do something now BEFORE someone's child seriously gets hurt or worse.
When the gun was lost, I reluctantly gave the PD a pass after the gun was found. After this recent failure, I no longer have confidence they are up to the job. Change needs to start at the top of the PD and it is up to us.
There is a special town meeting coming up regarding the water withdrawl. A citizen petition should be included in that deliberative session to hire a FT police chief and get rid of the the incompetency that puts our kids at risk. Or shall we wait for the trajedy to occur first?
to anon of 3am
I absolutly agree with you. The everyday police officer in town does their job to the best of their ability. I support every single police officer and fireman 100%. The chain of events that followed after the policeman did his job is where the concern is. In this case, the top of the chain is where the failure happened. Calling the newspaper on Saturday was not the answer, that was an attempt to cover his own ass. Sorry for the language, but that is what happened. I'm also confused why the Chief didn't call the school on monday? He was on the news monday, maybe he was more interested being on tv, rather than protecting the little ones.
To ANon @ 11:51
"cops crash cars!" Nice! Except that OUR cops, have crashed FOUR of them in under TWO years! TWO of them IN THE STATION PARKING LOT!
Dont you think that is excessive?
This Blog is NOT anti police.
This blog is merely a forum for the townspeople to say that which they are afraid to comment on in open meetings for fear of reprisals.
We all know it, and that is why people post anonymously.
Facts are Facts!
When you see an article posted here, it contains both FACTS, and EVALUATION of those facts.
You can argue with the evaluations, but the facts remain, and are disturbing to say the least.
By our count there have been at least 9 resident complaints about abuse of authority on the part of our police chief in the last three years. We have seen and heard about these at selectmen's meetings.
We have seen the results, the selectmen have done nothing.
Whenever there is a controversy, or scandal, the chief is in the middle of it.
Whenever he is criticized, he responds by using the authority of his position to retaliate. We have seen this in letters, and lawsuits. Read the atkinson taxpayers site for more info.
These are all facts, and stating them does not make one "anti-police"
I think we are all in agreement that we need a full time Police chief..but
The Lt. is a hard working honest man who truly cares about the residents in Atkinson. I have seen this first hand ..so yes I would say the Lt. would be my choice for chief. Other residents feel this way also. That Is a FACT!!!
The good thing about this blog is that there is NO spin on the condition of the APD. The Chief and the Lt. are not popular for reasons listed all over this blog. It is not the bloggers who are misusing assets, payroll, and harassing residents, it the PD. They bring it on themselves.
Yes the Lt. is dedicated, but unfortunately for him town policy requires open advertising, and objective screening, to hire the best qualified candidate, of course town policy also required advertising any position open for more than 180 days, or any new position too.
We have already seen the consequences of appointing someone uneducated, who has only been a cop for 10 years total.
To Anon @ 8:47
yes I would like to see LT.Baldwin become the new Chief, provided he will be hired as full time. I think he is a man of charcter and is very capable of taking on the responsibilites of this job. I have delt with him many times and have the greatest respect for him. we have wonderful officers on staff lets not give them a bad name.
The Lt. May not be popular on this blog...but he is well liked by a lot of Atkinson residents..I talk to quite a few hard working, family oriented people. who have respect for the Lt. and the dedication he puts into this town..Once again this would be a fact. and feel he is any thing but uneducated. And he continues his education.I have asked his advice on numerous occasions. and will continue...Thank you
I was not being disrespectful, just stating a fact.
The taxpayers have a right to the most qualified(objectively) candidate, in terms of experience on the job, and education.
Most senior officers in most forces have degrees. Most chiefs, have FAR more than 10 years experience.
These are just facts.
If the job were advertised today, how would he compete?
Carefull of whom you choose for a replacement so quickly. Learn from mistakes we must, or our history will repeat itself.
The LT. is probably qualified for the position he holds. However, the issues regarding his pay, i.e. the earlier military pay issue and the very recent sick pay issue, does put a certain cloud over his integrity. And, lets not forget he's already sued his employer (US) once.
Just because he's second in command does not automatically make him the right candidate for succession. And being well liked is not a qualification. This exact same scenario is played out every day in the private sector. Just putting your time in does not make you qualified.
What this town really needs, desperately needs, is a fresh and experienced face as a full time chief, and, the total separation of Elderly Affairs from the PD. Until this is done, we'll have the same old, same old.
The BOS, as previous BOS's, are scared of the chief. They are afraid that if they p*** him off, they will not get re-elected, and worse, harassed. Well, guess what, and as was previously mentioned, if the chief suddenly becomes a private citizen his power is gone, vanished, pooof. The wicked witch is dead.
BOS - consider, contemplate, discuss. Do the right thing and you'll be hero's. I know it's hard. Been there, done that. But, it gets easier once you've done it one time.
Sorry to be long, but consider an example from history. Gen. MacArthur was one of the most revered commanders of all times. However, during the Korean War he began publicly second guessing his commander-in-chief. So, President Truman fired him and caught hell for it. But, Truman also predicted that in 6 months it would be all forgotten. Guess what, it was, and time has shown he made the right decision.
Yes BOS, you would receive a lot of crap. But, in 6 months, it would be old news.
Phil Consentino is NOT Douglas MacArthur
Secondly, what the town's people need to keep in mind is that the next full time chief needs to be a WORKING chief!!
This town and its police department is too small to have the chief of police be a full time administrator. It is well known that Lt. Baldwin does not regularly patrol and essentially took himself off of the road and ensconced himself into an administrator's position after he returned from overseas and sued for his lieutenancy.
Past posters are correct: History will repeat itself...if the lieutenant is promoted to chief...nothing will change...we'll only have a younger, slimmer version of Consentino.
The next full time chief should and must WORK...and can even split time between the necessary admin work and patrol and even help out with investigations. Something to think about...
To Anon May 22, 2008 3:30 PM,
So you feel the LT would be a good choice for Chief. All I can say is God help us. Can you imagine the price tag on that one? A LT that has sued the town, misused sick time, obviously was a part in the recent attempted abduction break down. Who stood up and yelled at the residents on Town Meeting floor because people spoke out against the communication tower. Has not been truthful with combat pay, and the list goes on. Are you kidding me? I think we need new blood to run the Police Department in this town.
RE: May 22, 2008 10:46 PM
I never claimed the chief was MacArthur (though they could share the same opinion of themselves). It was an example for g*** sakes.
The point I was trying to make is that firing the chief is a very difficult thing for the BOS to do, and would be a very unpopular action to many people in town. The point is that once the storm is over, it will be forgotten about. Phil would be just another citizen.
To sooner action is taken, and the farther away from the next election, the less that Mr. Sullivan (who's up next) has to worry about the "machine".
I do agree that the next chief should be a working one. That is a good point. But he also needs to be a fresh face or nothing will be solved.
The spin in favor of Lt. Baldwin is just that. These posts about him being a nice guy and the like have no place in the hiring process. QUALIFICATIONS first.
He rose through the ranks as an unqualified, overpaid right hand of an incompetent man.
He is not qualified as chief. he learned all the chief's nasty political tricks and manipulation which will quickly end when a new, qualified, outsider is hired as the new chief. No more Elderly Affairs run by and paid for by the PD budget. This long going misappropriation of tax dollars is coming to an end.
That's the future and Baldwin and his supporters better get used to that idea right here and now. Objective decisions will be made, not political ones. Game over.
Do you really believe the only police work Atkinson has is being on the road?? are you for real...
RE:May 23, 2008 3:26 AM and May 23, 2008 12:26 PM
Sorry, but I cannot understand how you miss the points being made.
Atkinson is a small town. A working chief means one who handles both administrative and patrol duties. It could be 4 hours doing one and 4 hours doing the other, or some other mix, whatever. For a town this size someone should be able to both.
At far as the LT.: Atkinson's hand is getting very sore because he has spent so much time biting the one that feeds him.
Well everyone is entitled to their opinion...Baldwin has a lot of support...You will see..this Blog does not have that much influence on this town as you may think! We the people feel he is qualified!!
Well I disagree. The Lt. has shown his true self by participating in the Chief's scam to get him more military leave money and sick time. No way is he the best. If you want someone more experienced, what about the Detective? He has over 30 years experience in law enforcement and has a great reputation. He is a kind and honest person and can run circles around those other two. What about him?
You do not represent "the people". He is not qualified. He does not have the education or experience equivalent to his peers in law enforcement. He will not get the job.
You can spin it all you want. If I may requote Anon May 23, 9:47 AM:
"A LT that has sued the town, misused sick time, obviously was a part in the recent attempted abduction break down. Who stood up and yelled at the residents on Town Meeting floor because people spoke out against the communication tower. Has not been truthful with combat pay, and the list goes on. Are you kidding me?"
Well stated. By the way, the Selectmen make this decision. Not his supporters. Feel free to spin and wave flags all you want.
Maybe if the detective didn't lose his gun, he might have a chance. Reality is he is retiring soon.
Atkinson should and will have to advertise the job for all qualified Educated personel. The only sollution is for someone new and honest to fill the position.
It was never publicized who actually lost the gun. Is there a anyway to verify that it was the Detective? I wouldn't have thought it was him, I would have guessed it was Consentino...
I'm thinking that I should sponsor an article to remove the Chief, then I can sue the town when he comes after me. That should make up for the excess taxes they are charging me for all these police cars and lawsuits.
A foolproof plan, me thinks.
The lost gun was a revolver. Most Atkinson officers carry pistols. I know the chief carries a revolver, does the Detective?
I have said this before and probably will say it again...Its disturbing
to think, You people are my neighbors,
The Lost gun thing is over. who cares
who's gun it was. I really don't understand why you feel the Police are not human..just like us and we all make mistakes... They will get into car accidents.. Its amazing to me that most people on this blog can be so perfect..wow...Im not sure why anyone would want to be Chief of police in this town with so many loons....Just my opinion ...Thanks.
RE: May 24, 2008 8:35 AM
The issue is not the gun. That post could have been just a red herring.
The issues regard the chief have been widely discussed and I have nothing to add to what already has been said, at least till the next BOS meeting and we get some new revelation.
The LT., well. He got his current position by suing the town. Employee of the month stuff it's not. If he wants to be the chief, maybe he can sue for that also.
The contributors to this blog I believe overwhelming want to help this town. A serious problem exists and is well documented. We wanted fixed before it gets even worse, if thats possible. Calling us loons for wanting a better town does you a great disservice sir.
Yes it should be forgotten but the dirt was swept under the rug and is still there. I for one can be forgiving but a cover up is not acceptable period.
I can't believe that any resident can just look the other way, this is why we have the problems we do.
I dont care if Lt. Baldwin is a nice guy, or looks good in his uniform.
I care when the applications come in, who has the most years in as a cop, and in what type of town, no offense but 10 years in Atkinson is not the equivalent experience of 10 years in Lawrence.
I also care about education, an associates degree, does not stand against a bachelors degree.
The best qualified should be hired no matter what.
I dare say, we are getting a little ahead of ourselves. Thread so far discusses if the chief is gone. Far from reality. He still has the badge.
I pray, plead, grovel, that the BOS will do what is long over due. One big step at a time. Then we can discuss the aftermath.
To the BOS - It's like a shot. It can really hurt at first, but then it's over. Your our only hope Obi-Wan. Kenobi. Please, deliver us from this craziness. Stand up, do the right thing. How many metaphors is it going to take to do what needs to be done?
am I missing something? Is the BOS going to be discussing the firing of the chief at the next meeting?
RE: May 25, 2008 7:54 PM
Probably not. Many wish they would, and god knows, there is plenty of documented evidence to support that action. This part time chief who is supposed to save us money because he IS part time, has cost the town BIG time.
But, sad to say, he's still here. The BOS is poking at it, but very, very gingerly. Mr. Sullivan is starting to ask the right questions but with no follow through. Friel is so far a lump and haven't a clue about Childs, though I would think he would love it if the chief is gone.
What you've see has been a exercise in wishful thinking; that the chief is gone and how to prevent the LT. from stepping in. The solution is obvious to many, chief gone, LT. stays LT., and a new guy comes in and cleans house.
It's been frustrating. Makes one want to clap their shoes together and say, "I want to go home". When the chief is finally gone, we can all say "Hail Dorthy".
Publius: Article Submission:
Towns Merge Police Departments
Why not Atkinson & Plaistow?
Manchester Union Leader
TOWNS TEAM UP FOR POLICE PROTECTION
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Monday, May. 26, 2008
The small, southern New Hampshire towns of Greenville and Temple broke barriers when they forged a new jointly run police department three years ago.
The concept has been such a hit in terms of efficiency, savings, and retaining high-quality officers that the towns recently renewed their agreement for five years and caught the eye of other communities exploring regional police services, local officials said.
"For us, it's been fantastic," Temple-Greenville Police Chief James H. McTague said.
"I'm not saying a merger is for everyone. But based on our experience, it was the best thing that either town could have done," he added.
Still, McTague admits convincing the two towns to give up their separate police departments and create a joint new one was a hard sell.
Merging police forces -- or fire departments and road agents for that matter -- strikes at the heart of New Hampshire's precious local control credo. But Yankee thrift can be equally compelling and seems to be driving the latest cluster of communities considering a shared force.
"With costs and everything today, you've got to say, 'Okay, how do we get the most bang for the buck?' We've got to look at every option," Antrim Town Administrator Bill Prokop said.
Antrim recently joined with Deering, Bennington and Hancock -- all communities of less than 2,700 tucked in the northwestern corner of Hillsborough County -- to explore a regional police force. The recent departure of Antrim's police chief provided the opportunity to revisit the issue.
"We're always trying to cut or maintain costs and improve services," especially in an era of rising fuel, health insurance and retirement costs, Antrim Selectmen Chairman Michael D. Genest said.
McTague predicts other communities will give regionalization a serious look given the savings it offers.
Greenville shaved $115,000 from its police budget and Temple $46,000 during the first year their towns merged forces, he said.
A joint force also solved problems that towns struggled with individually. Temple no longer had to build a police station to replace its one-room quarters and got better coverage, while Greenville got a good quality force, McTague explained. And he said better pay staunched the flow of officers leaving to work at other forces just after the towns invested considerable money in training and equipping them.
"I think you are going to find more and more towns say, when their chief retires or move on, that this is something we should consider, especially with the economy and officers (leaving)," McTague said.
"I think more communities are looking at it than they have in the past," agreed Earl M. Sweeney, the state's assistant commissioner of safety.
More towns have seen their populations rise from 300 to 400 people to 1,200 to 1,400 -- large enough to have more crime and collisions, but not big enough to field their own full-time police departments, he said.
"We've got some of these communities at the awkward stage that they are not quite large enough to have a police department, but they have enough business that the citizens want a little more protection. Some of these small communities might be able to band together and create a regional police department," Sweeney added.
And state police, which generally would cover these towns, "are stretched," Sweeney said. There aren't enough troopers to provide 24-hour coverage statewide and response times can be long, he added.
Yankee tradition
Advantages of regional police forces include economies of scale that can allow towns to put more cruisers on the road, provide round-the-clock coverage and even hire a detective to follow up on cases, Sweeney said.
But the hurdles can be significant.
Towns must consider topography, square miles a regional force would cover, response time, and be in the same county and served by the same district court, Sweeney said.
Regional police forces -- while common in other parts of the country -- are rare in New Hampshire.
The state law that allows communities to forge intermunicipal agreements is 31 years old. But the Temple-Greenville Police Department is the only one created under the statute currently in existence.
"It's a New England, Yankee tradition that we like to have control of our own municipal services," Sweeney said. "It's like community policing; everyone likes to have their own police officer."
"It's a New Hampshire thing," Cheshire County Sheriff Richard A. Foote agreed. "People have their own police departments and their police chiefs and that's what the individual towns want .... There is no right or wrong decision."
But James B. Andrews, who wrote and helped pass RSA 53-A, said the intermunicipal agreement law enables towns to govern themselves more efficiently, less expensively and with more professional help.
"I can't understand why there hasn't been a lot of them. I don't think that's progressive," added Andrews, executive director of the New Hampshire Local Government Center Inc., a nonprofit group that represents cities and towns.
"Maybe there is the thought that, 'Oh, we're going to lose some control,' which isn't the case. It makes financial sense and it makes good government sense," he added.
It's more common for small towns to hire a county sheriff's department or larger, neighboring community to provide police coverage for a fee than to create shared police departments, state and county officials said. For instance, Gilsum, a town of about 740 people with no police department, pays to have Cheshire County deputy sheriff's provide police coverage, Foote said.
Meanwhile, state police often remain the only law enforcers in rural areas where many small towns have no police force of their own, Sweeney said.
"A lot of the smaller communities rely on state police heavily for their help. You can certainly see it in the North Country. They do a great job. The communities are pleased and, let's face it, may not be able to afford any more than that," said Peter Morency, Berlin police chief and president of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police.
Link to article:
http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Towns+team+up+for+police+protection&articleId=9568b16e-6d06-4152-8f03-f330a1e0fbf5
Notice that the top nut said that they don't know what is going on but they're put on extra patrols.
Hmmm. I conclude, dear jury, that the PD THINKS THERE MIGHT STILL BE A PROBLEM.....here on moday nite, FOUR days later. ARE YOU LISTENING PAUL??????
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