In a transfer that’s a surprising slap within the face to the taxpayers of Lawrence, town’s police chief has departed with $780,000 in his pocket after reaching a secret cope with metropolis officers.
And in neighboring Methuen, town’s former police chief violated a number of battle of curiosity legal guidelines whereas serving as chief, based on a brand new report by the state Ethics Commission.
These are troubling developments for these two vitally essential small cities in Massachusetts, particularly the secretive deal resulting in Lawrence Chief Roy Vasque leaving amid unanswered questions and silence from metropolis officers.
Vasque was positioned on go away six months in the past with none phrase as to why. His departure was additionally not defined.
“As of June 30th, after reaching a settlement agreement with the City of Lawrence, I am retired,” Vasque mentioned in a press release on July 4 that didn’t point out any motive for his departure.
City officers have been simply as non-transparent in kissing Vasque – who served for six years – on the way in which out the door.
Mayor Brian DePena would solely say he needs Vasque a “prosperous and healthy retirement.”
Well, a payout of $780,000 would just about guarantee a “prosperous” retirement for the poor chief. You’d suppose they’d have given Vasque an award.
Vasque was suspended and positioned on paid go away, nevertheless it’s not clear whether or not that performed a task in him retiring. The metropolis employed an outdoor agency to research quite a few officers being positioned on go away however that report was by no means launched.
Taxpayers have been by no means informed why Vasque was positioned on go away and metropolis officers refused to say how a lot they paid for the skin investigation.
In addition to his duties in Lawrence, Vasque served as president of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs of Police Association.
This is not any minor case of a metropolis appearing with contempt for taxpayers – it’s a grievous injustice to everybody who pays for police in Lawrence and an instance of how Massachusetts authorities frequently fails its taxpayers.
Whether at Beacon Hill – the place payments are launched and handed in digital secrecy – or in small cities like Lawrence and Methuen, authorities acts with none regard for the reality or transparency.
Fat departure offers are thrown at metropolis officers with no clarification.
If Boston Mayor Michelle Wu – who has a poor file of transparency herself – ever tried something like what’s occurring in Lawrence, she could be publicly roasted.
Lawrence’s mayor owes his constituents a full clarification of what led to the chief’s departure.
In Methuen, the state of affairs is completely different however much more grim. The ethics fee discovered “reasonable cause” to imagine former Police Chief Joseph Solomon had a battle of curiosity in elevating his pay and hiring a Methuen City Councilor and three “intermittent” officers already working for his non-public safety agency, and never telling metropolis officers.
That determination got here after a city-funded report discovered Solomon ran the Police Department just like the “don of an organized crime family” and repeatedly broke the legislation throughout his 15-year tenure.
In this case there finally was some transparency however solely after Solomon retired in Jan. 2021, a month after the state Inspector General concluded Solomon conspired to trick metropolis officers into approving inflated police contracts.
Taxpayers in each cities deserve higher.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”