Ken
O’Brien
Appearing at last night’s Town Council Meeting,
Southbridge citizen Steve Demers leveled allegations against the Southbridge
Police Department.
Saying that he has experienced four break-ins at his
home on Hartwell Terrace, three since mid-January, Mr. Demers indicated the
lack of serious attention from the local department. Among his complaints was
the mishandling of a surveillance video provided to the police. At the request
of an Assistant District Attorney at the Dudley District Court he sought to
regain possession of the video presented to the department. The police were
allegedly unable to locate the video. This resulted in his need to replicate it
in order to meet the ADA’s request.
Here is the video of Mr. Demers presentation:
During Councilors forum, Councilor Vecchia recounted
similar experiences of his own.
The Town Manager spoke up in defense of the department at the conclusion of the meeting:
We at the O’Zone are interested in your experiences in
this regard. How have your interactions with the local police been handled as
regards such incidents?
Lets see the citizen has been repeatably broken into or vandalized,
ReplyDelete2 councilors admit to also being broken into recently
car break ins have been on going and increasing in number over the last two years
and... Johnny come lately can't admit that there is a problem in town.
Not knowing or admitting what Southbridge has become is the problem. It is a very disturbing admission given that they are the ones supposed to be providing the answers to these problems.
The citizen's description of where and how the police park next to each other is absolutely accurate. Lanes blocked with cars parallel to each other on main st - central st where ever. This is a common occurrence after the bar closing driver revenue is obtain.
Lastly this citizen never came close to disparaging the police in this town in the manner that the town manger described. The truth is he has been vandalized , has it on tape and has copies to provide the ADA. The Town Manager needs to Investigate if the police can produce their copy supplied to them!
If so, why was this citizen given the run around with them saying otherwise?
You can't white wash the truth and this citizen sounds mostly believable in this selective enforcement of who's who in the town of Southbridge.