Town of New Boston
Special Selectmen’s Meeting
March 1, 2010
A meeting of the Board of Selectmen held at the New Boston Central School Gym was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chairman David Woodbury following the Pledge of Allegiance. Approximately 150 people were in attendance.
David Woodbury welcomed everyone to the meeting and stated that Selectman Rodney Towne had a few remarks to make regarding the conduct of the meeting and asked that everyone pay attention.
Rodney Towne thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and noted that the third Selectman, Christine Quirk, was on vacation. Rodney Towne noted that this meeting was intended as an opportunity for the residents of New Boston to voice and express their opinions and experiences with the Police Chief directly to the Board of Selectmen. He went on to say that non-residents would be afforded the opportunity to speak when town residents had finished their presentations.
Rodney Towne stated that each person desiring to speak would have three minutes to do so, although did not have to use all that time. He noted that speakers should relate their experiences with the Chief and not relate rumors or hearsay. He asked everyone to raise his or her hand to be recognized to speak and to approach the microphone in the center of the gym. Rodney Towne also asked that people give their names and addresses and make their comments directly to the Board. He expected everyone to be civil with each other and with the Selectmen and noted that there would be no time for rebuttal of each other's comments. Rodney Towne went on to say that the Selectmen were present to listen and that no actions would be taken by the Board at this meeting. He
noted that any personnel issues would be discussed in closed session. He went on to say that this meeting was not a forum to discuss gun control or the second amendment. He noted that was a legal issue and would be decided at some point in a court of law. Rodney Towne noted that the Police Chief's actions in the recent removal of weapons case were fully supported by the Board of Selectmen and further noted that the Chief had been following thoroughly the orders of Judge Lawrence and the Hillsborough County Attorney. He noted again that the Board supported the Chief 100% in this matter and any further discussion would take place through legal channels.
Rodney Towne asked if there were any questions on the rules of procedure for the meeting. There being none, the Board asked who would like to speak.
The first speaker was Ken Parnell of Town Farm Road in New Boston. He noted that he was not in favor of the Chief and what was going on currently but thought that it seemed as if the Chief had been found guilty before a trial. He said that he read the papers, saw the signs and noted that the press was now involved. He stated that New Boston was not like that and the Chief should have a chance this evening to present his side of things. Mr. Parnell noted that a lot of money seemed to have been spent on unsigned mailings to the townspeople and he hoped to find out this evening who was responsible for the letters. He noted that the papers made the Chief out to be rude and uncaring. He thought that being a small town Police Chief was a very tough job and
involved a lot of politics. He thought that if the Town wanted a kind Chief they should hire a "Hollywood cop". Mr. Parnell thought that the Chief was doing a good job and he was here this evening to hear what was going on behind the scenes.
Karen Thomson of Fraser Drive spoke next. She noted that she also had received the anonymous letter sent using bulk mailing permit #4. She went on to say that she knew many of the Police Officers in New Boston and had been privileged to sit on many of the interview boards for them. She noted that they were fine officers and she had spoken to many of them recently and was baffled as to why the aforementioned anonymous letter had stated that the officers needed protection from the Chief as none of the officers had indicated that was the case. Karen Thomson thought that it would be a good thing if someone identified this evening where the information in the letter came from and what they had to substantiate it. She noted that she had been hearing and reading that people did not like the Chief,
that he was rude and a bully but she had not heard anyone complain that the Chief did not do his job. She noted that there were no kids hanging out downtown and that Bedford Road was not a racetrack. She further noted that the police were visible in town. Karen Thomson went on to say that the CERT team would not be effective in town without the Chief's help. She next noted that the Chief does a good job and that no one could get rid of him just because he rubbed someone the wrong way. She thought that the Town had handled this matter in a deplorable fashion with other towns finding it necessary to have their input and the media turning the situation into a three-ring circus. She thought the Town should be embarrassed.
Rodney Towne took the opportunity to ask people to line up behind the microphone five at a time to keep things moving along quicker.
Dwight Lovejoy came to the microphone next. He noted that he had received a phone call from the gentleman who had sent the letter previously discussed. He stated that he had gone through the issues with that individual and had asked him to make a public apology. He hoped that the person was at this evening's meeting and was going to make that apology. Dwight Lovejoy stated that he was very concerned that the Chief's wife and children were becoming involved in this matter and his children were being harassed in school. Dwight Lovejoy said that he thought the Chief could be a little abrasive at times but in 15 years had never done him wrong. He asked that the Chief work on his personality in this regard. He said that he was amazed that the Chief and
his family had been torn apart based on hearsay and the small incidents that had been mentioned. He stated he was glad this meeting was being held to get the matter straightened out.
Sandi van Scoyoc was next. She stated that she had worked with the Chief about three years ago on a fairly small fundraising effort and had found him professional and friendly at all times. She noted that she had since worked with him on another more minor issue and again found him very friendly and professional. She was at the meeting to show her support for the Chief.
Becky Grosso of 246 Joe English Road stated that she had seen many chiefs in town over her years of living here - Davis, St. John, McLaughlin - and had worked with Chief Chris Krajenka. She was present to offer his support for the Chief. She was also appreciative of his work for the CERT program. She stated that real life situations like the horrifying recent murder in Mont Vernon were taking place. She thought the stronger presence of this Chief was the way for the Town to go.
Roger Gagnon took the microphone next and noted his support for the Chief. He said that when he owned the gun shop in town for many years the Chief had always done his job and done a very, very good job, up to and including arresting people at the shop. He thought that people present this evening would probably agree to some extent that the Chief was maybe not always polite. Roger Gagnon stated that the Chief has a job to do and it was not an easy job. He noted that everyone made mistakes.
Charles Hatch stated that he was present to try to articulate his experiences with Chief Krajenka. He noted that he had been assaulted by the Chief at the New Boston church a year ago. Charles Hatch stated that he had been parked in the handicapped space and the Chief approached him waving his arms and yelling belligerently. He said that the Chief told him to get out and there was no margin for diplomacy in his manner. Charles Hatch stated that he moved his vehicle as the Chief had ordered him so that he would not get arrested which the Chief had threatened to do. Charles Hatch stated that he went into the church and into Rev. Woodland's office at which point the Chief assaulted him 5 times in front of 7 witnesses. Charles Hatch said that he was by no
means anti-police and as a former fire fighter he had had a lot of contact with the Police and had never been assaulted before in his life. Charles Hatch went on to say that he called Mr. Burton (sic) at the Town Hall and Rodney Towne had said that the matter was taken care of.
Mr. Hatch was of the opinion that had this been a different town the Chief would have been pulled on the carpet and a thorough investigation into the matter conducted. He said that he did not think that Chief Krajenka had the professional temperament to be Police Officer let alone a Chief. He went on to say that there was no reasoning with the Chief and if the Honorable Select Board did not do something about it the Courts would. He thought that people would start to file lawsuits. Charles Hatch expressed his congratulations to everyone who had attended this meeting, noting that it was easy to be brave at a distance. He went on to say that he thought the Chief would hurt someone and it would cost the town's insurance carrier plenty. He stated that the
Chief had better start acting professional and it was his opinion that the Chief be terminated or it should be put to the ballot for the public to decide. Charles Hatch went on to say that Joe Wilson was one of the best officers he had ever met so the issue was not to do with the department as a whole but with the Chief. Charles Hatch thanked Selectmen Woodbury for his years of service to the Town and urged the Selectmen to deal with this issue and not allow the Chief to be assaulting people. He referred also to issues that had happened when the Chief was resource officer at the high school.
Art Bergen of McCollum Road noted that he had lived in town for 25 - 30 years and had seen Chiefs come and go. He thought that Chris Krajenka was at the top of the list, ran a tight ship and had officers that loved him. Mr. Bergen had heard that the Chief's wife and children were getting threats, some anonymous, which he found despicable. He thought the people that would do such a thing should be charged with criminal threatening and perhaps under the Patriot Act. Art Bergen noted that people whose feelings were hurt because the Chief was abrupt with them should get over it. He thought that people were coming in from out of town stirring things up, like the Manchester gun shop owner who did not own the guns in question, had no title to them and only had
contingent interest in the proceeds of the sale. Art Bergen said that he was present to support the Chief and hoped the Selectmen would too as he had not seen a lot of evidence of such support from the Board.
Gerard Beloin approached the microphone and said he would let Chief Krajenka speak for himself. Rodney Towne stated that the Chief was not present. Gerard Beloin held a laptop computer hooked up to some kind of speaker and proceeded to play some recordings which were not identifiable. Rodney Towne stated that the Chief was not present to authenticate the recordings which Mr. Beloin was playing. Gerard Beloin said that he would testify against him and also stated that he had been under threat of death by organized crime. He continued to play the recordings and Rodney Towne declared Mr. Beloin out of order and asked him to shut off the playback. Mr. Beloin cited his first amendment rights to which Rodney Towne replied that he had every right to speak but
not the right to play unauthenticated recordings. Sheriff's deputies eventually moved Mr. Beloin away from the microphone and after a few minutes managed to have the recording shut off.
Andrzej Pedzik of River Road said that he had moved from a big city where the Police Department was corrupt. He had moved to New Boston as a small town to get away from such things and noted that if someone is breaking the law he wants them out. Mr. Pedzik said that he had spoken to the Chief and he is a good man. However, when he applied for a license to carry the Chief had called people that know Mr. Pedzik two years in a row asking them if he dealt drugs or beat his wife. Andrzej Pedzik said that he was upset by this and had spoken to the Chief about it. Mr. Pedzik stated that the Chief is an arrogant but good man and he needed to stop. He said that it was his right to own a gun and that he was not a criminal and did not commit any crimes. He
went on to say that he had known Jim McCloud for many years and had no bad things to say about him.
Linda Shea stated that she was neither for nor opposed to the Chief and thought he did a good job. She said that he should be considerate and could still be polite if giving someone a ticket. She noted that her experience with the Chief was very negative. Linda Shea explained that she was walking her dog in the town center when there were piles of snow and she could not use the regular crosswalks so she crossed the street by the fire station. She said that the unmarked police car was coming down Meetinghouse Hill Road at what she considered a dangerous speed and she therefore signaled the driver to slow the car down. She further stated that she called the station later in the day to find out who had been driving the unmarked and upon hearing it was the Chief
spoke with him to say she thought he had been driving too fast. The Chief had disagreed stating that he drove very slowly and was only doing 20 miles an hour. Linda Shea said that she responded that 20 miles an hour seemed a lot faster than she had thought. She thought that would be the end of the conversation but the Chief became arrogant and snotty and asked why she was crossing the street in that location in the first place. Linda Shea explained that she could not cross at the crosswalk because of the high snow piles and she had to walk in the street. She said that she thought she was treated very poorly and got the impression that the Chief assumed the worst of everybody and automatically assumed people were wrong rather than thinking that things could just happen. She said that his job was not necessarily to be nice but he should treat people respectfully and treat them with dignity no matter the situation.
Michael Fallet of Bedford Road said he had that day researched the term 'malfeasance in office', learning online that there were three essential elements to this issue: the person in question must be a public officer; the person must exercise the power due that office; and, the person must have either exercised targeted malice or exceeded their powers. Michael Fallet thought that the first two items had been met and thought that the last one hinged on the decisions made in the gun seizure issue. He thought that it would be most helpful to know if the Police Chief knew that Mr. Murphy would be denied the firearms if he attempted to reacquire them from Mr. McCloud. Michael Fallet stated that there was a restraining order in place and the background check of Mr. Murphy
would have failed. He stated that the Chief was mandated by law to remove weapons from anyone under a restraining order. He said that there was no reason for the Chief to confiscate the guns if he knew this. Michael Fallet said that this could be construed as targeted malice or exceeding power if he was only required to remove the firearms from Mr. Murphy's possession, something which had happened several months earlier. That was where Mr. Fallet thought that the Chief had made a mistake.
David Woodbury stated that Mr. Fallet had had his three minutes and reminded him that this meeting was not to debate the rightness or wrongness of the firearms issue. He asked Mr. Fallet to wrap up his comments.
Michael Fallet noted that he had arrived late to the meeting and did not understand that there was a three minute rule. He stated that the Chief's reliance on the opinion of the County Attorney did not absolve him or the town, noting that all town officials have a responsibility to uphold constitutional rights. David Woodbury again informed Mr. Fallet that his time was up and Mr. Fallet left the microphone.
Lisa Brackett of Labree Road stated that she was a stay at home mom who had never been in trouble with the law. She noted that she got a ticket from the Chief on Route 13. She noted that she did not argue the ticket and paid it with the letter to the Department of Safety. She thought that everything had been taken care of. Lisa Brackett said that two months later an officer delivered the Chief's business card to her house and asked her to call him. She expressed her surprise that the town's officers were paid to be delivery people and also that the Chief did not simply call her. She noted that this happened two more times and the second time the officer said he would issue a citation. Mrs. Brackett said that her understanding was that everything was
in order with the State and her license was in good standing and the New Boston Police Department should have been copied on all of the correspondence and should have known this.
Mrs. Brackett stated that the next morning the Chief left a message that it was imperative that she call him immediately. When she did manage to catch up with him, Mrs. Brackett said the Chief told her that the ticket had never been paid and he would send an officer with a citation. Mrs. Brackett said that she would turn the officer away at which point she said the Chief threatened to have her arrested. She stated that the Chief's attitude was 'holier than thou' and he referred to the fact that he had been doing the job for 25 years. She further stated that she had never heard of a Chief sending officers to someone's house for documentation. Lisa Brackett said that her point was to do with the way the Chief does his job. She understood that she had to pay
for the ticket and she did not think she should be called at her house and harassed. She said the Chief was rude and belligerent and completely out of line. She did not know why the Town needed such an iron fisted Police Chief. She ended by saying that the Chief should have respect for the citizens and his job was to protect and serve not bully and harass.
Jon Lewis identified himself as the owner of a business on North Mast Road, a.k.a Route 114 near the Weare town line. He stated that he was at the meeting to relate his experiences with the Chief. He noted that he had never met him and the first time he saw him was in the New Boston Bulletin. Jon Lewis stated that about a year ago he suffered a felony vandalism at his auto sales facility. He noted that he was still trying to figure out the situation and he was out a lot of money because of it. Jon Lewis explained that a police officer from a neighboring town contacted the Chief at home at the time of the incident which was around midnight and told him that the vandalism was taking place. The Chief told this officer that help was on the way and to leave
the matter alone. Jon Lewis stated that he had recordings of the radio communications between the police departments on CD. He went on to say that upon hearing that the State police were 20 minutes away the Weare police officer offered to detain the suspects until the State police arrived. Jon Lewis said that the Chief told the Weare officer to stay out of New Boston. Jon Lewis said that he was trying to let go of the matter personally and he was not really resentful against the Chief but was instead resentful against his actions. He went on to say that despite the massive vandalism that had taken place the Chief had still never set foot on the property and he had a problem with the way things were handled that night.
Edward Muller said that he did not know the Chief and had heard a mixed bag of experiences. He stated that as an out-of-towner he would ask New Boston to keep the Chief inside its own jurisdiction and not let him wander off the ranch.
David Spain of Barss Drive asked the Board of Selectmen to comment on the power of the Board vis a vis the Chief's contract. He wondered if the Board had the power of termination and whether it would cost the town money to go through the process. David Woodbury stated that a special statute gave Police Chiefs the right if terminated by the Board of Selectmen to go to Superior Court and have a judge determine the validity of the termination. He noted that this was the case only with Police Chiefs. He also noted that many people present would remember the issues in Lyndeborough with the Chief and noted that was resolved only after many years of litigation.
Leo Joy stated that the Chief was hired in 2005 with a 3 year contract and wondered if that contract had been renewed. Rodney Towne noted that the contract with the Chief was for benefits only, not employment, and spelled out insurance matters. He noted that this contract had not been redone. Leo Joy asked if this would affect the Chief's ability to go to Superior Court to which Rodney Towne replied that it would not. Leo Joy asked if the Selectmen could terminate the Chief at any time. Rodney Towne stated that was the case, for cause.
Leo Joy said that there were lots of rumors circulating in town and the Chief was the topic of many dinner party conversations and people had specific questions that they would like answered. He said that some of the rumors involved the harassment of a female police officer who had left to go to Londonderry and all sorts of stories about belligerent behavior. He noted in his experience that many rumors had to be based in fact. He said that some of the issues may get a little changed around over time but they started somewhere. Leo Joy went on to say that the owner of Tate's Gallery had had a confrontation with the Chief in front of his store. He also referenced a story of two horseback riders in Weare who had told the Chief in his unmarked car to slow down
whereupon the Chief stopped in front of the horses and asked if they knew who he was because he was the Police Chief in New Boston. Leo Joy stated that he would like these women to present their account of that issue.
Leo Joy said that when presented with these rumors and stories he thought it was wrong for the New Boston Bulletin to characterize those who were in favor of termination as those people who must have suffered from traffic stops or some other violation. He thought that many of the people had legitimate concerns and that the rumors showed a pattern of behavior that put the town at greater risk. He noted that the Town's legal budget for last year showed expenditures of $27K against the budgeted $8K and that this year's budget was nearly $60K and he would like to know where the money was going. Leo Joy stated that his three minutes were probably up but he wanted to reiterate that the pattern of behavior demonstrated by the Chief was a liability and would result in financial
impact to the town.
Rodney Towne asked if there was anyone who had not spoken who wished to do so.
Jason Devine of Bedford Road stated that he had been in town for 14 year and thought it was a wonderful community with a fabulous school. He stated that he had had no personal dealings with the Police Chief but was concerned with hearing things about legal fees and harassment. He asked if taxpayers were entitled to know what the legal fees were spent on. David Woodbury stated that the best person to ask that question was the Town Administrator who would be able to look at the budget and tell him. Jason Devine asked about personnel matters. David Woodbury stated that, of course, employee's personnel issues were private to them. If there had been a lawsuit filed against someone anyone would be entitled to know that fact and the amount spent on it but
probably not the details of the case.
Todd Grainger of Beard Road stated that he had been in town for 3 years and was at work 90% of the time. He said that the Chief drove by the end of Beard Road, stopped on the 50 mph stretch of road and reversed to tell Mr. Grainger that he was uncomfortable that he had come up to the stop sign too fast. Mr. Grainger said that this did not make any sense to him.
Rick Widener stated that he had lived in town for 23 years. He said he might have trouble only speaking for 3 minutes. He noted that the Police Department was now up to 5 officers with one in the academy doing very well. He noted that it was disturbing and disappointing to see the handout that had been distributed at the start of this meeting with so many things spelled wrong and misstated. Rick Widener stated that the rumor of the sexual harassment lawsuit could be verified by contacting the NH Department of Human Resources as it was public information. He noted that there was no such lawsuit from any officer. One of the other things he saw in the handout was the mention of Officer Fussell as one who had left the department. Rick Widener noted that
Officer Fussell had lost a child and he could only imagine what that kind of suffering might do to someone. He said that he sent his condolences to Joe and to blame his decision to leave the department on one man was not right without the facts.
Rick Widener went on to say that he had received the letter in the mail regarding pistol permits and wished that someone had come to the department to find out the facts before printing this information. He noted that over the past 6 years 473 permits had been applied for and only 7 denied. Of that 7, 1 was denied for submitting false information on the application, 1 person because the family indicated that they were suicidal, 1 person appealed the denial through the courts and was issued the permit, 4 were denied for criminal records which meant they could not be issued a permit. Rick Widener referenced state statute 159:6 and a court case, Penny v. Littleton, for the assembled company's information.
Rick Widener said that his wife Cathy had been the Police Department for over 17 years. He noted that to avoid having people make 2 trips to the Police Department the department offers to wait for the check to clear and then mail the permit. He noted that the letter that went to all residents indicated that this courtesy had been categorized as violating the law. He said that there had been no official complaints until this time and the only thing that happened sometimes was that they got behind the 14 day timeframe if an officer went on days off. Rick Widener recapped that out of 473 permits over 6 years only 1% had been denied. He said that the Chief only signed the permits, the research was done by the officers. He offered that the same criteria the
officers ask as part of the permit application process were used by the organization that had sent the townwide mailer, the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition. He noted that he was on the same page on that issue and that he was a supporter of gun rights but a stronger supporter of public safety. Rick Widener said that the firearms issue would be dealt with in court. He thanked everyone present who had rendered their opinions.
A representative of the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition was present and asked to follow up on a couple of comments that had been made. He stated that he was glad the Town of New Boston had taken the step of holding this meeting to address the issues in a public forum. He said that he had a series of petitions to submit to the Selectmen that were issues not with the Chief but with the process. He submitted the petitions to the Board. He also submitted a letter regarding the horseback riding incident mentioned earlier in the meeting.
The representative also submitted a screen print of the Town's website regarding the pistol permit and noted that he had spoken with Mr. Reynolds about this and had tried to get to talk to the Selectmen as well. He said that the statutes clearly laid out the process for pistol permits and they could not require phone numbers and that was shown on the website copy. He noted that there was a financial risk to the town if a permit was denied because attorney fees may be awarded to the plaintiff if the matter goes to court. He went on to say that the Coalition had tried to work out the form with the Selectmen and the one currently on the website was better but still needed some work. David Woodbury reminded the gentleman of the 3 minute limit on speaking.
The NH Firearms Coalition representative stated that he thought the Selectmen should be added to the list of who is able to issue a pistol permit and that was a reasonable request.
Dan MacDonald of Tucker Mill Road and the New Boston Fire Chief stated that he agreed that the town did not have the perfect Police Chief but challenged anyone without any flaws to step forward. He noted the Chief's hard work with the DARE program in the schools and the amount of personal time he put into working for the Special Olympics. Dan MacDonald said that there may be problems when the Chief pulls someone over but said that as an employee of the town the Chief had worked harder over the last 5 years than anyone to help improve the employees' situation. He said that the Chief may not be perfect but he certainly had many good qualities. Dan MacDonald went on to say that the Chief should also be thanked for his hard work in getting power back to the town during
the ice storm and noted that New Boston was the second town in the state to get the National Guard's assistance due to the Chief's persistence.
Nathan Dickey of 54 McCurdy Road stated that he had heard complaints against the current Chief this evening which fell into two categories. On the one hand was the issue of seizing weapons and on the other was the fact that he was temperamentally unsuited for the job. Regarding the unlawful seizure of weapons Mr. Dickey stated that there was specific direction from Judge Lawrence and the Chief was not at liberty to disregard this direction. As far as the temperament issue Mr. Dickey stated that on two occasions he had lobbied at the State house in direct opposition to the Chief and had never seen evidence of a temper or anything other than a civil demeanor. Nathan Dickey thought that some of the anger regarding the gun issue should be directed at the judge and not
the Police Chief. He ended by saying that he would support the Police Chief's position going to an elected position.
Willard Dodge spoke and identified himself as a lifelong resident of New Boston. He stated that he had retired after 22 ½ years as a Police Officer and as a result had dealt with almost every Chief in New Boston. He said it concerned him greatly to hear about Chief Krajenka's temper. Willard Dodge noted that he had tremendous interaction with the Police Department and had personally talked with the Chief numerous times about that. He went on to say that the Town had a tremendous amount invested in this man and his interaction with him was favorable other than the issues and problems that had been heard this evening. Willard Dodge stated that he had such close involvement with the department that it irked him to see people speculating on why others had left
the department when they have no clue what they are talking about. He said that Chief Krajenka was the Chief at the time of these officers leaving but that there was a reason for every one of the officers to have left and clearly the Board of Selectmen and the Chief and himself could not speak about the reasons. He stated that it was too bad that people liked to talk about things that they did not know about. Willard Dodge challenged the Board of Selectmen, if it was determined that there were issues that needed to be addressed, to find a way to help the Chief overcome the issues and work out a way to keep him on board.
Chuck Berube said that he had moved to New Boston in September because he was tired of Manchester. He was happy to see an officer parked by the school when he drove by. He said that if law and order meant that we were a little strict in our interpretation, so be it, because it was better than Manchester.
Jim McCloud of Manchester submitted some papers to the Selectmen. He noted that there was no reason to have to be in a meeting such as this this evening. His complaint was that the Chief had many opportunities on the day he took the firearms from his establishment to stop the situation. Mr. McCloud said that the Chief made 3 phone calls to his business threatening his employees to give him Mr. McCloud's cell phone number or he would have them arrested. Mr. McCloud noted that he tried to explain to the Chief that with a DV petition filed there was no way Mr. Murphy would be able to get his guns back but the Chief did not want to hear that. Mr. McCloud stated that the Chief spoke to representatives at ATF and those persons advised Mr. McCloud that the Chief would
not listen to them and that they advised him to give up the guns to the Chief so as not to be arrested. Jim McCloud said that when the Chief came to get the guns he did not know what he was talking about. Mr. McCloud had a Sergeant from the Manchester Police Department present to witness the incident. Mr. McCloud said that the Chief would not produce the court order he referenced as his reason for taking the weapons and did not have a business card. Mr. McCloud said that the document finally produced was 2 or 3 pages from the Murphy's DV petition. He said that Judge Lawrence had required the removal of weapons from Mr. Murphy not Manchester Firearms. He said that all his questions were answered with half truths and that his attorney had spoken to the County Attorney who had said that the Chief's actions were in fact chasing his tail to get things done after the fact.
David Woodbury said that this matter was under litigation and would be dealt with in court. He asked if Mr. McCloud's presentation was that he was disappointed in the demeanor of the Chief.
Jim McCloud said that the Chief has the heart to do the job but his actions were not becoming of the Police Force. He said he had never met someone so arrogant and that the Chief does not listen, he tells. Mr. McCloud said that he thought the Chief meant well but his execution was horrible.
Wayne Johnson noted that working for the Police Department required making fast judgments and quick decisions. He noted that he would not want to be a Police Officer and certainly not a Chief, stating that people get shot or murdered as in the next town over these days. He thought that the Chief did a great job and that everyone made mistakes. He thought that the people pointing their fingers had their own amount of trash that they were hiding.
Burr Tupper stated that he had dealt with Chris Krajenka on many occasions and thought he could certainly use some sensitivity training. He said that he worked with the Chief on the Town's All Boards committee and he was very conscientious when providing his inputs regarding safety issues. Burr Tupper went on to say that numerous properties in town had suffered vandalism and that the Chief and the Police Department had been very responsive to those calls. Burr Tupper stated that he objected to the handout which had no name on it, something he thought was ludicrous. He noted that he had spoken to Chris several times about people speeding from Daniels Garage into town and was happy to see an officer stationed by the school when the kids were going in or out. He
thought that someone would get killed without those officers there.
Dennis Provencher of Chestnut Hill Road said that there was a great deal of vandalism on his road in June of last year. He called the Police Department at approximately 10 p.m. and no one was there and he had to wait for the State Police. He said this was wrong because the Police Department was not supposed to be closed. He had to wait until 3 a.m. for a State Police Officer to get there. Mr. Provencher went on to say that the Chief was not a great man. He was maybe a nice guy outside of work and took his job seriously but he took it to the extent of overpowering people. He stated that before Chief Krajenka no one had heard of New Boston but now everyone from the towns around were coming into town. He said that Chief Krajenka had messed up big.
He further noted that he had experience of the Chief from high school when he was the resource officer and had held a gun on people during school. Mr. Provencher said that when he found out that Chris Krajenka was the Chief in New Boston he was not happy and now he was embarrassed to say he was part of this town with him as the Chief.
Patty Gale stated that she was not embarrassed to say she lived in New Boston. She noted that she supported the Chief and had worked professionally with him when he was in Goffstown. She said he was always professional. She recognized all the things that the Chief had done for New Boston above and beyond the requirements of the job. She stated that showed dedication and not many chiefs would go to such lengths. Patty Gale asked those responsible to stop sending her junk mail and littering the streets with signs. She thought the situation had turned into a three-ring circus and wished for some diplomacy.
David Woodbury asked if anyone else wished to speak. Randy Parker stated that he had lived in town for 47 years and had never seen anything like this. He stated that no one should have to be at such a meeting. He thought it would be helpful if the Board of Selectmen could explain how they dealt with personnel matters. He thought that something could have been done before the situation rose to the current level. He also thought there must be a way to deal with complaints as they were made. Randy Parker stated that if any such action had been taken there had been no discussion of it. He stated that if the Town did face the situation of trying to get rid of the Chief, and he thought that the Chief had done a good job, it did not seem that there were
too many records to go back to to present the Town's case. He asked that the Board of Selectmen enlighten the assembled company with regard to how they proceed with personnel matters.
David Woodbury stated that there was no magic formula and every situation was unique. He stated that his knowledge was that the level of criticism about the Chief prior to these recent events was very limited. He said that there had been no reason to raise the issue until the perfect storm of events took place that created so much widespread interest. He went on to say that the Board of Selectmen or any board would look at comments made over months or years to see if a pattern formed. This had not been the case with Chief Krajenka. David Woodbury also said that other things would be looked at too because there were other ways to judge employees than the public's attitude towards them. He stated that meetings such as this evening's were a highly unusual
and not very desirable way to air opinions. He was not sure that this was a very satisfactory answer to the question.
Steve Monier identified himself as a former Goffstown Police Chief for 15 years. He stated that he was the one who hired Chris Krajenka to work in Goffstown and he had never regretted the decision to hire him. He said that he worked with Chris Krajenka for well over a decade. Steve Monier went on to say that Chris Krajenka had served in the US Military and had always wanted to be a Police Officer. He said that Chris was a dedicated family man who loved his community and always wanted to do the right thing. Steve Monier said it was evident that Chris Krajenka does not realize how he comes across to people. He also noted that if people in Goffstown were asked how they thought he, Steve Monier, had been as Chief there would be those that supported him and
those that had stories to tell.
Steve Monier encouraged the Board of Selectmen to listen to what Willard Dodge had to say, noting that they should work with the Chief since he had done so much since he started. He thought that Chief Krajenka spoke to what was in his heart and his head and that he might not come across well some times in some situations.
David Woodbury noted that two people remained in line to speak and if anyone else wished to say something they should get in line and be ready.
Jeff Parrish stated that he had been in New Boston for 16 years and did not know Chief Krajenka. He stated that the biggest reason he had come to the meeting was to know what was going on. It appeared to him that those who were closest to the Chief had the best to say about him. Jeff Parrish thought that if the statements about the Chief's behavior were true then some things must change. He wondered what would be involved in demoting a Chief down to Police Officer. David Woodbury thought that the same set of circumstances and litigation would prevail as in firing a Chief.
Cathy Widener stated that she had lived in town for 23 years and had proudly served at the Police Department since 1991. She stated in that time she had seen many chiefs and lived through a lot of things. She noted that in 2005 she had heard the rumors about Chief Krajenka and was concerned. However, once she had got to know the man she had only the highest admiration for him. She stated that there was an awful lot that had happened that no one knew about and that no one had asked about. Cathy Widener stated that over the years she had seen the ugly side of those who called the Police Department. She went on to say that the current department was the best it had been in a long time and there was an awesome group of officers. She stated that this
situation was tough on everyone at the department. She voiced her support for Chris Krajenka and stated that the department was there for the safety of the community.
Don McGinley of Lyndeborough Road stated that he had lived in town for 11 years and his only regret was that he had not moved to New Boston sooner. He stated that he came from a small town in Massachusetts and was familiar with small town life and politics. He said that he did not know the Chief and whether he was good or bad. He said that the Chief had done a superb job organizing the seminar in November over local security, although he had shown up with all his gear on his belt. Don McGinley said that the Chief that evening was as professional as anyone he had ever seen. He said he had spoken to the Chief a few times and had nothing bad to say. He went on to ask why the Police Station had been built on Old Coach Road so far out of town. He thought
the station should be in the center of town. Mr. McGinley said that having a Police Officer by the school in the morning was a great achievement. He stated that he wanted to see more officers on the street. He thought the Chief had a lot of great years ahead of him and that the Board of Selectmen had the most difficult job in straightening out the mess.
James Cook, the owner of Tate's Gallery, stated that he relied on other people to make New Boston a town that was a desirable place to visit. His business could not afford the town to have a bad reputation. He thought the Chief had made poor decisions and had made the Police Department a difficult place to work. He noted that the town had lost several good officers. James Cook stated that it was a shame because any lawsuits caused higher taxes to defend the Chief's mistakes and no residents should have to pay for those mistakes. He said that he was in the spotlight because he had signed the petition to fire the Chief. He thought that the Chief maybe was not qualified to be a Chief when he was hired.
David Woodbury acknowledged Karen Thomson and stated that she would be the evening's last speaker (others joined the line, however). Karen Thomson said that several complaints had been made this evening about people's experiences with the Chief. She stated that these were obviously only one side of the story and there was always two sides to everything. She noted that she had seen the Chief talk with people on the street or at Dodge's and she had never seen him be discourteous. Karen Thomson said that no one had brought up any concrete proof. She said that the Board of Selectmen would have to make their decision and she wanted everyone to keep in mind that even the Chief had the right to explain his side of things.
John Palumbo stated that he had no pros or cons for the Chief. He explained his military history and noted that he had gone to mandated sensitivity training with his supervisors on many occasions. He noted that he had reviewed the pistol permit application on the website and saw the places for phone numbers and references with which he did not have a problem. He thought that the Chief was forced to follow the laws and could not change them to suit his preference. He understood that people might not want to give personal information out and questioned the security of the forms, noting that he and his wife had been victims of identity theft. John Palumbo stated that he would like to see the Police Chief be a voting position so that the people could vote on who
they wanted.
Roberta Bonney of River Road stated that she had signed the petition and wanted to explain. She stated that she had never met the Chief but supposed that he condoned the behavior of his officers who had harassed her 13 year old son who had been making his way home from the bus with a wheeled backpack. She said that the Officer had questioned him about being a runaway and had blocked the driveway by the time she got home. She stated that the Officer was rude and arrogant and refused to let them go. Roberta Bonney said that her son ended up laying on the ground crying hysterically. She noted that Officer Widener had diffused the situation. She said that her family were good people who respected authority but that her son was afraid of the police now.
She thought that sensitivity training or some kind of anger management was warranted.
Don Lyons of Butterfield Mill Road took the microphone and stated that it was his understanding that the mutual aid agreement for the town had been revoked twice since Chief Krajenka had been here. David Woodbury said that he was looking for a member of the Police Department to answer that. Rodney Towne stated that was not an accurate statement.
Don Lyons went on to say that this evening's meeting warranted an internal investigation of the Chief to see how he handles personnel matters. He stated that quite a few officers had left the department and it was not a pleasant thing. He said that they all had families at home and the issues had cost them a lot of money and created a hardship on them and their families. He noted that the Chief had the benefit of the town attorney so these issues do not cost him a dime. Don Lyons said that Mr. Kelley spent $13,000 on his own defense to protect himself from litigation and that Frank Kochanek had spent $18,000 out of his own pocket on his defense. Don Lyons went on to say that Don Sims had been an officer in New Boston for 26 years and loved his job and was
heartbroken when he was let go. He said Mr. Sims was now working in Francestown and doing well. Don Lyons stated that younger fellows had resigned and left to go elsewhere fearing for their jobs and careers and putting all their degrees and training on the line. He stated that the Chief starts frivolous actions against these officers and they have to invest money to defend themselves. He thought in the future more officers would leave for the same reason. Don Lyons said that it was not for greener pastures or that they did not like New Boston but that the Chief creates a hostile environment. Don Lyons said that these reasons alone warranted an internal investigation.
Cathy Widener stated that she wished to correct Mr. Lyons who did not work for the Police Department and does not know the issues and can only speculate. She noted that the majority of the officers who had left did so for greener pastures or family issues and that was the end of the story.
David Woodbury noted that Mr. Beloin would be the last speaker since it was nine o'clock and the meeting had been going for two hours and he had already spoken once. Gerard Beloin stated he had been cut off before and he would only be a minute. He said that everyone should ignore what they had heard tonight and listen to their ears and keep an eye out. He suggested Googling Chief Krajenka and listening to all the recordings. He also noted that Googling his own name would yield 18 pages on the internet.
At a little past 9 p.m., David Woodbury adjourned the meeting, thanking those who had spoken and all who had come to listen.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicola Strong
Planning Coordinator
Minutes approved: 3/29/10 as amended
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