About The Police Commission

To the Editor,

I suppose we are all to feel sorry for the volunteers who make up the Police Commission. Everyone is a volunteer who also works hard and sometimes long hours. The difference is in what capacity people serve. Some commissions or committees are more prestigious than others; with that comes power. The Police Commission is one that has power and people clamor to fill a vacant seat.

It was suggested in a letter that because I wanted these commissioners to resign it was so I could then apply. Having been on the candidates committee which recommends people for the different commissions in town, I have certainly had the opportunity to apply for the Police Commission, among others. Sorry – I’m not into power trips. My volunteer hours go elsewhere.

Maybe I should enlighten the residents as to who is picked for the Police Commission and why. It’s a “perk” for the privileged politicals; then you have Chairman Reilly who has his own agenda. I think the public respects the commission but does not respect some of the members because of the way they have handled the whole issue of firing the Chief. Sympathy aside let’s deal with the issues. I think this was a personal vendetta against the chief of police. It is costing the taxpayers of this town an untold amount of money, with no input from the residents. And if the police commissioners didn’t want to work, sometimes long hours, they shouldn’t have asked to be placed on the commission.

The two letters in the Letter Hive last week mentioned that if the commission does not straighten up, come election day they would basically pay the price. What price? The police commissioners may indeed be on the ballot but you – the public – have no choices to remove them. You see – they always run uncontested and all they need to be elected is one vote – their own. Think about it; other than the selectman and Legislative Council, when have you seen any political ads that say “vote for me for… Police Commission, Planning & Zoning, Board of Education,” etc., ad nauseum.

I will be attending the next Police Commission meeting on April 4th to speak my mind about how they have conducted themselves and how they have eliminated any public input during the entire process of firing the chief of police. The one time I tried to speak during public participation, I was rudely censored by Chairman Reilly. Hopefully this time “censored public participation” will not be on the agenda.

Wendy Beres

15 Turkey Hill Road, Newtown                                   March 22, 2000