Atkinson selectmen release report to chief

from the Eagle Tribune;

September 20, 2011
Atkinson selectmen release report to chief
By Doug Ireland
direland@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Selectmen gave a copy of a controversial police department review to the chief last night, but it's not clear when the report will be released to the public.

Meanwhile, police Chief Philip Consentino said he may only have one full-time officer on his staff by mid-October. Detective Sgt. Philip Farrar is scheduled to retire Friday and another officer is a strong candidate for a job with another department, he said.

Consentino, who said he usually has five full-time officers, asked selectmen at their meeting last night for an update on the report's release. Selectman William Friel said a copy was available for the chief, but wouldn't say when the report would be made public when questioned by a reporter.

Earlier this year, selectmen voted to pay a consultant $5,000 to review the department's management after numerous conflicts with Consentino over hiring a new lieutenant.

The conflicts between the board and the chief continued last night as they argued over the use of money from the town's elderly affairs account to gas up police cruisers. Consentino is also the elderly affairs director,

The town received the report from the consultant, Municipal Resources Inc., on Sept. 9 and gave it to town attorney Sumner Kalman three days later instead of releasing it to the public. Kalman said he had to analyze the report first to make sure it did not contain details that would endanger public safety.

The Eagle-Tribune filed a Freedom of Information Act request Wednesday to seek public release of the review. The town has five days to respond to the request. Today marks the fifth business day since the request was filed.

Friel would not say when the report would be available to the public.

"We will respond to your request by the deadline — whatever that is," Friel said. He would not discuss the report further.

After the meeting, Consentino said he was surprised to receive the report.

"That was news to me," he said. "It will be good reading material for me tonight."

Consentino said he couldn't comment on the report's findings until he's had a chance to review it thoroughly.

Regardless of what the report says, Consentino said he will have to abide by its findings and isn't worried about losing his job.

"It is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it," he said.

Before the meeting, Consentino said the report has held up hiring within his department as his staff leaves for better job opportunities elsewhere.

"Every time I ask them to do something in the police department, they tell me they can't do anything until they get the report," he said of selectmen. "I'm left in limbo. I can't hire anybody."

Consentino, who has been with the department for 43 years, lost his second in command this spring when Lt. William Baldwin left for a job with the Plaistow Police Department.

When Consentino, 71, was recovering from heart surgery this summer, Farrar covered for him and put his retirement on hold. Now, Farrar plans to retire and another officer will likely leave, Consentino said.

"That's going to leave me with only one full-time officer to cover five shifts," he said. "I can only do so much to keep things running"

Consentino had a heated exchange at last night's meeting with Friel and Selectman Fred Childs Jr., who was filling in as chairman while William Bennett recovers from an illness.

The pair questioned Consentino about gas being charged to an elderly affairs account instead of the police department.

There were several charges made to the wrong account in June and then July, Childs said.

"Some of it looks alerting to us, so that's why we're asking about it," he said. "I'm just concerned about the discrepancy where it's coming from."

Consentino said only about 30 gallons of gas were charged to the wrong account and that he would look into the issue immediately.

"I'll get back to you on that," he said. "I can't tell you tonight."

After Childs mentioned the first three charges in June and then spoke of three others in July, Consentino became agitated. He reiterated that he would look into the matter today.

"You can sit here and ask all night!" he said. Consentino went on to discuss other issues with the board.

In 2008, the state attorney general's office received complaints about the way Consentino operated the elderly affairs as a division of the Police Department. The two departments were separated, but Consentino still heads both.

Despite the heated exchange last night, Consentino said after the meeting he was glad selectmen finally gave him the report and answered other questions he had.

"Believe it or not, I'm very pleased with dealing with them tonight," he said.