Atkinson police chief position to remain part time

January 28, 2014

Selectmen reverse earlier decision

By Alex Lippa alippa@eagletribune.com The Eagle Tribune Tue Jan 28, 2014, 12:15 AM EST

ATKINSON — The future of the police chief’s position has taken another turn. In a special meeting Saturday morning, selectmen reversed course and decided to keep the position part time.
“It’s our reaction to the feedback we’ve gotten from town,” Selectman Fred Thompson said.
In October, selectmen announced they would be making the position full time after recommendations from two consultants. But after resident Brian Boyle filed a citizen’s petition earlier this month to keep the job part time, Thompson said selectmen realized it’s what residents want.
“It was a strong likelihood that that article would have passed and directed us to keep it part time,” Thompson said. “We decided we’d rather make that change now, so we can prepare for the financial ramifications that decision would have had.”
Boyle said he was pleased selectmen have changed their minds.
“I’m encouraged to hear that the selectmen had a change of heart,” Boyle said. “It’s always the safest thing to let the voters decide on changes that have a big impact to the town.”
Town Administrator Bill Innes said making the position full time would have saved the town between $50,000 and $60,000 a year. Instead, they will now shift money around in the budget to account for a part-time chief.
“It needs to be funded properly,” Thompson said. “We don’t feel that number would account for what we need from the position.”
Three people have filled the position within the last year. In February, long-time chief Philip Consentino was terminated from the position for “cause.”
Sgt. Patrick Caggiano then filled the position on an interim basis. He announced in December he would retire from the department after the town chose to conduct an open search for the permanent chief.
Since Caggiano retired, Rockingham County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Al Brackett has served as interim chief. Brackett has said he is not interested in the permanent position.
The search for a full-time chief was already underway, but revamping the search will likely delay things.
“It could be anywhere from a month later to even two to three months,” Innes said.
Innes had hoped to have a new chief in place by the end of February.
The town had received 45 resumes and had handed them over to the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police earlier this month. But now, Thompson said, he is worried about the quality of the chief they will get for the position.
“One of my major concerns is that you’ll severely decrease the qualified candidates by making it part time,” Thompson said. “It makes it less likely that the chief will stay for a long time, creating a revolving door at that position for years to come.”
Innes said the town will proceed, despite his beliefs that the town still needs a full-time chief.
“The NHPCA and Chief Brackett both think we need a full-time chief,” Innes said. “Reports and studies say we need a full-time chief. We think there’s a need, but we don’t think the town residents as a whole are ready to make that transition and the selectmen take direction from residents.”
Innes said the part-time position will be 25 hours per week. The salary and benefits have yet to be determined.
“If we want a good chief, obviously we are going to have to pay for that,” Innes said.

Selectmen Corruption? You decide

It seems our current BOS is not happy taking second place in the corruption sweepstakes to the Board of Consentino/Childs/Sapia, they evidently wish to make a serious run at FIRST PLACE.

For those who watch the Budget Committee meetings they have been great entertainment, as the selectmen have tried to pad the budget, and the budget committee has asked the questions that for the last 6 years they have shied away from asking.

For  example, Mr. Innis was caught flat footed when presenting the selectmen's attempt to add $25,000 for  a repair to the deck at the Community Center. The Budget committee did  something that they have not done since the tenure of Acciard, Cole, and Boyle.  They did their DUE DILIGENCE! Member Harold Morse and Bill Smith went to the ACC and looked at the deck. These men, with construction experience determined that the repair would cost no more than $500. They confronted innis  with this, and he did a wonderful job of  stammering, but  could offer no expanation. Harold Morse's response was Beautiful, he said;  These instances are causing me to  lose confidence in you and your board".

And now we come to the latest DISHONESTY from the Board of Selectmen. They have asked the Elderly Affairs director to create a presentation about "why they need to put back the $20,000 that the budget committee removed from the Elderly Affairs budget". The problem is that the Budget committee ONLY CUT $8,000 from the Selectmen's $19,000 INCREASE!

Ok, a little background, first it is highly likely that the selectmen's office did  the Ea budget for the new EA director. Second they asked for  a $19,000 increase, almost 50% WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO GIVE ANY JUSTIFICATION! According to Bill Innis last year 59 people used the program at a cost of $48,667. This is $824.69/person! When asked how  many people are  projected to use it this year he dissembles to the census which says there are 1,700 people over 55 in town(the Elderly), So, Bill, we presume you are advocating a $1,402,269.00 Ea budget?, because otherwise the census nnumber has no  relevance and it's presentation isa dishonest attempt to  muddy the waters.

THE FACT is that the budget committee has INCREASED the Ea budget this year by $15,342.00 or more than 34%. The BOS wants you  to  believe that they CUT the budget. The selectmen have asked for an additional $19,000 but can not say why they need it. They have increased payroll by 50%, increased gas by 50%.

Historically this is  how the selectmen get the extra money they wish to spend elsewhere but do not want to ask for. DRA will allow the selectmen to overspend any line item providing they do  not  overspend the bottom line of the budget. This means that if, say, they want to spend $1,000,000 on town hall improvements they could as long as they do not overspennd the budget as a whole. So, and this technique was pioneered by Phil Consentino in the Police budget, but perfected town wide by Russ MacAllister, every line they can inflate gives them more money to move around without creating the controversy of asking for that purpose.

Hey Selectmen, if you REALLY NEED the $19,000 for the 59 elderly affairs users, why are you attempting to add $30,000 to the legal line, haven't you guys created enough lawsuits that have cost the town thousands? Why are you trying to add $40,000 to create the towns first full time police chief position WITHOUT  VOTER APPROVAL? By the way, where are all those "alleged" legal opinions that say this illegal act can be committed by you?

WHY CAN'T ATKINSON'S BOARD OF SELECTMEN EVER BE HONEST?

Baldwin to b Town's first illegal Full time Police Chief?

Yes you heard it here, Our ever corrupt Board of Selectman, of which Billy is one, intends to appoint Billy as the Town's first Full time Police Chief. Some of you may remember that Billy left Atkinson's force after Selectman Bill Friel told him he would never be chief in Atkinson. He went to Plaistow, where we hear he wrought havoc among the troops there. Now both he and the BOS wish to once again, violate the Town's Conflict of Interest Ordinance, to feather their own nests. Not that this is unusual in Atkinson. This towns Boards of Selectmen and Police Chiefs have a long established record of violating this particular town law. Even having to be Ordered by the Court to OBEY it! Strange position for once sworn to UPHOLD the law.

 The conflict of interest ordinance requires a 12 month window between an employer- employee relationship. Billy wishes to go from selectman to chief in a day, not a year. He surely has learned a lot under the corrupt tutelage of his former Boss, Our last chief who was fired for cause.

 To Make matters worse, the selectmen intend to do this WITHOUT putting a warrant article before the voters to create this new $70,000+ position. Remember that in both 2000, and 2001, the voters of the town EXPRESSLY FORBADE the selectmen from making the chief's position full time, and the Budget COmmittee at the time, which now selectman Thompson was a member found that the ONLY way a FT chief made sense was if it combined the FT admin sgt.lt. position, we did not need two FT administrators. Note that Billy's Lt. position was the FIRST town position created by the selectmen WITHOUT A WARRANT ARTICLE TO THE VOTERS!

This act of corruption was engineered by Phil as both selectman and chief, and came on the heels of Billys frivolous lawsuit against the town for failure to promote him to Lt. and the demonstrably false claim that the town did not re imburse him for classes taken.(the selectmen had the cancelled checks in hand) This also shortly followed Billy's triumphant return from Kuwait, during which time he lied to the town about his military pay to his own personal benefit of $5,900.00. Fo those with short memories, The Town, in the person of selectman chairman Brian Boyle advanced Billy $5,900. offering to make up any difference between his town pay, and his military pay while deployed. A truly magnanimous gesture, only slightly clouded by the fact that as a former DoD contractor, Boyle knew the difference was miniscule. The Town advanced this money, demanding that Billy provide his military Leave and Earning statement, so they could reconcile accounts and determine the difference in pay. Billy refused to produce the LES for months, instead producing a "commanders BASE PAY letter" which understated his monthly pay by approximately $2,000.00, This ingnominious act was followed by Phil demanding that Billy be paid an EXTRA $511.75 per week as compensation, and anything less is "nickle and diming" the man defending his country. Finally after months of this dog and pony show, the Town demanded that Billy produce the LES or return the $5,900. Flash forward to today, our current BOS is raising the curtain on act two of this corrupt play.

The questions for the voters of Atkinson are as follows;

 1.) Why do you allow your BOS to engage in this corruption?

 2.) Why do you allow them to thwart your will? remember they work for you!

 3.) Why do we allow the actions of the BOS and the police chief to cost the town hundreds of thousands in legal fees for their improper actions?

 4.) Why do the voters have to go to Court to force their Town Officials to act LEGALLY?

 5.) Is this the track record of a man you want for chief?

Consentino to bring fresh corruption to selectmen's office

From the Eagle Tribune; December 24, 2013 Ex-Atkinson chief considering selectman bid By Alex Lippa alippa@eagletribune.com ATKINSON — Former police Chief Philip Consentino is considering putting his name back into Atkinson’s political circle. Consentino said he is seriously considering another run for selectman. “This is something that’s on the top burner for me,” he said. “I’ve done it all in this town and now, in my retirement, I’ve got a lot of time to do this.” Consentino, 73, retired as police chief after 45 years on Feb. 26. Just one day later, selectmen announced they had dismissed him “for cause.” “Some of the things I see going on in the selectmen’s office, I just don’t know how they are getting away with,” Consentino said. There will be two open selectmen’s seats at Town Meeting in March. Selectmen’s Chairman William Friel’s three-year term will be up for grabs. The final year of Todd Barbera’s three-year term will be open as well. Barbera died in October and Fred Thompson is serving in his place until Town Meeting. Consentino previously served three terms as selectman. He said his primary reason for running is because the town is trying to make the police chief’s position full time in next year’s budget. “People have tried to put in petitions to make it a full-time position,” he said. “They were overwhelmingly told to leave it part time and now they want to make it full time. They should follow the process they’ve done before and should put in a warrant article. Just including it in the operating budget is a sneaky way to get it across.” Voters turned down petitions to change the position to full time in 2000 and 2001. Atkinson is currently looking for a new full-time police chief after acting Chief Patrick Caggiano announced he would be retiring at the end of the month. Consentino said he would be willing to assist in the search. Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Al Brackett was sworn in Thursday as interim chief. “The acting chief is gone, another one of my full-time officers are leaving,” Consentino said. “The department is going to be bringing in a whole new kettle of fish. I’d be willing to serve as a consultant, but I would never take the chief’s job in town again.” Consentino would not comment on the effect the end of his tenure as police chief would have on potential voters. “I’m not going to get into that,” he said. “I never got a chance to say what was going on.” Town Administrator Bill Innes said Consentino is allowed to run for selectman. “He cannot be appointed to any town boards or volunteer with the town,” he said. “But that does not include any elected positions.” He would not give his reaction to Consentino considering a selectman bid. Consentino said many residents have already supported his bid. “It seems that everywhere I go, people are asking me to run for selectman,” he said. In addition to holding the police chief’s position, Consentino was also the town’s elderly affairs director. Consentino ran the Atkinson Police Charitable Fund, which assisted seniors with transportation, household repairs and various other needs. Since leaving the department, he has changed the name of the fund to the Atkinson Senior Fund. “We have changed our name so that it is not in conflict with the town’s police department or any part of town government,” Consentino said. The town budgeted $43,000 for similar services this year. They also hired David Paquette to be the town’s new elderly affairs director.

Another interim Police Chief

Contrary to statements made by Innes, the Town cannot hire a full time Chief without going back to the voters for permission. It matters not that they have enough the money in the budget.

December 19, 2013
Atkinson will get new interim police chief
Sheriff's chief deputy will take over in Atkinson
By Alex Lippa alippa@eagletribune.com The Eagle Tribune Thu Dec 19, 2013, 12:10 AM EST
ATKINSON — Rockingham County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Al Brackett is expected to be sworn in as the town’s new interim police chief today.
Sheriff Michael Downing said Brackett will serve as interim chief until the town hires a full-time chief.
The town asked the sheriff’s department to provide them with an interim chief, after Acting Chief Patrick Caggiano announced he was retiring at the end of the month .
“Selectmen wanted to pick a chief who was appropriate for the position,” Town Administrator Bill Innes said. “We have lots of good people in our department and we wanted to make sure that the officers we had were doing their job with as little disruption to their routine as possible.”
Brackett, 62, works part time with the sheriff’s department and will work on a part-time basis in Atkinson.
“Atkinson asked us for help,” Downing said. “They wanted to know if they had anyone qualified who can temporarily run their department. We have other part-time deputies who are more than qualified, so he’ll go down there and work until they find an adequate replacement.”
Brackett said yesterday he did not want to comment until he was sworn in.
Atkinson will pay Brackett while he leads their department. The money will come from the $31,000 which has been budgeted for the police chief’s position. Just more than $9,000 has been used this year.
Brackett started his career in Hudson as a patrol officer and later became the chief there. He then worked for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Fla., before coming back to New Hampshire in 2003.
He ran the sheriff’s department after former sheriff Dan Linehan resigned, serving until Downing was elected to the post.
Downing said this was the first time any police department has asked them to provide a chief.
“I’m not surprised by anything anymore,” Downing said. “I’m not sure how much notice they had and I know they’re actively searching for a replacement now.”
Caggiano’s official last day in Atkinson will be Dec. 28, but he is on vacation next week.
“(Caggiano) has said he will help through this transition,” Innes said.
The town is just starting to send out advertisements for the permanent position. Innes said the town will use the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police to help narrow down the candidates.
“The selectmen, besides one, don’t have the experience or knowledge of the job to work their way through it,” Innes said. “We want to make sure the candidates have the skills and background to move forward.”
The chiefs association will narrow the candidates down to three to five candidates before selectmen make the final call.
“We want to make sure we do it right and get the best possible candidate,” Innes said. “This process is clean and it’s nonpolitical. There’s also no cost to the town to go through this process, as opposed to a private vendor.”
The position has been part time in the past, but next year’s proposed budget will include money for a full-time chief. Innes said the salary of the chief has not been determined.

Follow the money....

Still clinging to the past and identifying himself as the Chief while talking out of both sides of his mouth and declaring no connection to the Town or the PD. Notice the name of the fund? "Atkinson Senior Fund" - "We have changed our name so that it is not in conflict with the town’s Police Department or any part of town government." REALLY? Notice that it's not a charity now!! "We are not a charitable organization" WOW, as of Dec 2013, the CHARITY is registered as/at #17233 Atkinson Senior Fund 140 Main Street, P.O. Box 484 Atkinson NH 038110484. He even got his own PO Box, now that's big news. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- December 13, 2013 Letter: What Atkinson Senior Fund can do for you Anonymous The Eagle-Tribune The Eagle Tribune Fri Dec 13, 2013, 12:11 AM EST To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity to advise our seniors what the Atkinson Senior Fund can do for them. I must make it very clear that our Senior Fund is not in any way connected to any town agency or any other donation accounts that are being started by the town. We stand as a completely self-governed fund. All funds that come in to the Atkinson Senior Fund are handled by myself as president and the Board of Directors. We have changed our name so that it is not in conflict with the town’s Police Department or any part of town government. We are here to help any Atkinson senior who needs assistance. We will not ask you to fill out a 10- to 15-page financial report. If you need a helping hand to get over a temporary shortfall, we can help. We are not a charitable organization; we are one Atkinson group of residents helping out our neighbor. As the president of this fund I am trying to get our program up and running like it was at the first of the year. We are not involved with any aspect of the transportation services that are provide by the town. If you need some minor household repairs or special medical equipment, we are there to help provide this type of service. I am in the process of redoing the senior contractors list. We are also trying to find someone who can help us set up a website. If we accomplish that task then the contractors list will be posted on that site. In the mean time, once the list has been updated you will be able to pick up a copy at the community center or just give me a call and I will mail out a copy to your home. If you find that you are having a problem and need some assistance I will be more than willing to look into your situation. If I can not resolve your problem I have the resources that would be able to assist you in your time of need. All calls to my home (362-5627) are kept in the strictest of confidence. If I am not home just leave your name and phone number and either myself or my wife Jody will get right back to you. Please do not hesitate to give me a call if you or a senior that you know can use our assistance. Our objective has not changed, and that is that no senior in Atkinson should go without life’s basic needs. I have been a strong advocate in making sure our seniors are well taken care of, and I will always be there to lend a kind and thoughtful hand and assist them in any way I can. Phil (”Chief”) Consentino President, Atkinson Senior Fund

County Attorney OUT! More Coruption ends.

BRENTWOOD – Rockingham County Attorney James Reams and his deputy Tom Reid were suspended from their offices as part of a joint state and federal probe looking into "managerial and operational" issues of their office. Reams has been the county attorney for 15 years. Attorney General Joe Foster and U.S. Attorney John Kacavas made a joint announcement about the unseating of Reams and his deputy during a press conference in Rockingham County Superior Court. Foster said a former employee made a complaint to his office, which set off the investigation. "The allegations were significant," Foster said. The interview with the former employee "led us to a number of other former employees we interviewed along with agents from the FBI," Foster said. "The interviews corroborated the allegations made by the initial complainant and raised other issues." Foster said the investigation led him to suspend the prosecutorial duties of Reams, who has held the post of county attorney since being first elected in 1998. Last night, county commissioners were informed about the investigation by the Attorney General's Office and agreed to place Reid an administrative leave. Foster said commissioners will be conducting their own investigation into the operations of the office. Senior assistant attorney general James Boffetti has been named interim county attorney while the investigation continues, according to Foster. FBI agents and investigators interviews of the staff and the assistant county attorneys at the office began this morning. "We are hopeful they will be completed in short order," Foster said. Kacavas said last week he received a request from Foster's office for assistance, and that his office has been working "shoulder to shoulder" with state investigators. He said the measures taken by the state were meant to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and that residents should be assured that the County Attorney's Office will continue its work during the probe. "This office remains open for business and the Rockingham County Attorney's Office will continue to function and administer criminal justice uninterrupted and unabated during pendency of this investigation," Kacavas said.