Hooksett Banner : Police Department

Investigation report on Hooksett Police Department, Commission: No coverup, poor communication

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:23:00 GMT

An investigation by the Merrimack County Sheriff into whether the Hooksett Police Department tried to hide the existence of safe school reports or cover up safety issues in Hooksett public schools has found no such coverup exists.

However, the report also took the Hooksett Police Commission and Hooksett Police Department to task for its handling of requests by former School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette to get those reports, as well as the town of Hooksett for failing to keep taped recordings of meetings.

“Of particular concern,” reads the report, “is that the Hooksett Police Department appeared to take a defensive stance towards the Ouellettes, giving the impression that no further action was needed on their part and that only the department’s word that additional Safe School Reports did not exist should suffice.”

The report continues: “The fact that a formal written request for the Safe School Reports had not been initially submitted did not supply a strong foundation for the basis of the complaint that a coverup was occurring. A request detailing the exact information requested should have been submitted/requested by the parties involved.”

In November, Ouellette had requested the reports, having noted in a letter to the editor to this newspaper that there were incidents she was concerned about. At the time, Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis said there were just three incidents involving knives. Months later, the department produced 51 reports, most of which were for incidents like fighting, criminal threatening, theft, bomb threats and the like. One was for the case of “sexting” where a student sent photos considered to be pornography by cell phone.

Poor recordkeeping and communication were brought out in the report.

While Police Commission meetings had been taped, the tapes were not kept, which the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office said proved to be a hindrance to the investigation.

“It was found that persons involved had varying accounts about what had transpired and had been said during meetings,” according to the report. “Each person had their own interpretation of the information surrounding the case.”

The Police Commission could have taken a more active role in the case, said the report.

“This view is based on the fact that communication between the police department and the complainants was clearly deteriorating at a rapid pace,” said the report. “As a result, the lack of effective communication between the parties may have given an appearance that a coverup of Safe School Reports was taking place. It is believed that the Police Commission, being both independent and unbiased, should have recognized the situation forming and stepped in sooner and taken a stronger role in the process of resolving the issue. The commission could have ordered the production of the Safe School Reports prior to this action taking place by the Ouellettes.”

Though the investigation could not substantiate the allegation that a coverup had taken place, the Merrimack County Attorney advised that the Police Commission may want to consider contracting an independent resource to conduct a full study of the department and its operations.

The narrow scope of the investigation was a disappointment to Ouellette, but she said she felt vindicated for the report’s assessment of a need for further investigation.

“It’s important to note that the scope of the investigation conducted by the Sheriff’s department was very, very specific,” she said. “The fact that the Sheriff’s department has discovered areas of concern reinforces the fact an independent audit on the entire operations of the Hooksett Police Department is needed.

“The finding of this report confirms what I’ve been saying and what the officers have been saying for years,” said Oullette. “The Hooksett Police Department command staff and the Hooksett Police Commission are not acting appropriately or effectively. Their practices and actions are questionable at best.”

At the June 16 Police Commission meeting, Chairman David Gagnon said, “I’m satisified with the fact there was no wrongdoing found.”

Gagnon said there is room for improvement, but no further action will be taken and no changes to the commission or Police Department would be taken at this time.

The report “satisfied what we asked for,” he said.

Police Chief Agrafiotis has not answered a request for comment.

Hooksett Police Commission shuts down anonymous complaints against chief

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:54:00 GMT

By Ginger Kozlowski

The Hooksett Police Commission has refused to look into a complaint filed against the police chief because it was unsigned, despite its own policy allowing anonymous complaints.

A document was filed with the Hooksett Police Commission on Tuesday, May 19, asking for an investigation into Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis, alleging 10 different complaints. The complaint said there is no confidence in Agrafiotis to effectively manage and operate the Hooksett Police Department and wanted him removed during the investigation.

During the Tuesday, May 19, commission meeting, resident and former Hooksett School Board member Maura Ouellette asked if the commission received a complaint about the chief and whether action was going to be taken on it.

“I’m not going to comment on that,” said commission Chairman David Gagnon. “I find it an unsigned request. If someone wants to make accusations, they should sign it.”

Ouellette countered, saying the department’s own policy allows anonymous complaints, as outlined in a pamphlet she obtained from the front lobby of the Police Department.

“You can’t just put something in anonymously,” said Gagnon.

Agrafiotis tried to explain that anonymous complaints were meant more for situations like rape.

The pamphlet, “Citizen Guide of Commendation and Complaint Procedures,” does make reference to anonymous complaints. “You are not required to give your name,” it says, “however anonymous complaints are much more difficult for this agency to investigate because we will be unable to contact the complainant if further information is desired.”

Ouellette said she thought the Police Commission shouldn’t be able to pick and choose which complaints they decide to take seriously.

“The complaint that was brought forward has some very serious claims,” she said. “As the governing body of the Hooksett Police Department I believe they have an obligation to the community and the employees to have it investigated. The Police Department has an established policy in place which allows complaints to be filed anonymously. The Police Commission is obligated to follow through with this complaint.”

The complaint was made anonymously, according to the document, which was also sent to The Hooksett Banner. It requests information regarding the complaint to be posted on the union board in the police station.

The chief is currently under investigation regarding the number and accuracy of safe schools reports, following discrepancies at various Police Commission meetings in the past few months. The Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office is handling that investigation.

In 2005, Agrafiotis also faced an investigation into his handling of the Police Department. The investigation began after a complaint signed by 17 members of the Police Department was given to the Hooksett Police Commission. After putting Agrafiotis on paid administrative leave for two months, the commission reinstated Agrafiotis.

Officer Jason Defina was the union steward at the time. Currently he is the school resource officer. Defina has been suspended several times over allegations of “untruthfulness” and other claims, for which public hearings recently took place.

Turnover at the department was at issue during that investigation, and is also at the heart of this complaint. A press release from the commission in 2005 said all charges against Agrafiotis, save for one relating to performance appraisals and promotion boards, had been dismissed.

Hooksett school officer back to work – for now

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:41:00 GMT

By Lauren Sausser

School resource officer Jason Defina is back to work after an extended suspension from the Hooksett Police Department for what his superiors deemed incompetence and untruthfulness.

Defina was suspended without pay for more than 20 days since January. He recently received a total of three-and-a-half days of back pay after challenging the suspensions in a series of public hearings in mid-April.

Two-and-a-half days worth of back pay were awarded after the Hooksett Police Commission voted to reduce the punishment of a disciplinary action filed against the Defina earlier this year.

The original sentence ordered he be suspended for five days without compensation, which Defina served in January. The discipline stemmed from a December incident during which Defisna’s superiors claimed he did not report a hate crime assault between two middle school students in a timely manner.

The assault occurred at Cawley Middle School on Dec. 11. Defina filed a safe school report, as required by state law, on Dec. 19.

Additionally, the police administration said Defina was not forthright when asked if any outstanding safety issues existed in the schools at a Dec. 16 public Police Commission meeting.

Defina, who did not reference the assault when posed the question, said he did not disclose information about the incident during the public hearing because the investigation was still ongoing. He also said the question was worded unclearly.

Furthermore, he explained he did not file a report of assault more quickly because he was off-duty for four consecutive days following the incident and that the school was simultaneously dealing with a much more pressing safety issue.

A cell phone video that contained sexual images of a female student at the middle school was leaked among her peers on the same day the alleged hate crime assault between the two students took place.

“There was a very serious thing going on,” Defina recalled. “It was a felony level.”

When Defina asked if he could work an overtime shift to deal with the multiple issues at the middle school, he said his superiors denied him the extra hours. He said he had no opportunity to file a safety report for the assault on Dec. 11 because he was ordered to leave the school when his shift was complete.

Police Commissioner Henry Roy, who voted to reduce the punishment from five suspended days to two and half, said Defina should have filed a report about the incident more quickly.

“It seems to me a prudent man or a conscientious individual would have made a call to his supervisor,” Roy said. “That does not take a long time.”

Commissioner Mary Ann Maksalla also voted in favor of reducing the punishment. Commission Chairman David Gagnon voted against the motion, explaining he thought the original punishment was just.

In a separate action, the commission awarded an additional day’s worth of back pay for another suspension that Defina challenged. That two-day suspension stemmed from a December incident during which Defina’s superiors reported he displayed discourteous conduct and incompetence unfitting an officer of his tenure.

July will mark Defina’s 10th year with the Hooksett Police Department. He has served in the capacity of the school resource officer for one year.

Defina and his union-appointed lawyer said they will appeal the decisions, as well as other grievances that were denied during the same series of hearings.

The cases will be presented to a nonbinding arbitrator, who will recommend an independent opinion on the decision.

According to the collective bargaining agreement between the patrol officers’ union and the Police Department, the Police Commission may or may not choose to alter its position based on the arbitrator’s opinion.

After the hearings, Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis did not comment on whether he thought the reductions of Defina’s original punishments by the Police Commission was fair.

“I think the process worked the way it was supposed to work,” Agrafiotis said.

The public came out strongly in favor of Defina during the proceedings. The council chambers in the Hooksett town offices were packed with residents on each of the three nights of the hearings.

Gagnon said the crowd likely came out due to curiosity. “There’s never been a meeting of this type in public,” he said.

Hooksett school officer gets hearing

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:12:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

The Hooksett Police Commission considered grievances filed by officer Jason Defina at a public hearing on Monday, April 13, but did not render any decisions, other than to dismiss three of the complaints.

The hearing took place at the Hooksett Town Council chambers, which filled to overflowing with supporters of Defina and other interested onlookers. Defina was disputing several suspension he received.

Defina’s attorney, Bill Cahill, tried to get commissioners David Gagnon and Henry Roy to recuse themselves from the hearing based on comments they had made at earlier times regarding Defina’s honesty and character. Neither commissioner stepped down.

“The union stands by motion for recusal,” said Cahill. “We strongly suggest commissioners consider what was said. Third parties will be looking at this in the future.”

Cahill also tried to get the commissioners to listen to the audience. Cahill quoted from e-mails presented to him just before the meeting, such as one from Hooksett Budget Committee member Mark Miville that he objected to the hearing going forward, believing there to be a bias against Defina.

The dismissed grievances had to do with the timing of their submission. The commission agreed with the Police Department’s assessment that the complaints were filed before the police chief had actually decided to implement discipline, and would have to be resubmitted to be valid.

The commissioners then considered whether it was proper for Defina to be called back to work on his day off to submit further information to the police chief regarding violent incidents in Hooksett schools following publication of a letter to the editor in The Hooksett Banner written by then-School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette.

Cahill pointed out that the union’s contract allows officers to be called back to work for emergencies, and having Defina come back to work to deal with what he termed a “public relations” issue was a violation of the contract.

“Did anyone think the knowledge he had on Friday was going to disappear on Saturday?” asked Cahill. “He was called in as result of a newspaper article on his day off. It was not an emergency. It did not advance any benefit to department.”

The Police Department’s attorney, Elizabeth Bailey, countered that calling Defina in did not violate the wording of the contract.

“Note that Defina being called in on day off was not (the chief’s) first option,” she said. “He first talked to Capt. (Paul) Cecilio. He wanted Defina to clear up things. That’s a good thing for the chief to do. He shouldn’t delay. The letter in paper didn’t jibe with his understanding of what was going on. There’s been no violation here.” The last grievance centered on Defina’s handling of reading about himself in the newspaper and then taping the story with a sticky note to the Lt. Cline’s door.

Cline had found that action to be disrespectful and discourteous and recommended Defina be put on suspension for a day, but later talked things through and all agreed counseling would be sufficient.

However, shortly thereafter, Cecilio wrote out a very detailed list of expectations for Defina as the school resource officer, which Defina responded to with questions Cecilio found sarcastic. Cecilio recommended a twoday suspension for Defina as a result.

Cahill countered that Defina was not disrespectful. “There was no swearing, no profanity,” he said. “I think it’s a stretch to say that it’s rude.” Cahill noted that Cecilio’s memo went overboard in detail and seems to require the school resource officer to be in two places at once at times, and required Defina to fill out a daily “SRO log,” that didn’t exist. Defina was pleased with the support shown by those attending the meeting, which would typically not have been open to the public.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “The community has not stopped being there for me. They care.” The Hooksett Police Commission adjourned, setting Wednesday, April 15, for the next phase of the hearing.

Fired Hooksett cop appeals termination

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:10:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

Although the Hooksett Police Commission voted to terminate the employment of former Hooksett police officer Benjamin Beauchemin in January, that decision could change.

Beauchemin and his attorney have appealed a decision by the Police Commission to terminate his employment with the department and the facts of the case are being reviewed by an outside arbitrator.

Hooksett Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis said the arbitrator should render an opinion within one month on whether the termination was justified.

Beauchemin was placed on administrative leave without pay last May after he rolled his SUV off Cedar Crest Lane in Auburn. He was issued a ticket for driving while intoxicated at the scene of the accident but was found not guilty of the charge in Candia District Court in September.

Judge David LeFrancois said that although Beauchemin’s conduct was not appropriate for an off-duty police officer, he said state prosecutors had not definitely proven beyond reasonable doubt that he had been drinking in excess before operating the vehicle.

Beauchemin admitted to leaving the scene of the car accident and walking to his girlfriend’s house to wait while police arrived. Later, he said he drank four beers during that time period to calm his nerves. He refused to submit to a field sobriety test.

His license was confiscated but he was given a temporary permit to allow time for an administrative appeal, an option given any driver under New Hampshire law. When the investigating officer failed to testify at state hearing for the appeal, Beauchemin’s full driving privileges were reinstated, approximately one month after the date of the original accident. The state police officer said he had a conflicting court appearance in Portsmouth on the same day.

After the September court ruling, the Hooksett Police Department conducted its own investigation into Beauchemin’s actions the night of the accident and reviewed evidence not admitted into court, including a recording of a 911 call made by eyewitnesses.

A decision to permanently terminate his employment with the department was approved unanimously by the police commission on Jan. 23.

If Beauchemin and his unionappointed legal counsel are not satisfied with the decision of the arbitrator or if the police commission chooses not to change its original decision to terminate employment, Beauchemin has a further option of appealing the termination the Merrimack County Superior Court.

Drug deal on Hooksett school bus handled swiftly

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:36:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

Hooksett police responded to an alleged drug deal between students on a Hooksett school bus on Monday, March 16.

Police were advised of the incident by a parent whose child had sent a text message relating an exchange of pills between two students on the bus. The police pulled the bus to the side on Merrimack Street and questioned the involved students, who revealed the pills that had changed hands were a bag of glucose tablets, used to treat hypoglycemia for diabetics.

According to the report, the student who had accepted the bag of pills told police he thought it was candy.

After students were evacuated from the bus, a K-9 drug dog did an extensive search of the vehicle. No other substances were uncovered.

The Hooksett School Board praised Cawley Middle School administrators for quickly and appropriately responding to the alleged drug deal.

At a School Board meeting later that week, Cawley Middle School Principal Steve Harrises said the school system took swift action by immediately notifying parents of other students who were on the school bus as well as sending out a school-wide letter for all students to deliver to their guardians on Tuesday, March 17.

Press release on police, School Board dispute doesn’t satisfy public

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:18:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

A press release that was prepared weeks ago by members of the Hooksett School Board and Police Department was intended to end an ongoing debate about the existence of safety threats at Cawley Middle School.

But much to the chagrin of the involved parties, the argument is still being discussed.

Members of the community and School Board continue to voice their beliefs that the Police Department intentionally tried to cover up dozens of safe school reports filed during the past two school years at Cawley Middle School.

“Those reports did, in fact, exist,” said resident Marc Miville at a Police Commission meeting on March 17. “It seems to be somewhat sugarcoated. There needs to be another report that clarifies these (safety) reports did exist and that the Police Department didn’t admit it.”

School Board member James Sullivan said at a board meeting March 17 that the press release, prepared after representatives from the School Board and Police Commission met in a closed-door session, was ineffectual and addressed nothing about the serious concerns that have arisen about safety threats at the middle school.

“In my opinion, the press release ... was the epitome of political correctness,” Sullivan said. “It does not address the real reasons behind the meeting.”

Hooksett Police Chief Steve Agrafiotis said his department has nothing to hide.

“We don’t believe we’ve covered anything up. (Police Capt. Paul Cecelio) reported in December what the reports were and that’s the information we have. We gain nothing by hiding anything,” Agrafiotis said.

The disagreement between the School Board and the Police Commission arose several months ago when former School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette publicly addressed her concerns about safety issues in the school.

Agrafiotis, who had sanctioned a schedule change for the school resource officer to accommodate shortages within the department’s patrol unit, responded by saying Ouellette’s claims were exaggerated.

“Nobody is saying that there haven’t been problems but the problems, as reported to us, were not as extensive as people were led to believe,” Agrafiotis said.

“My staff met with the three principals and the three principals did not agree with the tone of Maura’s (statements). We talked to the superintendent. The superintendent did not agree.”

Earlier this month, the school district paid the Police Department more than $900 to comply with a Right-to-Know request to gain access to more than 50 safe school reports to back up Ouellette’s claims.

Ouellette, whose three-year term on the School Board just expired, did not seek re-election to the office. She said the debate over whether or not the safety issues occurred at the middle school has been waged too long.

“I find it absolutely ridiculous that we are still debating this issue. This is an assault on my credibility as well as the credibility of the school district and it will not be tolerated any longer,” she said. “The police reports substantiate the claims. This really has become an issue of public trust. Chief Agrafiotis needs to not only be held accountable for his statements, he needs to apologize and move on.”

The school resource officer has since been reinstated to his full-time hours at the schools, but Agrafiotis said next year’s budget may require future adjustments to current program.

“I don’t know that the budget outcome is going to be. It also depends on staffing issues, which we can’t see the in future. It also depends on how the economy goes,” he said.

Hooksett Budget Committee criticized for police cuts

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:32:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

Despite hopes that many residents would turn out from the municipal Budget Committee hearing on March 5, only two residents spoke out at the public hearing and the majority of the input criticized the committee for slashing the proposed Police Department budget by more than $200,000.

Hooksett resident Vincent Lembo, a former Budget Committee member, blasted the committee for cutting proposed police positions and unnecessarily reducing other areas of safety spending.

“Because (the police chief) can’t fill those positions, you, as a Budget Committee, are eliminating those positions. How can you do that?” Lembo asked. “I would request that you have a reconsideration vote. Crime rate’s going up. Everybody is out of work and the crime rates are going up.”

Currently, the Police Department employs 26 sworn officers, although its operating budget is large enough to fund 28. In the department’s proposed budget, funding for a 29th officer was added, but was subsequently cut by the Budget Committee. An unfilled dispatcher position was also cut from the police budget.

Budget Committee Chairman John Pieroni said the Police Department likely will not suffer from the proposed cuts because the revised budget still accommodates two unfilled positions.

Furthermore, the reductions to the Police Department budget – totaling about $206,000 – brought the entire proposed municipal budget under the default level, he said.

The Budget Committee’s proposed operating budget is $15.8 million. If this budget is defeated by voters, the town would default to a $15.9 million bottom line.

“The Police Commission had left over $300,000 in their budget last year, even after spending money on the sign, the training range and other police equipment,” Pieroni said. “To say it’s a punishment – no. It’s a reality.”

Budget Committee member Marc Miville said he expected more input from the residents who turned out for the hearing last night.

“I was expecting more, but I’m new to this,” Miville said. Based on the small number of residents that turned out for the school deliberative session last month, Chairman Pieroni said he expects the municipal deliberative session to be relatively quiet, too.

“I would like to see a lot of people there, but I’ve been disappointed in the past,” he said.

The deliberative session of Town Meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at Cawley Middle School.

Knives in school

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:11:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

According to safe school reports recently released by the Hooksett Police Department, eight counts of confiscated knives and reported knife possession by Cawley Middle School students have been filed during the past two school years.

Nearly 50 safe school reports, all filed since late 2007, were released to Hooksett School Board Chairman Maura Ouellette, who requested the specific documents through a Right-to- Know request. Each of the reports involved separate safety incidents at Hooksett schools that were reported to local authorities, as required by law.

Review of the safe school reports indicates that eight involved incidents of knife possession or alleged knife possession, including an incident reporting the theft of a box cutter from the school’s art room by a student who used the blade as a weapon to threaten fellow students on the school bus after school.

Five other reports dealt with bomb threats and one report involved the confiscation of a marijuana pipe. Since the 49 safe school reports were released last month, four other marijuana pipes were confiscated from a Cawley student.

Principal Steve Harrises readily admitted the school is not without safety issues, but said administrators strive to make the campus as safe a learning environment as possible.

“There are issues, but they are issues that every middle school faces in the country and we deal with them,” Harrises said. “It’s as safe as all schools. We maintain our vigilance.”

Harrises said the role of school resource officer Jason Defina is so valuable because it prevents potential safety hazards from ever happening.

“Jay’s role is preventative. It’s prevention for potential things that could happen today but also for when the kids get older. It’s about helping kids make better choices,” he said.

But Defina’s position as the school resource officer has been the center of controversy in recent months as the Police Department and School Board have battled over funding for the program. Currently Defina’s salaries and benefits are covered completely by the Police Department budget.

When Police Department administrators said Ouellette was overstating the case for a full-time school resource officer by exaggerating criminal activity at the middle school, Ouellette sought the safety records to prove her statements were valid.

“The Hooksett School District has requested and received the police reports from the Hooksett Police Department to substantiate my claims. You can’t dispute the facts,” Ouellette said.

The Hooksett Police Commission and school administration recently held a closed meeting to discuss the purpose of the school resource officer program and to air any differences of opinion regarding alleged safety issues at the schools. A joint press release from that meeting was released March 5.

Both parties expressed a commitment to maintaining the school resource officer program and to keep communication open between the school staff and Police Department.

Police Capt. Paul Cecilio, who attended the meeting, noted that the role of the school resource officer is only effective when school administrators contact law enforcement regarding safety concerns in a timely manner.

“Some of (the incidents) were reported so late the knives weren’t even in the schools,” Cecilio said. “My kids went to that school. If there were guns and knives and everything, I wouldn’t have had them there. Compared to other schools around the country, Hooksett has very safe schools.”

Cecelio insisted the department is not trying to cover up any safety threats in the school system and that he hopes the lines of communication between the schools and the department have improved.

“We’re not trying to hide anything. There have been incidents that have gone on in the school,” he said. “I think we’re trying to make it better. It’s a hard road.”

Home invasion puzzles police

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:27:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

The investigation of a house robbery that left one man in the hospital with blunt head injuries last week has the Hooksett police stumped.

Detective Jake Robie said the department has exhausted almost every possible lead, including conducting search warrants on a house in Exeter, but have not found evidence to provide a break in the case of the home invasion of Hooksett resident Michael Courtoif, 50, of 5 Carpenter St.

Courtoif was robbed at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, when more than one assailant entered his home in the Manchester Manor trailer park off Hooksett Road and attacked him with a crowbar. According to police, Courtoif willfully opened the door of his trailer when the men approached. He was then bound, gagged and beaten on the head.

The attackers proceeded to take two firearms, an undisclosed amount of money and other personal items, the nature of which have not been released by police.

Police are not sure of the exact number of intruders who participated in the home invasion, but are certain it involved more than one individual.

Courtoif was brought to a Manchester hospital that night to be treated for his injuries. He was released within 24 hours. Robie said the Police Department believes the invasion was an isolated attack and that the assailants planned the assault and robbery.

“I don’t believe it was a random act,” Robie said. “I believe the perpetrators knew the victim.”

Hours after the attack, Robie said the police had identified persons of interest in the case. On Monday, March 2, he said those leads had not produced any potential suspects.

“Nothing panned out,” he said. “We’re going to have to try to come up with some new information.”

If you have any information about this investigation, call the Hooksett Police Department at 624-1560.

Hooksett Safety Center to be fixed

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:21:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

The Hooksett Safety Center on Legends Drive may have been leaky since the first year it opened 12 years ago, but town officials have decided now is the time to do something about it.

Interim Town Administrator Carol Granfield said the building, currently experiencing plumbing, electrical and water problems, has been inspected by several architects who are currently formulating opinions on the best actions to take regarding repairs.

“I’ve had three different groups come through with architects to tour the building and they’ve reviewed it and they will be providing me with some proposals with some options,” Granfield said.

“I’d like to have some plan of moving forward. It’s something that really needs to get something in place rather than just fix one thing one day and something pops up two weeks later,” she said.

The good news is that the problems are being addressed, she said. The bad news is that no one can anticipate how much the repairs will be.

“At this stage, I’ve proposed to add some funds to the building maintenance line but we have no idea what kinds of costs will be involved,” she said.

Police Capt. Jon Daigle said during a tour of the building last month that structural issues have plagued the police, fire and emergency management department – all housed in the Safety Center – since the building opened in 1997.

“That first summer when we first moved in, it started leaking when it rained,” Daigle said. “It’s still leaking now.”

Hooksett Police Chief Steve Agrafiotis said the Police Department has routinely addressed these building problems on a piecemeal basis, although it is legally the town’s administration department which is required to financially address building maintenance issues.

“I’m very happy that we finally can move forward to take care of issues that have been outstanding for many years,” Agrafiotis said.

$33,000 sign sparks debate

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:31:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

The Hooksett Budget Committee chairman said the Hooksett Police Department is spending money on items that were not approved by voters, and that they should be acting more transparently when it comes to big-ticket purchases.

Specifically, Chairman John Pieroni told the Hooksett Town Council on Wednesday, Dec. 3, that the Police Department is spending taxpayer dollars from its $3.2 million annual budget on projects that were not discussed during the previous year’s budget cycle.

“I think it is particularly disturbing when you have money being spent on items that never came before the Budget Committee,” Pieroni said.

A new sign for the town’s safety center, which cost $33,000, and an outdoor, fenced-in firing range for police officers, which cost more than $16,000, caused Pieroni acute concern. Furthermore, the Police Commission’s refusal to submit a financial summary of large expenditures to the town’s finance director is a sign of non-compliance, he said.

“We need to know how (the money) was spent in the past to see what needs to be spent in the future,” Pieroni said. “I think it was a reasonable request. (The Police Department is) part of the town budget ... so I would expect them to provide all the information that the finance director might need.”

Mark Meville, a member of the Budget Committee, also told the council he thought expenditures were shrouded in mystery and should, in turn, raise some eyebrows.

“That’s what we’re talking about: transparency and accountability,” Meville said. “The voters should have known about (these purchases). There was no transparency here.”

The comments were made during a portion of a regular Town Council meeting during which Pieroni was scheduled to deliver a brief overview on the workings of the Budget Committee.

Hooksett Police Chief Steve Agrafiotis was also present at the meeting and took an opportunity to counter the Budget Committee’s concerns.

Agrafiotis insisted purchases made by the Police Department were necessary and that the Town Council particularly directed the Police Department to move forward with buying the new sign.

“I see his point of it not being discussed earlier in the year,” he said. “But we wouldn’t have done the project if the council hadn’t approved it.”

Agrafiotis also said the Police Commission, which oversees the Police Department’s budget, is often required to spend money on items during the fiscal year that were not foreseen during the budget process.

Additionally, he said, the Police Department returned money to the town that was not spent during the previous fiscal year and that several town-wide purchases, including a new air conditioner for the renovated town offices, were purchased without discussing the expenses with the Budget Committee.

Town Councilor Pat Rueppel said she was puzzled why the Police Department was raked across the coals at the meeting.

“What happened was unfair,” said Rueppel, who made the motion last May to allow the Police Department to purchase the new safety center sign. “The Police Department turns any excess money back to us every year. It was unfair what happened to Steve (Agrafiotis) last night. One of the reasons the council moved on this sign in the first place was because nothing was getting done about it.”

Town Councilor David Ross responded to the Budget Committee’s comments by insisting the sign purchase was made above board.

“There were meetings and discussions about this,” Ross said. “It was not done in secret or darkness.”

Hooksett police priorities are questioned

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:34:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

To some parents, where Hooksett police officer Jason Defina spends his time is a matter of safety.

To some residents, it’s a matter of money and where it gets spent.

To school officials, it’s about keeping a valuable program running. And to Hooksett Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis, it’s a choice between putting an officer into the schools or taking a detective off cases and slowing down investigations.

The issue? Retaining the school resource officer. And complicating the matter is the cost of a new sign for the Hooksett Safety Center with an alleged price tag of $33,000.

Cuts to the Police Department The school resource officer is a position both the Police Department and School Board have wanted in place since about 2000. While Agrafiotis planned to have an officer fill that role from about that time, he was constantly short on staff. Finally, in 2006, there were enough officers on staff and Linda Warhol became the first school resource officer in Hooksett.

“Now, we have 29 positions,” said Agrafiotis. “The default budget only covers 28 positions. We started with a budget that didn’t cover all the positions. We’ve looked at it and said the SRO is good, nice, but we need manpower on the road. I tried to leave an officer on day shift so he can spend some time, if possible, in the schools.”

Reaction has been vehement in letters to the editor to The Hooksett Banner.

“Officer Defina’s presence in the school is akin to fixing the broken window in the neighborhood before all the windows are broken and it becomes a slum,” wrote Stephen L’Heureux.

“Has the chief forgotten the numerous times that half his department was at Cawley School last year due to bomb threats?” wrote Miriam Martin. “Where is the chief’s priority? Why is he not concerned for our kids?”

“I don’t want the safety, security and peace of mind of my children sacrificed due to these games,” wrote Nancy Proulx.

Much as Agrafiotis favors the program, budget concerns force tough choices. Asked what he would have to cut if the school resource officer was reinstated full time, he said he would have to cut back on officers on the street or cut back the detective division, which would slow down investigations.

“We’re supposed to serve the whole community, not just a niche group,” he said.

The $33,000 sign Probably the most difficult part of the story for people to grasp is why so much money was spent on a new sign for the Hooksett Safety Center, now renamed for the late James Oliver, police chief of Hooksett for two decades. While the specific cost of the sign itself was unknown to Agrafiotis off the top of his head, he explained there was far more to the price than the sign itself.

He explained that it covered far more than the sign itself, including extensive work by PSNH.

“That money came from last year’s budget,” said Agrafiotis. After Oliver died in 2007, his widow toured the Hooksett Safety Center and noted many deficiencies in the building, he said. On April 17, the Hooksett Town Council voted to rename the center after Oliver, which began the process of finishing lighting, security cameras and more at the building. While the council did not have the money to spend on the deficiencies, the American Legion donated $500 to add Oliver’s name to the granite sign outside the building, and then the Police Department got approval to spend money left over from the budget ending in June.

“That was surplus money. July 1 started the new budget, a default budget. You can’t mix and match that money,” said Agrafiotis. “Now we’re operating on a default budget. It can’t legally be carried over for personnel.

That’s the encumbrances they talk about. The money can’t transfer to the next year. July 1 comes, you start with the new budget.”

Nevertheless, many question the wisdom of spending such an amount on any signs when there is a clear need for money for officer salaries.

“They don’t have enough money for this officer in our schools, yet they have plenty of funds to buy a new sign?” wrote Jamie Boucher.

At issue is that this particular $33,000 was not legally allowed to be spent in the following year’s budget.

“Money was left over because of unfilled positions, but that money had to stay in that year,” said Agrafiotis.

It’s one of those accounting and legal procedures that is confusing.

If you’ve got this money, most will reason, spend it where it is best used and needed. But it was not legally allowed to be used for an officer’s pay in the following budget year.

What does the officer do in school?
Though Hooksett schools are not rife with crime and in need of police presence, having a uniformed officer in the school buildings may prevent a violent crime or at least speed up the response to such an incident. That was never the goal of the school resource officer program.

“He’s provided support in social studies classrooms, discussions with students about law. He’s visible, he’s in the community, he’s in the schools,” said Cawley Middle School Principal Stephen Harrises. “He told me, with the change in schedule, he was on road yesterday, cutting through neighborhoods, kids come out and talk to him when raking lawns. It’s true community building.”

Discipline is sometimes the school resource officer’s role, but a minor part, said SAU 15 Superintendent Charles “Phil” Littlefield.

“The emphasis is on prevention, relationship building” he said. “Our kids are growing up in a far more complex world. Families are really stretched. This is support for kids, family and community.”

Now what?
For the time being, Defina is spending about four to eight hours a week in Hooksett’s schools. Pressure on Chief Agrafiotis may persuade him to change his priorities regarding the use of Defina’s time, but Hooksett residents should understand the choice they’re asking him to make. Do they want police on patrol on the streets, or in the schools? “That’s the consequence of the vote on the budget,” said Agrafiotis.

Corri Wilson hopes having an officer on the street will at least address other problems, thought she supports the school resource officer’s reinstatement.

“I find it troubling when day after day people drive their cars exceedingly fast on Joanne Drive while students are waiting for the bus,” she said. “Perhaps the Police Department can now post officer Defina in a squad car, something I have asked for several times and seen only very rarely in the more than nine years we’ve lived on this street.”

Elderly woman robbed of purse at Shaw’s

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:57:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

An 81-year-old woman was the victim of a purse thief at the Shaw’s supermarket in Hooksett on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The woman was not hurt.

Police were called to the store at about noon and told that two people had fled the area on foot.

Police have arrested three people in connection with the event. Lisa Cross, 31, of Franklin, was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 8, and charged with conspiracy to commit theft.

The following day, Kimberly Ann Landry, 26, and Mark Morrill, 41, were apprehended by Bedford police at the Bedford Hannaford’s supermarket and brought to the Hooksett Police Department for booking. They were arrested on warrants charging purse snatching and shoplifting. Both were arraigned in Concord District Court on Friday, Oct. 10.

According to Hooksett Sgt. Greg Martakos, Landry and Morrill have been staying in the woods in Canterbury. Morrill also goes by the name of Mark Brown and currently faces a warrant for false reports to law enforcement from Manchester District Court under the assumed name.

Both Landy and Morrill are also suspects in a burglary in Hooksett on Sept. 12 on Palace Avenue, said Martakos.

This information resulting from these arrests has led to the discovery of several other crimes in Hooksett and the surrounding community, according to Hooksett police.

The case is under investigation at this time. Anyone with any information pertaining to either crime is asked to contact the Hooksett Police Department Detective Division at 624-1560.

Hooksett cop exonerated of DWI waits to hear if he’s still got a job

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:55:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

As soon as the Hooksett Police Department wraps up its internal investigation regarding the professional conduct of officer Benjamin Beauchemin, Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis said he will deliver a final decision regarding Beauchemin’s employment status to the Hooksett Police Commission for final review.

It will be up to the Police Commission to make the final call, he said.

“I don’t have an exact time frame but the bottom line is we want to get it done as soon as possible,” Agrafiotis said. “We want to make sure the internal affairs investigation is as thorough as possible.”

Beauchemin was arrested last May for driving while intoxicated after he rolled his car off Cedar Crest Lane in Auburn. He was acquitted of the charges on Sept. 10 in Candia District Court. Agrafiotis said the court ruling will come into play in the department’s internal investigation, as well as other factors such as 911 calls that were made on the night of Beauchemin’s accident. Agrafiotis will review the internal findings, formulate his opinion and pass his recommendation along to the police commission for final approval. He also said he will notify Beauchemin on his recommendation before the commission votes on its final decision.

The commission meets the third Tuesday of each month, but Agrafiotis said he anticipates a special meeting will be called for the Beauchemin investigation.

“The Police Commission does the hiring and firing,” Agrafiotis said. “They will review (the recommendation) and make a decision from there.”

Dave Gagnon, chairman of the Police Commission, said he cannot form an opinion until he reviews the final results of the investigation.

“It’s in the best interest of everybody. I need to see the internal investigation before I make the final decision. That’s where the facts are. That’s where our information is,” Gagnon said. “It’s pretty vague, but until it’s done, there’s not much we can say.”

Also undetermined at this point of the investigation is whether or not the decision will be made during an open meeting. Agrafiotis said it is the right of an employee under a discipline review to request a closed meeting.

“Once I make a decision, I sit down with the employee and let them know what my decision is. If they want to appeal that decision, that’s when we have to set up meetings with lawyers and the commission and the employee decides whether its open or closed. That is a right they have.

It is still a personnel matter,” Agrafiotis said. “(The employee) can choose to open it up to the public if they want to.”