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Anti Gun Falmouth, MA, Police Chief David Cusolito Fired

Erebus

Erebus

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Posted on 07/04/2007 2:36:41 PM PDT by pabianice


Falmouth, MA, Police Chief David Cusolito is out of a job. Since becoming Falmouth’s Chief of Police in 1997, Cusolito has continuously been in the news because of his reported hostile attitude towards the public’s right to self-defense and his general antipathy to citizens’ gun rights. His tenure has been marked by an ongoing controversy regarding firearms use and ownership -- even by his own police officers. In one case, he demanded that all sworn town police officers also obtain a state civilian license to carry firearms before he would allow them to carry weapons in the line of duty. Cusolito said he was asserting his authority to continue the policy that required all officers to have a state-issued license to carry a firearm. When Falmouth patrolmen replied that they had a right to carry a gun by virtue of their badge, a right also sanctioned by state law, the Falmouth Police Federation filed a complaint with the state Labor Relations Commission arguing that Cusolito's edict was prohibited by their contract.

More troublesome is Cusolito’s unilateral decision to not issue or renew any licenses to carry concealed firearms to any of the town’s residents. In violation of state law, Cusolito included in every LTC application extra material that, in part, stated that he did NOT, under any circumstances, issue a license to carry a concealed firearm (“NOTE: WE DO NOT ISSUE ANY LICENSES ‘FOR ALL LAWFUL PURPOSES”), in violation of Massachusetts law (bad enough under the infamous Chapter 180 of the Laws of 1998). His packet also informed applicants that if they wished to get a license issued for Personal Protection, the applicant would be summoned before the Chief to convince the Chief why Cusolito should honor such a request and prove that the applicant’s life was in danger. As one might expect, this policy not only kept people from moving to Falmouth but also did not go down well with people already living in the town who had held licenses for 30 or 40 years. A town official who requested anonymity told The Nav Log that the chief’s dictatorial attitude regarding honoring the Second Amendment had rightfully infuriated both the town’s lawful gun owners and the local shooting range’s several hundred members as well as the citizenry in general and was a major reason Cusolito’s contract was not renewed.

Word comes that Cusolito, upon learning that he was being replaced, chose to resign. A new Chief of Police is expected to be in place by September of this year. His gun policy remains unknown.

Perhaps we can chalk one up for the Constitution.
Click to expand...
Lets hope his replacement is better.
 
More troublesome is Cusolito’s unilateral decision to not issue or renew any licenses to carry concealed firearms to any of the town’s residents. In violation of state law, Cusolito included in every LTC application extra material that, in part, stated that he did NOT, under any circumstances, issue a license to carry a concealed firearm (“NOTE: WE DO NOT ISSUE ANY LICENSES ‘FOR ALL LAWFUL PURPOSES”), in violation of Massachusetts law (bad enough under the infamous Chapter 180 of the Laws of 1998).
Click to expand...

Wow [shocked] ... was he really allowed to do that under MA law?
 
News Shooter said:
any police chief in the State of MA was fired for being anti-SA?
There undoubtedly must be a lot more to it than that. He peed in some councilor's pool or something
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You're right but someone here will probably say former Carver, MA Chief Diane Skoog. There was more to her story too than just her anti stance.
 
News Shooter said:
any police chief in the State of MA was fired for being anti-SA?
There undoubtedly must be a lot more to it than that. He peed in some councilor's pool or something
Click to expand...

I personally can not answer that but I have lived on this Earth long enough to know anything is possible.

Fee
 
FeeBear said:
How so? If you know any more imfo please share.

Fee
Click to expand...

All my info is from local news articles. Over the last several years there has been a great deal on internal conflict in that PD. There have been internal complaints of discrimination and there have been complaints filed with other agencies.

1 thing that I disagree with is that a Police Officer can carry a firearm on his badge and without a LTC. That is not quite accurate. He can carry what is "Issued or Authorized" by the Chief of Police. If the Chief requires a LTC they need one. I worked in 2 departments and both required the LTC. Never had a problem with it.

Was the Chief forced out because of his stance on issuing ALP LTCs? NFW, it was a lot of other garbage that led to his leaving.

Will Falmouth change their way of issuing? Again, only time will tell.

For the good of the town, it is good that the Chief decided to retire. Will that solve all the problems?? I doubt it from what I have seen reported but I hope I am wrong.
 
Minutes from Selectman's meeting 03-05-2006

(SNIP)
Confirmation of Reappointment: Chief of Police
Robert Whritenour stated that Chief Cusolito has provided his intention to retire and further stated he has asked Chief Cusolito to remain in his position to provide for a transition plan for a new Police Chief, to include a professional search, with a target date of November 30, 2007. Virginia Valiela moved to approve the extension of Chief Cusolito’s appointment as Falmouth Chief of Police through 11/30/07. Motion seconded by Catherine O’ B Bumpus. Motion passed unanimously. Chief Cusolito read a statement in response.
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http://archive.capecodonline.com/special/reine/whoswho25.htm

http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/i...1/25/falmouth_s_racial_profiling_chief_s_cont

http://archive.capecodonline.com/special/reine/selectmentruth20.htm



As you can see, this has been going on for a long time.
 
I recall reading a news story a number of years ago about a PO down on the Cape that quit the department rather than comply with a new directive that all
officers had to obtain an LTC.

After reading about the Falmouth police chief, it's probably a sure thing that the
incident occurred there.

Cusolitos next career move will probably involve the demanding field of Mall Security or working loss prevention at some big box store.
 
Franklin chief ( licensing officer was a LT under him ) would sign off on a machine gun but didn't give out ALP. I had to live with that until I renewed recently. L.O. told me that the new one wouldn't have the red on it/restrictions. I heard that we got a new chief but the L.O. wouldn't tell me what happened.

Joe R>
 
JonJ said:
You're right but someone here will probably say former Carver, MA Chief Diane Skoog. There was more to her story too than just her anti stance.
Click to expand...


Ya there was....but not much. The townspeople and administration were fed up with her anti gun BS and it had a major impact on why she was replaced. She was not well liked by many in the town. I'll never forget the smile on my wife's face the day she came home and told me that she had issued Skoog's final packeck as chief.[rofl][rofl][rofl][smile]
 
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FeeBear said:
Damn Derek,
Try not to bottle up your feelings like that tell you friends how you really feel. [rofl]
Fee
Click to expand...

I know. I just have zero tolerance for those in power who abuse it... When the SHTF those are the guys who somehow find themselves in serious trouble...
 
Regardless of why he was fired it sounds like he was just an overall POS Chief, the department suffered and morale was probably crap. I feel Officers should still have an LTC mainly because most take their issue home.
 
Good News

I am glad to see him gone!!! I own a summer home in Falmouth and plan on moving there when I retire...soon I hope[smile]. The fact he was such an SOB was making me think maybe I should sell the house and move to New Hampshire. NAH!!!!!! I will fight it if he denies my LTC I thought to myself. There are plenty of NES members that would give my firearms a good home until I could bring them with me legally to my place in the sun on old Cape Cod.

Now he is gone [rofl]I just hope whom ever it is that replaces him is not anti gun.
Thanks for the good news. It made my day.



God Bless our Troops


USMC
 
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LoginName said:
Cusolitos next career move will probably involve the demanding field of Mall Security or working loss prevention at some big box store.
Click to expand...

careful... you tread closely to putting down my profession, one that I am very proud of and picked OVER LE simply to avoid a**h***s like this chief.

The privite sector has come along way in the last 20 years, so again, be careful how you phrase that [frown]

Besides, any self respecting LP org. would not take him. Personally, I tend to shy away from former PD simply because many (not all) but many, are on a power trip.
 

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