Stripper + Laser = Problem for Officer

[CRSIII]

Beam me up, shorty.

 

[Martlet]

When did they start referring to porn stars as strippers?

 

[Misbehaven]

maybe just maybe they are throwing this guy under the bus and making it look like the new Chief is cleaning house.. Stoughton PD is a Joke. This poor officer is the sacrificial lamb.

 

[dwarven1]

Bridget the Midget?? Man, ya just can't make this stuff up.

Officer Richard P. Bennett submitted a one-paragraph resignation letter on June 30 and promptly left the department, said Chief Paul J. Shastany, who became chief on April 5 of a force that has been battered for nearly a decade by scandals and corruption charges.

Shastany, who had worked in the Framingham and Natick police departments for 34 years and had vowed to restore Stoughton's reputation, said he was proud of his officers, not embarrassed. Bennett's colleagues, he said, reported the officer's misdeeds to the department, prompting two separate internal affairs investigations.

"This is a classic example of the organization policing itself,'' he said. "This surgically quick removal was a very beneficial thing for the organization."

Bennett, 28, of Fall River, was not immediately available for comment.

The patrolman, who has been on the force about two years and received a commendation last month for helping to quickly secure a murder scene, committed two forms of misconduct, said Shastany.

First, he deserted his post last month and went to Club Alex's, a strip club in Stoughton, said Shastany. He spoke to a manager at the club and arranged to have a 3-foot-9-inch stripper known as Bridget "The Midget" Powers to meet him outside so he could be photographed with her while he was in uniform.

"This brings discredit and shame on an organization," said Shastany, 55. If people in the community saw Bennett posing with the stripper, he said, "What's the takeaway? Is that something where people say, 'Oh, that's awesome, look at the community policing'? I am frankly livid that that's something an officer thinks he could get away with."

In a separate case of misconduct last month, Bennett was spotted by other officers with a laser-sighting device on his .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic service pistol, Shastany said. The officers reported it to the department's armorer, who told the internal affairs investigator. But when the investigator confronted Bennett, Shastany said, the officer initially denied doctoring his pistol before admitting that he had lied.

Shastany said officers are forbidden from modifying their weapons without permission and that he was unaware of any officers who have gotten approval to add laser-sighting devices to their pistols. But just as unforgivable as the modification, said Shastany, was Bennett's lie.

"We bring ourselves to court to testify and, potentially, take liberty and freedom from some people," said Shastany. "An officer that's not truthful is basically unable to perform his duties. He can't testify. He's of no use to me."

The only thing left to find out is, would Eddie Coyle hit it?

 

[pbearperry]

You can be sure,that for some reason,a lot of folks on that dept. wanted this guy gone.

 

[dwarven1]

Whoa... a quick google search turns up that yes, she really is a porn star. I wouldn't recommend doing the search from work, though... even the SEARCH is NSFW.

This guy's career has definitely been cut off at the knees. Since many employers do a google search on prospective employees' names, he's going to be linked with Bridget the Midget forever after. Poor bastard. Bet he changes his name.

 

[Len-2A Training]

This guy's career has definitely been cut off at the knees. Since many employers do a google search on prospective employees' names, he's going to be linked with Bridget the Midget forever after. Poor bastard. Bet he changes his name.

Well maybe now he can see "eye to eye" with her?

Bet he's a "friend" on one of her social networking pages too.

There is an ancient saying . . . "The badge will get you p***y, but the p***y will get your badge!" I saw this happen at a college PD some years ago too.

I don't feel bad for the cop, he should have known that what he was doing was likely to cost him his career . . . that's what happens when you do your thinking with the small brain.

 

[Misbehaven]

I think that the Chief is an ass for letting the press in on this. This is not that big of a deal and certainly not something to ruin someones life and career over. I also think the officers he worked with are nothing but hypocritical fisters. Rumor has it that SEVERAL officers with wives and girlfriends have been messing around with the strippers at that establishment for a LONG time. This guy just takes a picture with her while she was clothed and was OUTSIDE of the building.

This incident and even the deal with the laser isn't something someone quits their job over and/or gets fired for. There is more to this story you can bet. Don't be so quick to believe everything that is on the news. He resigned for other reasons that is for sure. He left 3 weeks ago, so why go public with this now?? It has nothing to do with that officer and everything to do with that Chief trying to make himself look good.

That department has had some serious issues for years. Without a doubt the new Chief is trying to regain the trust & confidence of the community. It's too bad that he has to hit below the belt and use this kid as the scape goat instead of doing the real work and rebuilding his dept. Ruining this guys career isn't going to gain the respect of the community at all.

I hope MSP take that dept over like they where going to in the past.

 

[Misbehaven]

How old are you LenS??? are you going to tell me that you have never made a mistake?? or done something stupid in your life? Ever go to a strip club?? look at porn??? Oh of course not.. all of you are perfect. angelic. Pleeeeease........... he made a mistake. Doesn't mean he is a dirtbag. He doesn't deserve to loose his career over something like this. He was thrown under the bus. I have ZERO respect for that dept and the Chief for going public with it. All of you need to take a good look at yourselves before you judge someone else especially since you don't have all the facts!

Well maybe now he can see "eye to eye" with her?

Bet he's a "friend" on one of her social networking pages too.

There is an ancient saying . . . "The badge will get you p***y, but the p***y will get your badge!" I saw this happen at a college PD some years ago too.

I don't feel bad for the cop, he should have known that what he was doing was likely to cost him his career . . . that's what happens when you do your thinking iwth the small brain.

 

[Len-2A Training]

How old are you LenS??? are you going to tell me that you have never made a mistake?? or done something stupid in your life? Ever go to a strip club?? look at porn??? Oh of course not.. all of you are perfect. angelic. Pleeeeease........... he made a mistake. Doesn't mean he is a dirtbag. He doesn't deserve to loose his career over something like this. He was thrown under the bus. I have ZERO respect for that dept and the Chief for going public with it. All of you need to take a good look at yourselves before you judge someone else especially since you don't have all the facts!

If he did this off-duty, in civvies, I'd be sympathetic.

But when I wore a uniform, I knew enough NOT to do anything in uniform that would damage the image of the PD and uniform!! I did NOT need my chief writing down a hundred "do not do" rules wrt being in uniform.

- Posing with a stripper in uniform - stupid!
- Allowing a stripper to drape herself over your cruiser and logo being visible - stupid!
- Being seen/caught in a strip club while on duty, but NOT supposed to be there (not part of your beat) - stupid!

[NOTE: I know a former Trooper who wrote a book. He went thru hell getting permission to use the cover picture of him in uniform beside his cruiser. And he served honorably and wrote about his experiences in the MA SP! When I was in Israel as part of a police org tour, I got specific permission from my chief to wear the uniform for the hospital dedication. When I was asked to "go shopping downtown in Tel Aviv" in uniform for a newspaper shoot, I refused as it was inappropriate use of the uniform.]

As Derek says, "do stupid things, win stupid prizes!" I didn't call him a DB or any other names. Actions have consequences . . . he took some stupid actions that he should have known better and now he has to suffer the consequences.


"Making a mistake" is doing something UNintentional. What he did does not fit my definition of "mistake"!

Stoughton has been corrupt to the core for more than 40 years. I have seen some of that corruption first-hand back in the late '60s when I worked there (and I am NOT talking about the PD). If someone is taking action and making noises that "those days are over", kudos to them.

I suspect that the new Town Manager (former Chief Justice of Stoughton District Court and a "townie") and Chief are trying to right the town's image and make it widely known that "there is a new sheriff in town"! Again, I hope they pull this off and are sincere. If some heads have to roll to change the way the town does business, so be it.

 

[securityboy]

...This guy just takes a picture with her while she was clothed and was OUTSIDE of the building...

Without seeing it I don't necissarily have a problem with the picture, however I do see the underlying problem with how he "got" the picture. I beleive that is what the department's (his co-workers & the chief's) problem with the situation is...leaving his sector without radioing & violating the policy prohibitting officers going to such a club alone. Bridget the Midget might make a nice flashier headline, than "cop resignes for numerous policy violations"

...This incident and even the deal with the laser isn't something someone quits their job over and/or gets fired for...

As a PD armorer I can assure you policy is in place in every PD prohibbitting unauthorized modification of any duty weapon, and violations of that policy are considered a huge deal, because it opens up the officer and department up to liability...

But on top of all that, the BIG DEAL is lying about any of it...no matter how trivial the matter you simply can't lie about it...

 

[Tara]

An officer IN UNIFORM has standards to uphold. This one didn't. I don't feel bad that he's screwed. That's what happens when you play stupid games.
And I'm sorry, but altering your service pistol isn't a "mistake". He knew damn well what he was doing and he got caught. Too bad.

 

[Preachers Sheets]

I'm just not sure what his LTC issuance policy is.

I am a Stoughton resident; it is better then before ;-)

 

[drgrant]

An officer IN UNIFORM has standards to uphold. This one didn't. I don't feel bad that he's screwed. That's what happens when you play stupid games.
And I'm sorry, but altering your service pistol isn't a "mistake". He knew damn well what he was doing and he got caught. Too bad.

I think the fact that he lied to people about modifying his service gun was the real tip off point. If it was just the midget lady, he probably would have gotten away with it.... this guy was probably not stellar to begin with, and this was just the frosting on the cake for getting him to leave.

-Mike

 

[Preachers Sheets]

If it was just the stripper I'm sure they would of suspended the officer or something but he was adding crap to his gun.....after being told not to.....then was lying about it.

Sure the stripper was noted but I dont think it was noted as the sole purpose, more of he was told not to touch the gun, he touched the gun, he lied about the gun and ontop of that we caught him leaving his post, not telling anyone, taking pictures with a stripper and being seen by a ton of people who reported him.

Any officer in Stoughton must know if they do anything they are going to draw so much unwanted attention, media vans and people out for the departments throat. Just show up, keep your head low, do your job and see the whore when you leave work, wtf...

drgrant - eek, we both posted the same thing at 10:45!

 

[Len-2A Training]

Misbehaven,

Thanks for the Neg Rep Point because you disagree with me.

I will NOT return the "favor", but be aware that if we Neg Rep'd everyone we disagreed with on here, it would turn a useful forum into something pretty ugly.

We are free to disagree with each other, but we should always be RESPECTFUL of one another.

Assuming that the news story contains NO LIES, this officer's judgment was very poor.

As for gun modifications: If he changed out the recoil rod for a laser guide-rod, he changed the gun which could result in reliability and liability issues. If he added a laser grip to the gun (and if PD didn't specifically prohibit things like the Hogue rubber grip), I don't think it deserved more than an admonition and "don't do it again" . . . because public perception about lasers can lead to political fall-out. BUT lying about it does destroy all his credibility as an officer, regardless of what he did or didn't do.

As for the stripper, it's hard to hide the cruiser from public view beside Alex's and public perception of what's going on is going to be a lot worse than reality in many cases. If the public sees it, their thoughts will be along the lines of my "ancient quote" in my prior post.

Could he have been "targeted"? Certainly! I know of an officer who was fired for something that (according to the reports - I know the former officer well, but never asked him for details, it's none of my business) is something that is commonplace in LE and was no doubt trumped up to get him out. I know of officers who felt compelled to take an early retirement because the chief wanted them to do different tasks that were more appropriate to their rank in the PD and the officers just wanted to do the "same old" that they were accustomed to doing.

Life can be unfair. But doing stupid things can really turn a spotlight on a person and penalties that go with it.

 

[Garys]

How old are you LenS??? are you going to tell me that you have never made a mistake?? or done something stupid in your life? Ever go to a strip club?? look at porn??? Oh of course not.. all of you are perfect. angelic. Pleeeeease........... he made a mistake. Doesn't mean he is a dirtbag. He doesn't deserve to loose his career over something like this. He was thrown under the bus. I have ZERO respect for that dept and the Chief for going public with it. All of you need to take a good look at yourselves before you judge someone else especially since you don't have all the facts!

I don't think you're getting it at all. It wasn't the crime, it was the cover up. Going to the strip club against orders was worth maybe a five day suspension. He used poor judgment and it was definitely conduct unbecoming an officer. The laser sight infraction wasn't worth even that much discipline, a letter of reprimand at the most. Unfortunately, he chose to lie to the investigators, his supervisor, and the chief about the laser sight. THAT is what caused his demise.

I don't know if you're from Stoughton or the area, but if you are you must know that the town and especially the PD have been in turmoil since late 2003. One Sgt. convicted, but going to be retried, on felony charges, several resignations, two officers have plead guilty to federal charges, the former chief convicted of covering up the complaints against the Sgt., two acting chiefs, one of whom retired at age 41. That's not to mention the internal battles within the PD that resulted in the town settling law suits by three LTs and the settlement for the person arrested by the Sgt who is going to be retried. That's just the stuff that is public knowledge, not to mention the stuff that went on behind the scene.

The new Chief was hired to clean up the department and restore public confidence in it's ability to protect the public. You may not like that he let the press in on this, but do you really think that they wouldn't have found out about it from some other means? It was far better for him to come out openly and explain what happened and why than for the media to hear a bunch of rumors and play the story as yet another Stoughton PD white wash.

BTW, officers have been fired in other agencies for incidents similar to this one.

As to the MSP taking over the Stoughton PD, do you really think that they'd let this sort of stuff go on?

You're wrong about everything, especially for neg repping LenS. He's lived in an adjoining town and was involved in law enforcement for several years. He probably knows more about the stuff that's gone on since the 1970s than most people who live in that town.

 

[center442]

The COP's own words:

Shastany said officers are forbidden from modifying their weapons without permission and that he was unaware of any officers who have gotten approval to add laser-sighting devices to their pistols. But just as unforgivable as the modification, said Shastany, was Bennett's lie.

"We bring ourselves to court to testify and, potentially, take liberty and freedom from some people," said Shastany. "An officer that's not truthful is basically unable to perform his duties. He can't testify. He's of no use to me."

I have no problem with this attitude, nor the actions he must take to uphold it.

 

[Len-2A Training]

As Gary stated, I have a bit of knowledge wrt Stoughton. I grew up in Randolph and have seen it go from a decent community to something that I'd want nothing to do with. I've dealt with a former Town Manager who refused to do his job, was arrogant enough that other employees at Town Hall acknowledged this to me (and some of them have no idea who I am other than a face at the window).

My first college Co-Op job was working for Brockton Edison and we were in Stoughton a lot. Getting signed-off electrical inspection slips (in the late 1960s) at Town Hall . . . getting told by the home-owner that she was "still waiting for the inspector" who never showed up (signed off on it w/o leaving his office). There was more, but I won't post it.

I've known the convicted Sgt's Father (Selectman for many years) and Mother for >30 years due to a couple of LE orgs we both belonged to. He asked me to join the Stoughton Special Police a few times and I wisely chose not to. I've met and talked with the Sgt a few times a long time ago. I've met and spoken with the former convicted chief a few times, he seemed like a nice guy. I'm aware that another chief a long time ago was convicted and sent off to jail, a former Selectwoman used to handcuff herself to the table at meetings, numerous Selectmen were suing other Selectmen over the years, etc. The history isn't very pretty and goes back a very long time and very deeply. And all this crap was dutifully reported in the Brockton Enterprise and Patriot Ledger as it was going on . . . great PR for any town!

I've known Frank Crimmins for a very long time too. I took him to task for not putting away gang-bangers under Bartley-Fox at a LE org meeting once. I respect the man and have hopes that he can turn the town around. Marge Clapprood once <stupidly> publicly called Stoughton "Dorchester with trees" when she was running for Lt. Gov.! Wouldn't it be nice to convert Stoughton into a nice suburban community, well-run, respected by both townspeople and outsiders as well? That's what this sounds like to me . . . that Frank and the new chief both want to put the past behind them and clean up the town . . . I'd consider that a good thing.

 

[john m]

My dad allways said " Don't let the little head think for the big head"

 

[n1oty]

+1 sent to LenS to counteract the neg from Misbehavin.

 

[Len-2A Training]

+1 sent to LenS to counteract the neg from Misbehavin.

Thanks John. But I wasn't looking for make-up points. I was trying to make the point to misbehaven that just because you disagree with someone or someone's post is no reason to act like a child and hit someone with neg rep points. Hell, most of us disagree with one another a fair amount of the time, but being gentlemen we are "free to disagree without being disagreeable"!

 

[Gadsden]

Midgets, cops, glocks, strippers, AND negative reps! What more could one want?!?

Oh, IBTL!

 

[Blitz1]

Thanks John. But I wasn't looking for make-up points. I was trying to make the point to misbehaven that just because you disagree with someone or someone's post is no reason to act like a child and hit someone with neg rep points. Hell, most of us disagree with one another a fair amount of the time, but being gentlemen we are "free to disagree without being disagreeable"!

I disagree.

 

[44marty]

Midgets, cops, glocks, strippers, AND negative reps! What more could one want?!?

Oh, IBTL!

WooooHoooo What a Thread - Couldn't agree more that this has it all.

The interesting story would be to hear some of the other stupid things this guy has done. I'm sure someone capable of being this dumb must have some doozies of stories. Maybe he thought he had one of those Federal carry-anything-anywhere / do-anything-you-want permits?

But seriously - those little buggers are funny, aren't they? The guy tried to lie about it. That's the long and the short of it.

 

[Half Cocked]

He would still have a job if he did not lie!! The infractions would have gotten him time off....... the lies put him over.

 

[Martlet]

Wouldn't people suspect there were other reasons that aren't public? Typically, it seems officers and the union close ranks and stand behind officers when things like this happen. Sure, he was an idiot, but I've seen many officers do much worse and keep their jobs. It seems like everyone was out to get this guy, which makes me wonder what we don't know.

 

[securityboy]

Wouldn't people suspect there were other reasons that aren't public? Typically, it seems officers and the union close ranks and stand behind officers when things like this happen. Sure, he was an idiot, but I've seen many officers do much worse and keep their jobs. It seems like everyone was out to get this guy, which makes me wonder what we don't know.

Two things:
1. HE RESIGNED. Why/How would his union,fellow officers, or even civil service commision be a able to do anything regarding this since he resigned, if he got fired over it MAYBE (but still doubtful).
2. Its not the Stripper, its not the Gun...THE BIG THING HERE is lying in an internal investigation, I don't think you will find to many officers who keep their jobs after that...

 

[Martlet]

Two things:
1. HE RESIGNED. Why/How would his union,fellow officers, or even civil service commision be a able to do anything regarding this since he resigned, if he got fired over it MAYBE (but still doubtful).
2. Its not the Stripper, its not the Gun...THE BIG THING HERE is lying in an internal investigation, I don't think you will find to many officers who keep their jobs after that...

He was turned in by his co-workers.

 

[M1911]

Is it just that LEOs are not supposed to modify their firearms?

That is usually department policy.