# Police chiefs union back Ryan



## policelaborlaw.com (Mar 7, 2006)

*Police chiefs union back Ryan*
By *Sara Withee / Daily News Staff*
Friday, March 31, 2006 - Updated: 04:21 AM EST

*M*ILLVILLE -- The president of a statewide organization of top cops, upset at the town's move to place Police Chief Timothy Ryan on leave, says his group will play an active role in upcoming hearings. 

The head of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association said the group also opposes the town's decision to hand control of local law enforcement over to the state police. 

"Chief Ryan is a professional police chief and he is highly respected throughout the state and from the information we have at this time, we are deeply concerned with the action taken by the town of Millville," Shrewsbury Police Chief Wayne Sampson said this week. 

Sampson said members of his organization will attend Ryan's hearings, which begin April 20. Personnel hearings can be closed to the public under the state's Open Meeting Law, but employees can open them, as Ryan, Millville's chief of 19 years, has chosen to do. 

Ryan, whose department serves a town of 3,000, was placed on leave March 7, along with his brother, part-time Sgt. James Ryan and full-time Officer Gerald Millette. 

Putting those officers on leave has strapped the 10 full- and part-time members. Sampson said his association has no problem with state troopers being brought in to fill shifts. 

The group does oppose state police taking charge in Millville with appointment of state police Lt. Sean Baxter. It's the first time the agency has taken over a town department since 1997. 

"We are disappointed they have taken a supervisory role at this point," Sampson said. "We feel that is inappropriate at this point and that the town should appoint an acting chief." 

Beyond precedent, Sampson said the reasons given for the leave don't justify it. The association believes chiefs should stay on the job even during disciplinary proceedings unless the alleged actions may be criminal and risk public safety. 

"This is a political situation that the town of Millville is in," Sampson said. "This is not a situation where there is any criminal wrongdoing and the state police need to come in for any supervisory purpose." 

Ryan's attorney has told reporters the town has filed 21 complaints against the chief. The complaints focus on four areas: his handling of a neighborhood dispute, his telling two department members about a child welfare case being investigated by the state Department of Social Services, his working paid details on his time off and his lack of written rules and regulations for the department. 

Police chiefs are "absolutely" allowed to work paid details in Massachusetts, Sampson said, adding that a local board of selectmen has the right to set standards. 

Many departments have policies and procedures but lack rules and regulations -- which deal with issues such as when officers can start wearing short-sleeve shorts -- or have old ones, Sampson said. The selectmen's claim threatens many small police departments in similar situations, but even larger ones because written rules cannot address every situation, he said. In such situations, departments refer to "past practices," Sampson said. 

"Every single police department in Massachusetts today has unwritten rules and regulations," Sampson said. "It is absolutely impossible to have a rule and regulation to cover every issue in this business." 

Sharing sensitive information within a department is common practice and part of a chief's job, Sampson said. 

Police chiefs and officers routinely get involved in neighborhood disputes and sometimes have to file charges, like in this case, Sampson said. Ryan awakening late at night to respond shows his commitment, Sampson said. 

"Any police chief that gets up at 1 o'clock in the morning to respond to a neighborhood dispute should be commended, not disciplined," Sampson said. 

Neither selectmen Chairwoman Diane McCutcheon nor Town Counsel David Jenkins returned telephone calls seeking comment yesterday.


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## Mikey682 (May 2, 2002)

policelaborlaw.com said:


> *Police chiefs union back Ryan*
> By *Sara Withee / Daily News Staff*
> Friday, March 31, 2006 - Updated: 04:21 AM EST
> 
> ...


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## irish937 (Sep 13, 2005)

Sampson's for real. At least HE thinks he is. However, it doesn't mean much from a guy like him. They have no choice, but to back him.


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## Mikey682 (May 2, 2002)

Yeah, now that I think about it more, I guess they would have to show solidarity no matter how much of a "professional" he is.


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## HousingCop (May 14, 2004)

Wow, look at all that "fruit salad" above that badge of his. Did he storm Utah Beach or something?


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## Sgt Jack (Aug 17, 2003)

HousingCop said:


> Wow, look at all that "fruit salad" above that badge of his. Did he storm Utah Beach or something?


 Maybe he's a legand in his own mind :crazy:


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## PBC FL Cop (Oct 22, 2003)

Is that the Chief in question???


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

HousingCop said:


> Wow, look at all that "fruit salad" above that badge of his. Did he storm Utah Beach or something?


Yeah these one liners.........they got to stop. If you don't have anything to say to actually benefit the thread, why post.

I will buy you your own helmet to wear buddy boy!!!:fu2:


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## dcs2244 (Jan 29, 2004)

Relax, kid...this is only entertainment.

If "benefiting the thread" were a prerequisite for posting, we'd have never heard from you.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

dcs2244 said:


> Relax, kid...this is only entertainment.
> 
> If "benefiting the thread" were a prerequisite for posting, we'd have never heard from you.


If you dont know or recognize the joke then shut up! This is what Housing Ass stated to me on another post dumb skull! To bad you were not that quick to reply when he said it!:mobile:


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## dcs2244 (Jan 29, 2004)

Whatever, Irish...your previous posts do not convey a sense of humor...just animosity. You direct your invective regardless of the posters' sarcasm or humor.

We welcome you here as a person of thought and *informed* opinion. People who find fault and do not offer constructive criticism are not. Your opinions to date are sophomoric, if not juvenile, but they do border on the juvenile. Why not monitor the board and learn to respond with respect and constructive thought?

Take a page from HousingCop...he has the training, experience and good sense to record substantive posts. Apparently, this was not always the case. Even so, HC often made me laugh...not you...your posts are bitter.

Sit back and rethink your self. Delete the bile from your posts and join the community of independent thinkers here.


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## HousingCop (May 14, 2004)

Well said dcs2244. When I post a "One line wonder" it at least has some funny aspect to it. Not just "duh.... I agree with you on that point" like IrishDolt often has. I think that his post numbers reflect a self inflated ego in his own mind. But we all know the bitter truth, now don't we??

BTW IrishDolt, I don't need a helmet. My old one fits just fine.



dcs2244 said:


> Whatever, Irish...your previous posts do not convey a sense of humor...just animosity. You direct your invective regardless of the posters' sarcasm or humor.
> 
> We welcome you here as a person of thought and *informed* opinion. People who find fault and do not offer constructive criticism are not. Your opinions to date are sophomoric, if not juvenile, but they do border on the juvenile. Why not monitor the board and learn to respond with respect and constructive thought?
> 
> ...


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