# Warren police sergeant investigated by Conte



## Nachtwächter (Dec 9, 2005)

*Warren police sergeant investigated by Conte*

* By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
*

* 
WARREN- * Police Sgt. Jeffrey Y. Bednarz, 26, once a semifinalist for the job of police chief, is being investigated by state police assigned to the Worcester district attorney's office, District Attorney John J. Conte confirmed yesterday.

While Mr. Conte would not disclose further information, police sources have said allegations against Sgt. Bednarz came from within the department.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one Warren Police Department employee said Sgt. Bednarz pointed a loaded gun at a fellow officer in the fall. Other allegations include the theft of liquor from the department's evidence room and remarks about cutting an employee's throat, the source said.

A document viewed by the Telegram & Gazette appeared to be signed by several officers and indicated that some were in fear of "being physically harmed by Sgt. Bednarz." The document referred to "several occasions" when a gun had been pointed at officers while they worked inside the station or patrolled with the supervisor.

Some of the allegations were brought to light when an Internet user posting under the name "True Blue" on a police-related Web site sought advice. A source told the Telegram & Gazette that "True Blue" is a Warren police officer.

"What do you do when a fellow officer points a gun to your head with one in the pipe, safety off, finger on the trigger, and the hammer back?" the posting reads.

Other officers, including one who initially used a Warren police badge as an online icon before switching to a cartoon pig, responded online. Some advised the questioner to take up the question with his superiors.

A source said the officers brought their allegations to the attention of Police Chief Glenn F. McKiel several times, but "nothing was done."

Chief McKiel has not returned more than a dozen calls seeking comment over the past four weeks.

Sgt. Bednarz has not been at work for close to three weeks, though it is unclear whether he is on a scheduled vacation or absent from work for some other reason. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

Sgt. Bednarz and all other fulltime Warren officers are members of Local 117 of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police. Union officials declined to comment.

Selectman Marc W. Richard declined to say whether the payroll warrants he has signed in recent weeks have included salary for Sgt. Bednarz.

Selectmen have denied any involvement in the investigation, though one police source said officers told board members of their concerns.

"We don't run the police department," Mr. Richard said recently, though he added that the board is the hiring and firing authority under local bylaws. He said board Chairman David Delanski is in contact with Chief McKiel and informs fellow selectmen of developments, though there have been none.

Richard said if there is a problem, a "process will be followed." He said he would not comment until the matter becomes public.

"It'll all come out in the wash," he said.

The board recently signed a new three-year pact with Chief McKiel, weeks after he was named as the top choice of a police chief search committee in Carlisle. According to the Carlisle Mosquito, an online newspaper, Carlisle selectmen appointed acting Police Chief John Sullivan after public outcry in opposition to the search committee's recommendation.

In a letter to the Mosquito, McKiel said he has "great support" in Warren and works "for and with great people." Under the new agreement, McKiel's salary will climb to $80,000 annually.

In late 2002, then-Officer Bednarz was a semifinalist for the chief's job. But Chief McNeil got the post.

In 2003, the new chief asked selectmen to promote Officer Bednarz to sergeant. Sgt. Bednarz joined the department as a part-time officer in July 1999 when he was 19 years old.

When he was selected for the promotion, Chief McKiel told selectmen Officer Bednarz scored the highest of all of the candidates who took the exam. Bednarz also wowed a review panel composed of Chief McKiel and three area chiefs. At that time, Officer Bednarz said he had an associate's degree and was working toward a bachelor's degree. It is unclear whether he has completed that degree.

A police source said officers were interviewed by state troopers from the Auburn-based detective unit of Mr. Conte's office. The source said it is not known what the district attorney's office plans to do, if anything, with the information they provided.


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

this was posted last month under safety issues


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

Uhhhh ohhhh
IA here we go again


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## Piper (Nov 19, 2004)

we all need to remember that people other than "us" can read this web-site


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