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Main Page Millville Police Dept.
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: Mikey682

Over the past couple years of scanning JOBFILE like its part of my official job description, I've noticed Millville PD has atleast one ad out per year looking for FT academy trained officers, and I believe I saw 3 ads in one year.
Does anyone have any idea what the deal is with the high turnover rate? Post or PM if anyone has any ideas

Posted by: DODK911

The main reson is the pay is low, but also the town is only 1 square mile with a population of 3000 people. So not much action as you can see.

Posted by: MiamiVice

well actually their pay is decent (union+quinn bill) but they have been through at least 20 FT cops in 5 years. Some last only a few weeks, very quirky place. I think they can have up to 4 or 5 FT patrolman +chief+ some reserves, and last I heard they are down to 1 or 2 FT cops.

I know of at least 8 people that used to work there, and non had good things to say, other than it actually is busy. Lots of dirtbags live and pass through.

Posted by: DODK911

BUSY?????? I don't know what your friends consider busy? but that place is far from busy. I lived there, I have family that work there, know a couple of guys, know the Chief, Personally I don't find it busy. Well maybe with its 1 traffic light. LOL...

Stay Safe

Posted by: 3gm

I would say the only reason the town can not keep cops is because the chief!!!!! the man is a unreasonable person that no one on the planet could possible get along with. his brother works there as a part timer and i think that is the only one that has stayed (go figure). the town has gone through more cops than any town in mass. if you could make it for a year you would be a vet. I worked there for 8 months and had to get the AG's office send a letter to threaten the town to give me unpaid wages. the town is currently in a lawsuit for obstruction of union activity. good luck to the next sucker that thinks that working there would be a good idea!!! if you would enjoy being personaly threatened by the union steward and the chief of police than sign up!

Posted by: RPD931

Are they Civil Circus?

Posted by: JohnBarleycorn

No

Posted by: 3gm

no just a circus

Posted by: EOD1

ok listen, i was born and raised in Millville, the town itself is nice, its a good place to raise a family. trust me on this the high turn over rate is do to te chief and the politics that are involved in that small dept plain and simple. i could gone on for pages and pages about it however i will not because it would not be a very nice thing for me to do. no it is not a civil service dept. the pay is alright however compared to bordering towns it is lower.

Posted by: RPD931

Sounds good, they hiring?

Posted by: Macop

Probably

Posted by: dcs2244

A fellow trooper was stopped going through the town on the way home and got the "YOU-OF-ALL-PEOPLE" lecture for speeding. She told the kid to shut-up or write a ticket...and drove away. He didn't pursue the matter.

If GOD delivers one of those kids into my hand...it's gig city and no proffesional courtesy.

period.

And one of my erstwhile boot's lives there.

Posted by: SEABASS

Word to the wise,
Stay away from towns that end in "ville". I worked for a town in NH ending in "ville" and this sounds like the same situation. Alot of people just want to get thier foot in the door and they figure they will get some experience and move on.
BE CAREFUL OF THESE SMALL TOWNS !

Posted by: Macop

Yes, I second that motion, I am working in small town hell right now. Trying to get out like a rat trapped in a box.

Posted by: SEABASS

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macop

Yes, I second that motion, I am working in small town hell right now. Trying to get out like a rat trapped in a box.

Just keep plugging. I took me awhile but I was determined not to let that place decide my future and I got on in a much larger, Mass civil service dept. that actually pays you a livable salary with a union to boot

Posted by: MARINECOP

Small town where everybody knows everyones business. I worked in one of Millvilles ajoining towns for 4 years and I have heard alot of the rumors. If anyone wants that job, just make sure you can take any order without question and kiss everyones ass in the town and on the department. If you don't, and you go against command staff or the town in almost any way they will try and ruin your career. Just some advice I have heard for any applicant to consider.

Posted by: Commissioner Car-1

I have over 8 years of law enforcement experience, great recommendations from my chief and outstanding members of the community. I have applied their twice with nothing as much as a reply to say "Thanks but no thanks."

WTF kind of agency runs like that?

Oh yeah, I forgot the MPD creto:

"Millville Police......we wear shoes."

Posted by: EOD1

well commish, that is because the chief will throw away resumes after u walk out the door and most times just not give out applications. I used to know a dispatcher and he was on the desk when i gave my resume to the chief and it never made outta the dispatch office, he never read it he just crumpled it up and tossed it the trash. & they were hiring at the time, I am a town resident also, have good reommendations... & that is why i moved a town away to uxbridge.

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Commissioner Car-1

I have over 8 years of law enforcement experience, great recommendations from my chief and outstanding members of the community. I have applied their twice with nothing as much as a reply to say "Thanks but no thanks."

WTF kind of agency runs like that?

Oh yeah, I forgot the MPD creto:

"Millville Police......we wear shoes."

well commish, that is because the chief will throw away resumes after u walk out the door and most times just not give out applications. I used to know a dispatcher and he was on the desk when i gave my resume to the chief and it never made outta the dispatch office, he never read it he just crumpled it up and tossed it the trash. & they were hiring at the time, I am a town resident also, have good reommendations... & that is why i moved a town away to uxbridge.

Posted by: jyanis

Well, well, well...

I was hired as a full timer in Millville, and my career there lasted 6 hours!!!!! Thats right, 6 hours. I saw enough bullshit in those 6 hours to know that it was a wrong move, so I quit, like about 19 other guys. If you want to know anything more, PM me. I will be brutally honest with you. The Chief is tenured for life, and THAT is the root of all of the problems. When one knows he can't be removed, strange things happen. Other than that, it was a great place...LOL!!!!

Posted by: PtlmRube

I live there currently, worked there as a dispatcher for a year prior to my getting on the job, all my family lives there and my mom went to school with the chief.

Just becuase I don't know who is reading these posts, I will say that anyone thinking of applying there should PM me with any questions. I have my opinions but, like i said, I don't think that I want them publicised. Feel free to PM at any time. EOD1 will agree with me when it comes to Millville PD).

Posted by: Commissioner Car-1

OMG....six hours? I'd love to hear the story.

Wow....I guess what my sergeants and seasoned officers told me at my dept WERE true about Millville PD. I was told to stay away but didn't believe them. I also knew a dispatcher over there who was blackballed by Mr. Ryan because she wasn't as pretty as the girl he appointed as the CJIS rep! She now has a better job in another town.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it immensely and will be sure not to waste my time applying there any longer.

Posted by: topcop14

Two words
STAY AWAY ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The chief is

and will

you ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Posted by: Commissioner Car-1

ROFLMAO!

I have heard that rumor but discounted it as just a rumor.

I guess it IS true.

Posted by: jyanis

BELIEVE ME...it is true. I saw and heard enough to make you wonder....

Sad...it truly is sad that someone would go through so much trouble to hurt people and their reputation. I am proof of that.

Posted by: topcop14

jay I think this is when I say I told you so! !

Posted by: SEABASS

Why is the Chief throwing away people's resume when he is looking for
people? It seems very few are willing to work there yet he tosses resume
of the few who apply. I worked in NH for a real piece of work but he had
a very fair hiring process. It was after you were hired he would

at every turn. The guy's a sociopath.

Posted by: Commissioner Car-1

I often ask myself the same question.

Posted by: jyanis

Quote:

Originally Posted by topcop14";p=&quot

jay I think this is when I say I told you so! !

Thanks pal!! Wish you had warned me before my leap...lol.

Posted by: DODK911

I have a friend that just started working there not too long ago and he said so far its not too bad, SLOW! but not bad.

Posted by: DoD102

Very typical for small town Massachusetts. I worked in Franklin County for 16 of my 21 years on th job. These small towns seem to get chiefs that are just plain.....well you get the idea. I've worked for two in my time. If you don't kiss their &%# they will do all they can to ruin you. I can think of only two or three Chiefs in Franklin County that I respect. Anyway, stay with the bigger departments. Still have problems, but they tend to me a little more professional. Just an opinion.

Posted by: VTCOP

I've worked in three small pd's, with less than 7 people in them for the past 7 years. Where I am currently, is by far the worst politically. I work for a village 1.5 square miles with less than a thousand residents. Stuff happens, but not often...enough. I've also worked for a bit bigger pd, 16 people, and that by far was much better on the political front.

If you want to last in a small PD, get you lips moist for kissing ass...not just to the chief, but to the fire chief, to the Town Manager, and to the people. Community policing means: let them run you, and get your face dirty.

Next stop...city!

Posted by: DoD102

You are 100% correct VTCOP. It must be that way in small depts everywhere. Too bad it's like that in Vermont too. I love it up there.

Good luck.

Posted by: spt102

ihav spen t all of my carear in smal depratments and think itis the best wear, else wouldd, some body like me woik for over 25yeras and get promted to sgt and attimes be actin cheif and egt to meat lot of, guys ans be inchrage of partolmen nice crusers to

Posted by: john77

Wow, I hope that was a joke.

Posted by: kwflatbed

More like he is a joke.

Posted by: DODK911

I hope you were trying to be funny, because if your not, then there is a reason why you spent 25+ years on a small town!!!!! And they allowed you to be acting Chief?

Posted by: VTCOP

No shit, that was bad man! Although, my chief doesn't know how to spell, writes crappy affidavits, but yet he craps on everyone else! God love it! I half-jokingly say, "Chief, thats why they invented spell check!"

Posted by: Mitpo62

Wow, that is bad. Where is my pocket dictionary?

Posted by: Investigator25

Was that guy from DMR Police?? If not, I hope his dept. has a translator on hand.

Posted by: spt102

iam not tryin to be funy i do hav a degree fromwnec, am intallagent btu can be misunderstand im not liked, bymy bruther oficer so wat idonot care ilove partol wofk andi am, a godd oficer

Posted by: Investigator25

........okay......

Posted by: john77

How about you use the Quinn bill to take some typing lessons...I don't know just a thought.

Posted by: Townchix

millville pd sucks.

Posted by: Macop

He is obviously being sarcastic

Posted by: sempergumby

I work in Bellingfham and have had contact with a couple of guys from Millville. I even recommended a buddy of mine to go there for a job. Told him it was a way to become a police Officer. I also told him not to stay there for long.
real bad things withthe chief, so I'm told.

Posted by: ShakeEmDOwn016

According to FOX 25 News this AM, there has been a major shakeup at the Millville PD. Reports indicated that the town selectmen voted to place the Chief, A SGT, and a Patrolman on administrative leave.

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

She also promised a strong fight by the family to answer any complaints. "I hope it costs the town thousands of dollars in legal fees," she said.

isn't that a nice quote!
the sgt is the chiefs brother

the things those of u who are form millville or worked for millville pd could say. & its not the Dept. If they dig deeper than the complaints that caused the investigation it cause a big big problem. cuz alot would come out.

Posted by: 40th MPOC#309

I love to know what happened? MSP has taken over the dept. in the interim. Hey Gumby-tipped a few w/Shayna and KJ the other night. Good people. Recruit Academy reunion....nuff said.

Posted by: WBPD628

State police take control of Millville police department
Worcester Telegram

MILLVILLE— Town officials at a press conference this morning offered few details about allegations against Police Chief Timothy P. Ryan and two other members of the force that have prompted the Board of Selectmen to relieve the officers of their duties and request assistance from the state police in running the department.

Chief Ryan; his brother, Sgt. James Ryan; and Officer Gerald Millette were placed on administrative leave last night by an executive session vote of the Board of Selectmen.

This morning, state police officials announced that they will be temporarily taking control of the department, and will supplement the small department with regular patrols.

“The state police will assist by providing patrols and supervisory personnel,” said Massachusetts State Police Maj. Martha A. Catalano, commander of the state police Troop C headquarters in Holden.

Maj. Catalano said state police Lt. Sean M. Baxter, also out of Troop C, will be the supervising officer of the department as long as it takes the town to complete its investigation of the allegations. She said residents should not notice any interruption of police service. She said Lt. Carl MacKnight from the Grafton barracks provided coverage of the department last night after Chief Ryan, Sgt. Ryan, and Officer Millette were placed on leave.

The Police Department has a staff of nine officers, including Chief Ryan. Six officers remain, and state troopers will fill in those gaps, Maj. Catalano said.

Diane McCutcheon, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations. She said that some time around Sept. 2005, the town received four written complaints about the operation of the department made by residents, town employees, and former town employees.

Based on those complaints, selectmen instructed town counsel Kopelman & Paige to launch an investigation. The results of that investigation prompted last night’s decision to remove Chief Ryan, Sgt. Ryan, and Officer Millette.

She said the town is committed to coming to a fair conclusion of the matter, and said hearings for the three officers may be scheduled in the coming weeks. She characterized the notion that the board’s move was politically motivated as ridiculous.

Officer Millette could not immediately be reached for comment this afternoon. Sgt. Ryan did not immediately respond to a telephone message left at his home. Chief Ryan said this morning he could not comment on the allegations, and referred questions to his lawyer, Andrew J. Gambaccini.

Mr. Gambaccini did not immediately respond to a phone message left for him at his office.

The chief said he was aware that he was being placed on administrative leave, and said he had been in contact with his brother.

“I will say, this is the first time in my 23 years at the department I’ve been placed on administrative leave,” the chief said. Chief Ryan, who lives in town, was promoted to chief in 1988.

Ms. McCutcheon said Sgt. Ryan is a part-time employee, and said Chief Ryan does not currently work under a contract with the town. She said Officer Millette is a full-time officer.

Posted by: j809

You would think that after losing like 100 something officers in 10 years, someone would have looked into it closer. I heard crazy things about the way that place was run. It's a shame.

Posted by: frapmpd24

Quote:

Originally Posted by topcop14

Two words
STAY AWAY ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The chief is

and will

you ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

I think Topcop14 was right on with this one. This will be interesting to see what happens from here.

Posted by: EOD1

Chief not under contract... oh no... that might be bad for him. it will be interesting.
now according to the article, the town investigated the written complaints, that lead to the suspensions. Now does the town con't to investigate the incident(s) or is it the state police. I know millvile doesn't an IA Dept.

Posted by: pablo

That Chief is a Jabroni. I applied there about 10 years ago, took me almost 2hrs to drive there for my interview. I arrived 20 minutes early. Upon My arrival ,that so called chief asks me what my name is? I tell him, he then responds I was late and he is not going to intervbiew me!!! At that point after a few heated words I told him what I thought of his B.S lie that I was late and walked out. A week later I got hired by the Dept I am currently employed by. Funny thing is he did the same thing to another Frined of mine who applied there as well. I guess he doesnt like out of town applicants that are academy trained.

Posted by: SSPO#11

Uhhh ohhhh.......not good...I went to the academy with one of those guys!

#11

Posted by: kojack1

Spell check is easily found both on the computer that you are using as well as the thread page you started this from.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spt102

iam not tryin to be funy i do hav a degree fromwnec, am intallagent btu can be misunderstand im not liked, bymy bruther oficer so wat idonot care ilove partol wofk andi am, a godd oficer

Posted by: Wolfman

facetious \fuh-SEE-shuhs\, adjective:
1. Given to jesting; playfully jocular.
2. Amusing; intended to be humorous; not serious.

Posted by: DODK911

I have a friend who was part-time there and was given a full-time job, and is in the academy now.

Posted by: MARINECOP

What a mess, this is going to get real ugly.

Posted by: sempergumby

Quote:

Originally Posted by 40th MPOC#309

I love to know what happened? MSP has taken over the dept. in the interim. Hey Gumby-tipped a few w/Shayna and KJ the other night. Good people. Recruit Academy reunion....nuff said.

KJ is the balls.. Shanghi is cool too

Posted by: K9Vinny

Good riddance to the Chief and command staff. The only interaction I had with Millville PD was many moons ago, I placed "a call" to speak with one of the officers. I was told by the person who answered the phone "not to bother" and hung up on me. Ever since then I had been hoping to run into a Millville P.O. to return the favor, or hoping for a call from a Millville PO looking for a favor, but it never happened. Reading this stuff makes me smile. Millville P.D. can kiss my ....

Posted by: ryan933

I applied at Millville about a year ago. At that time I was FT academy trained, with LE experience. After a short phone conversation with Chief Ryan regarding an interview date/time, I was so disgusted with him, I told him to pound sand. I have NEVER encountered a more arrogant, condescending, or downright belligerent person in all my life. The residents of Millville should be thrilled!

Posted by: dcs2244

If Massachusetts needed an enema...they'd stick the hose in Millville (or Quincy, whichever was closest!).

Posted by: ShakeEmDOwn016

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan933

I applied at Millville about a year ago. At that time I was FT academy trained, with LE experience. After a short phone conversation with Chief Ryan regarding an interview date/time, I was so disgusted with him, I told him to pound sand. I have NEVER encountered a more arrogant, condescending, or downright belligerent person in all my life. The residents of Millville should be thrilled!

Ryan,

I too had the displeasure of speaking with that chief. A former coworker at my old job put in for a position in Millville. Apparently for one reason or another, the coworker decided to withdraw himself from the hiring process. However, the chief continued on checking on his personnel jackets from previous employers. I believe that the coworker put it in writing to stop checking his info, since he no longer wished to be considered for a position there.
Apparently, MPD chief kept calling the people in charge of our former place of employment requesting to see the coworkers jacket. The person in charge either told him no, or did not respond to his requests.
One day, I happened to answer the phone and one the other end was one of the most arrogant and rudest crazy man I have ever spoken to. It was that chief demanding me to put him through to the person in charge. I explained that he is not available at the moment and offered to send him to voicemail. After belittling me and the place I worked at for about 5 minutes I ask him what his name is and he got all pissy and says his name in a very arrogant way (like I am supposed to know) and where he is the chief at. I must have pissed him off because I never heard of a Millville Ma at the point and said Millville? Is that in MA?
He tells me to tell the person in charge to either give him the info requested or he will personally come up to get it himself and hung up. I thought it was a prank call until the coworker filled me on the situation.

Posted by: EOD1

Yeah that sounds about right! You all should email the boston globe, the negative experiences cause they make the chief out to be wyatt earp taming the savages of metro millville, and railroaded by a corrupt bunch of city officials.

Posted by: Crvtte65

Quote:

Originally Posted by kojack1

Spell check is easily found both on the computer that you are using as well as the thread page you started this from.

Just to let you know... his post is 7 months old, and the entire thread was created on Jan 1, 2004...

Posted by: ShakeEmDOwn016

Quote:

Originally Posted by EOD1

Yeah that sounds about right! You all should email the boston globe, the negative experiences cause they make the chief out to be wyatt earp taming the savages of metro millville, and railroaded by a corrupt bunch of city officials.

I can't be bothered. This was over 3 years ago. At the time, I did however ponder over how long it would be when I would be reading about this crazy man in the papers.

Posted by: GD

FYI: Today in the newspaper The Call was a quote from people posting on Masscops. Remember, people(media) are watching what is being posted.

Posted by: Nachtwächter

3/12/2006 A life in the small town spotlight: A look back at the extraordinary highs and lows of a local law enforcement legend By: RUSS OLIVO , Staff Writer
MILLVILLE - As he sits on the grassy shoulder of Route 122 near "Dead Man's Curve," the Boy Scout with a mop-like head of hair reminiscent of Beaver Cleaver holds a pen in his outstretched hand, beseeching passersby to sign his petition drive to repair the road.
The boy is just 13 years old and the death of his best friend in a car crash at the notorious site has prompted him to gather signatures in support of his cause.

Photographed at the site of the fatal wreck for a 1975 newspaper story, the image of the politically precocious boy is a dramatic reminder of a neglected driving hazard that someone - the adults, perhaps - should have addressed a long time ago.

Even as a boy, Police Chief Timothy P. Ryan seemed destined for the spotlight.

And it never burned more uncomfortably hot than it did this week when the Board of Selectmen placed Ryan and two other police officers, including his brother, James, on administrative leave pending a still-unscheduled disciplinary hearing on charges which, so far, remain shrouded in secrecy.

Speculation about the cause of the suspension has focused on Ryan's handling of a feud among neighbors, his failure to stop employees from gossiping about local love affairs and payback for his minor role in the out-of-town arrest of Selectman Kenneth Gikas for domestic assault. Ryan's lawyers say small-town politics is driving the disciplinary action, but selectmen have shrugged off those accusations.
For Ryan, it's another spell of stormy weather in what has often been a tempestuous career.

Bolstered by his boyhood image as an unusually civic-minded child, Ryan sailed into the role of policeman at 21 years old, rising to chief fewer than four years later - the youngest-ever in Massachusetts at the time.

But, as longtime residents know, Ryan has often appeared to be struggling to hold onto his job, fending off political antagonists, internal departmental strife and irate residents.

"He always had problems," says Highway Surveyor John Dean, a longtime observer of local political affairs. "It's always been rocky."

From the beginning, Dean said, "a lot of people were against him because they just thought he was too young to be police chief."

If Ryan's public debut as the grieving pal-turned-government activist was an inspiring story when he was 13, it was just the beginning. By the time he was 17, his efforts to call attention to the snake-like ribbon of road where his friend, Peter Johnson, was killed, had earned him the coveted rank of Eagle Scout, an honor both of his brothers had earned before him.

Moved by the young Ryan's efforts, then State Rep. Richard T. Moore (now a state senator) sponsored a measure to finance long-overdue repairs to the road. In 1979, when

Gov. Edward King signed the measure into law, Ryan, clad in his Boy Scout uniform, was peering over the governor's shoulder at the Statehouse, ready to receive the ceremonial pen as a souvenir from King to mark the occasion.
Tim Ryan's star was rising fast.

AFTER graduating from Blackstone-Millville Regional High School, Ryan worked for the Polytop bottle-top factory in nearby North Smithfield, but he would soon be studying law enforcement at the Community College of Rhode Island in Lincoln.

He was appointed as a patrolman for the Millville Police Department on Dec. 20, 1983, at the age of 21. Marking the occasion, former Selectman John McNamara hailed Ryan's "visibility and activity" in the community, saying he "enjoys a fine reputation and tremendous respect among area police departments."

He was the kind of person the town fathers could rally behind when, less than four years later, they were looking for another police chief with a well-groomed image. After all, it had been quite embarrassing to learn that the longtime head of the department, former Chief Philip M. Walsh, had been driving around for the last 15 years without a license - nine of them as the town's police chief.

At the age of 25, Ryan was sworn in as chief of the department on July 6, 1987. He was the youngest police chief ever appointed in Massachusetts at the time, according to the Massachusetts Association of Chiefs of Police.

But there were already signs of trouble.

Sgt. Homer Marchand, who outranked Ryan and who had served the department longer, appeared to be next in the line of succession to the chief's post. When Ryan leapfrogged over him, Marchand promptly resigned.

In 1990, the tremors of unrest within the department had begun to rattle in the political arena. Up for a three-year renewal of his appointment, the selectmen split on the issue, 2-1. The dissenting member, Elizabeth Bowen, accused Ryan, among other things, of "a lack of maturity" and a "misuse of his authority."

With Bowen's son facing drug charges the department had helped bring, she herself seemed vulnerable to an appearance of bias. But her remarks would soon come back to haunt Ryan.

IF BOWEN'S opinion could be dismissed for its lack of objectivity, the selectmen would soon go on a shopping spree for one that wasn't quite so easy to ignore. They found it in Charles D. Hale, a law enforcement consultant for the Massachusetts Municipal Association. The town hired the firm to examine the problems simmering within the police department.

Hale's report later that year sent shock waves through the police department. While the consultant faulted the chief for such housekeeping foibles as failing to properly maintain police cruisers and poor communications skills, the most damning conclusions of all were summed up in a few razor-edged phrases which cut directly into the chief.

Ryan, Hale concluded, "was not prepared by either training or experience to accept the responsibilities of the position when he was appointed to it." The report lacerated Ryan's management style, observing that he was "quick to criticize but rarely compliments an officer for a job well done." The best he could say about Ryan was that he "freely admits some of his failings" and seemed "sincerely interested" in correcting them.

It was while Ryan was under a 90-day order to implement the recommendations of the report that Ryan endured the Board of Selectmen's first of two efforts to sanction him as chief. In May 1991, Ryan was suspended without pay briefly for using profanity to berate another member of the department while, in plain view of children and other passersby, the officer had been working a road detail.

Though Ryan survived the political onslaught, the lesson of his scrape with the vagaries of public life apparently left an impression on him. Soon, the scion of a politically-connected family would use his clout and popularity to obtain a measure of insulation against small-town politics.

In January 1993, Gov. William Weld signed into a law a measure granting Ryan tenure, a type of job security akin to civil service, but not as strong. Despite 4-1 opposition by the Board of Selectmen, former Rep. Moore and former

Sen. Louis Bertonazzi introduced the measure in the legislature after the move was approved by townspeople on the warrant of a town meeting.

WHILE the local myth is that Ryan cannot be fired, the protections of the tenure bill are hardly so sweeping, according to town counsel David Jenkins, a lawyer hired by the selectmen to handle the disciplinary procedures against the suspended policemen. Though the intent of the bill was to make Ryan chief for an unlimited period of time, it also provides for his removal for "just cause."

In March 1997, Ryan came under criticism when a 70-foot tree fell on a school bus and no public safety vehicle was dispatched to the scene. Jimmy Berard, the police dispatcher, fielded a report of the incident at headquarters, where he and Ryan were the only two people in the station at the time.

The episode still leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, says Berard, who attributes friction with the chief arising from the incident as the cause of him quitting. When Berard took the tree report, Ryan, he said, was busy booking a prisoner on a domestic assault charge. The information came in on an emergency line, and when he relayed it to Ryan, the chief answered, "Okay, I'm going."

But he never did, said Berard, who suggests that the chief could have easily secured the prisoner temporarily to leave the station.

Berard, who maintains he did his job correctly, says he ended up taking the blame and losing his footing on the path toward a law enforcement career. Ryan, he said, removed him from the work schedule, forcing him to seek other work while he cared for his parents, both of whom were disabled. Today, Berard, 39, is a loss prevention officer for Best Buy in Framingham.

Berard says Ryan is often perceived as a "kind" and "generous" person, but the bus episode laid bare a pattern of workplace behavior that he maintains is behind the department's high turnover and internal strife. The chief, he said, "has a dark side where he doesn't want to fail or look poorly in the eyes of other people."

"He really hung me out to dry," said Berard. "I had to walk with my head hanging down but looking back on it I did nothing wrong. It really did derail my career. I wanted to go into law enforcement and he's the one that could have made that happen. He basically threw me away because he didn't want to take accountability."

Echoes of Berard's criticism reverberate on Masspolice.com, a chat room for cops, some of whom say they have worked for the department. Dozens of comments about the Millville police department appear on the Web site, many of them unflattering slings about the work environment, if not about the chief himself.

"The man is an unreasonable person that no one on the planet could possible (sic) get along with," says one contributor. "The town has gone through more cops than any town in Mass."

Yet there are many people in town who see Ryan as a loyal, hard-working police officer who has done much to raise the department's professional profile.

"I've known him since he was a kid," said John Molony, a former selectman and on-call policeman who now lives in Pennsylvania. "I remember him as the young man who was the first professional police officer the town has ever had.

The guy could have gone a lot of places and done a lot of things, but he stayed and worked for relatively low wages in the town of Millville."

Molony said he was "outraged" by the Board of Selectman's treatment of the chief, calling it "almost un-American" to suspend him before laying out a bill of particular charges.
Efforts to reach Ryan for comment on this story yielded nothing but busy signals on his home telephone.

In June 2000, Ryan was suspended yet again by the Board of Selectmen, this time for three days without pay. The incident in question involved a man who had collapsed in his yard, and later died after it took more than 20 minutes for help to arrive.

POLICE learned of the incident from another man who walked into the station to report the information, including apparently erroneous details about the victim's location.

As police and rescue vehicles wasted precious minutes searching for him, the man who initially reported the incident was allowed to leave the station and subsequently became unavailable for further questioning.

While no formal charges have yet been lodged against Ryan or the other police officers suspended last Tuesday, the latest suspension could be the most disruptive of his career. No one is predicting how it will turn out, but

Selectman Chairwoman Diane O. McCutcheon said last week that she didn't expect disciplinary hearings to begin for at least three to four weeks.

Jenkins, the town counsel, told reporters he wasn't expecting them to take place for two or three months.

Ryan may still be the chief, at least technically. But with the state police in charge of the station for the foreseeable future, it will be the first time in many years that the Millville Police Department will feel, at least, like Ryan is no longer the town's top cop.

Posted by: jyanis

Hey....what goes around comes around. Time for the screwer to be the screwee!! Time to reap what you sow.

Posted by: B Corero

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyanis

Hey....what goes around comes around. Time for the screwer to be the screwee!! Time to reap what you sow.

Is this the Quinsig Security Gaurd making comments?

Posted by: jyanis

Quote:

Originally Posted by B Corero

Is this the Quinsig Security Gaurd making comments?

wow, is that all you have? I am a police officer and have a full time academy and worked for a major city police department in another state. I am willing to bet I have about 10x the arrests you have. But, what ever make you feel big. You must be one of the three who were suspended, huh?

Posted by: mpd61

Quote:

Originally Posted by B Corero

Is this the Quinsig Security Gaurd making comments?

Yeah, that comment seems relevant to the issue of the Millville Chief. Where do you work at skippy?

Posted by: SPINMASS

Quote:

Quinsig Security Gaurd

Last time I checked Quinsig was police. Don't judge someone by where they work.

Posted by: USMCMP5811

Police chief, officers still in the dark
RUSS OLIVO, Staff Writer
03/21/2006

MILLVILLE -- The nature of the charges facing suspended Police Chief Timothy P. Ryan and two other officers sidelined by the Board of Selectmen on March 7 won’t be a mystery much longer -- at least to the officers involved.

Speaking during a meeting at the Longfellow Municipal Center last night, Selectman Chairman Diane O. McCutcheon said the officers will be informed of the charges for the first time by Friday.

"They will be notified according to the process we have to follow," she said. "They will be notified this week."

The police chief for 19 years, Ryan, his brother, Sgt. James Ryan, and Patrolman Gerald Millette were suspended pending a still-unscheduled disciplinary hearing on four complaints dating back to September. Chief Ryan and Millette were suspended with pay, while Sgt. Ryan, an on-call officer who is paid by shift assignment, was removed from the schedule until the matter is resolved.

McCutcheon’s remarks came in response to a grilling from Mary Ryan, the mother of the Ryan brothers, during the board’s first regular meeting since the officers were sidelined. Introducing herself as "the proud mother of Chief Ryan and Sgt. Ryan," she begged the selectmen to clear up the rumors swirling around town about the reasons the officers were suspended.

"There’s so many rumors and innuendoes around town you’d think it’s Jesse James," she said.

If the selectmen made anything clear, however, it was that the chief’s handling of a feud among neighbors in the Afonso Estates section is not, contrary to much public speculation, the grounds for his suspension -- or at least not the only one. Selectman Paul Savage blasted lawyer John "Jack" Collins Jr. of the Massachusetts Association of Chiefs of Police for fueling the idea the day Ryan was suspended.

Collins accused the selectmen of meddling in the police department’s investigation of a vandalism complaint that grew out of the politically charged feud. One of the parties involved in the dispute pressed the complaint against the other after finding his home and car strewn with food debris last summer.

Savage said Collins, a onetime legal counsel for the town, didn’t know what he was talking about.

"We fired Jack Collins. He shouldn’t even be talking," said Savage. "Everybody reads Jack Collins’ comments and he’s way off base."

Still, some of the central parties involved in the Hatfield-and-McCoy-like feud were among some two dozen spectators who attended last night’s meeting. Unlike Mrs. Ryan, however, none spoke on the subject of the suspensions that have wracked the town’s tiny police department, now under the temporary control of the state police.

Phillip Tympanick and his wife, Stephanie, sat in the front row of the selectmen’s chambers and glared silently at the board.

However, when McCutcheon introduced State Trooper Lt. Sean Baxter as the new acting chief of the department, the overwhelming majority of the spectators gave Baxter a hearty round of applause. A woman who did not give her name said most of the residents in Afonso Estates did not take the Tympanicks’ side in the neighbor dispute.

McCutcheon invited Baxter to speak to the spectators, but he quickly bowed out of the spotlight, saying, "I have nothing to say at this time."

The Tympanicks, along with neighbor Mark Rolleri, were responsible for filing criminal charges against a third neighbor, Gregory Hurley, last summer, when the Rolleris’ home was splattered with rotting food. Also, a pink flamingo was allegedly stolen from the Tympanicks’ yard and placed under the tire of a car in the Rolleris’ yard, according to a lawyer who represents the alleged victims, Bob Laren.

The police department’s case on the criminal charges, including larceny, trespassing and vandalism, is pending in Uxbridge District Court. Hurley and his wife, Lisa, who is also charged with trespassing, maintain they have done nothing wrong.

The police began investigating the charges shortly before the Board of Health lost another non-criminal case involving some of the same parties in Housing Court last year -- over a pile of grass clippings. Hurley, who has an easement to cross the Rolleris’ and the Tympanicks’ Suzette Circle properties to reach his home, argued that the grass clippings were a malodorous nuisance, but the Housing Court disagreed and chastised the Board of Health for taking sides in the dispute.

Last night, Mary Ryan questioned selectmen about the legal costs of the "grass clippings" case. Executive Secretary Helen Coffin noted that she had already turned over the town’s legal bills to her last January. Coffin said she could give Ryan additional copies of the same bills, but they still wouldn’t answer her question because the case hasn’t been broken out as a separate expense.

Posted by: RPD931

If the crowd gave a "hearty round of applause" for MSP Lt. Baxter, then there are some OBVIOUS issues in with the Chief.

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by RPD931

If the crowd gave a "hearty round of applause" for MSP Lt. Baxter, then there are some OBVIOUS issues in with the Chief.

theres 8 pages of comments. and none of them really paint a positive image of the Chief.

Posted by: EOD1

03/25/2006
21 charges filed against Chief Ryan
RUSS OLIVO , Staff Writer
MILLVILLE -- A lawyer for suspended Police Chief Timothy P. Ryan said he was notified Friday that his client is facing 21 administrative charges that are so "flimsy" and "ridiculous" that he laughed out loud when he started reading them.
Andrew Gambaccini of Worcester said the charges revolve around four areas, including Ryan’s intervention in a neighborhood feud, leaking confidential information about a child welfare case, working extra-duty details and his alleged failure to adopt written codes of conduct for employees.

http://[img]http://oascentral.zw...Topx[/img] http://[img]http://media.nyadmcn...IF=Y[/img] http://[img]http://bannerads.zwi...8546[/img] The Board of Selectmen, which brought the charges, has scheduled a hearing on the evidence for April 20 in the Municipal Center. The board has already informed Ryan that he could be fired at the conclusion of the hearing, Gambaccini said. Any decision could be appealed to Superior Court.

After evaluating the charges, Gambaccini said he would call for a public hearing "to let the citizens of Millville hear what the board is trying to do to this chief."

"There is nothing here that remotely approaches justifying the draconian actions that the board has already taken," he said. "This is a board that is not concerned with substance. This is a board that is only concerned with what can be called a political vendetta to get rid of the chief, and that concerns me."

The chief for 19 years, Ryan, his brother, Sgt. James Ryan, and Patrolman Gerald Millette were suspended by the Board of Selectmen on March 7 following a investigation by the Boston law firm Kopelman & Paige. The state police have taken control of the nine-member police force, providing supervisory personnel and supplementary patrols until the situation is resolved.

While officials associated with the probe had said earlier this week that Sgt. Ryan and Millette were also to be notified of the charges against them for the first time Friday, they now say the two officers will learn of them next week.

David Jenkins, a lawyer from Kopelman & Paige who is in charge of the probe, faxed a copy of the charges facing Chief Ryan to Gambaccini at his office late yesterday afternoon. Gambaccini then discussed the charges with Ryan on the telephone.

Selectmen Chairman Diane O. McCutcheon said a copy of the charges for Chief Ryan is waiting for him in the form of certified mail at the Millville Post Office. The post office is expected to notify Ryan today that the package is available.

McCutcheon said she wasn’t surprised by Gambaccini’s characterization of the charges.

"He seems to think these are minor things," said McCutcheon. "I would expect him to say that. Obviously the board didn’t see them as minor issues."

McCutcheon said the merits of the charges would become apparent during the course of the hearing.

Of the 21 charges, Gambaccini said, six involve Ryan’s handling of a long-running, politically charged feud among neighbors in tony Afonso Estates, near the North Smithfield line. Last summer, two of the families involved in the dispute brought criminal complaints against another, triggering a police investigation and formal charges of larceny, vandalism and trespassing in Uxbridge District Court.

But Gambaccini said there was nothing flawed or improper about the chief’s involvement in the case. He portrayed Ryan’s actions as those of "a small-town chief trying to peacefully settle a dispute between neighbors. I see nothing wrong with that."

Among the most egregious accusations leveled against Ryan, perhaps, is that he neglected his responsibility to enact written rules and regulations regarding the conduct of police officers for the department. But Gambaccini said that under state law, Ryan’s duties are spelled out in what is known as the "strong chief statute," giving him the power -- but not the obligation -- to adopt such a code.

The department has long been governed by a set of policies and procedures -- and there is nothing wrong with that, he said. Moreover, Ryan drafted a proposed set of rules and regulations earlier this month, and selectmen are considering whether to adopt them.

"It’s not uncommon for small departments in the commonwealth to operate without a set of written rules and regulations," said Gambaccini. "Is it a good idea to have them? Probably. Is it a sin worthy of termination for a department not to have them? I don’t think so."

One of the allegations that made Gambaccini chuckle was that Ryan has improperly worked paid details during his tenure as chief in violation of the state’s conflict of interest laws. It is incomprehensible that selectmen could have been unaware that Ryan has helped, from time to time, cover outside assignments like road details during his 19 years as chief, and for officials to lodge such charges at this stage of his career is disingenuous, he said.

Ryan is also accused of improperly leaking confidential details about a state Department of Social Services case. Gambaccini said Ryan had been publicly accused of passing the information to journalists -- which might be improper, if it were true. But the actual charge is that the only beneficiaries were other police, who have a legitimate investigative role in such matters.

With what he claims is so little meat to the charges, Gambaccini said he is leery of airing them before a board he suspects of inherent bias, but he feels he has no choice. Gambaccini said the charges could lawfully be heard before a neutral third-party arbitrator, but only with the consent of selectmen.

Gambaccini said he will ask the selectmen to appoint an arbitrator, but he doubts they will permit it. And, as of last night, at any rate, he was right: McCutcheon said there are no plans for a change of adjudication venue.

If the hearing at the Municipal Center will play out like a trial, then Jenkins will play the role of prosecutor.

While Jenkins declined to discuss the substance of the charges, he predicted the hearing could last "five or six days" and include the testimony of nearly a dozen witnesses. Blackstone lawyer Robert Laren, much quoted of late on the subject of the Afonso Estates dispute, will be one of them, according to Jenkins, who declined to elaborate.

"There will be witnesses and exhibits produced, documents will be given to the board, transcripts introduced," said Jenkins. "It will be like a trial."

Chief Ryan, meanwhile, said he was "just hanging around" waiting for news of the charges most of the day. Around the time Gambaccini received the information, however, Ryan’s phone was busy, and later, only the answering machine picked up.

His brother, Sgt. Ryan, seemed crestfallen that he and Millette will have to wait another week to learn of the charges they are facing.

"It’s frustrating," said Ryan, a 25-year veteran of the nine-member police department. "My lawyer hasn’t heard a thing."

Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

Quote:

Originally Posted by DODK911

The main reson is the pay is low, but also the town is only 1 square mile with a population of 3000 people. So not much action as you can see.

Ok understandable,

But can anyone tell me were the F&^K is Millville????

Posted by: USMCMP5811

It is boarderd by Blackstone, Uxbridge, and Rhoad Island

Posted by: RPD931

Quote:

After evaluating the charges, Gambaccini said he would call for a public hearing "to let the citizens of Millville hear what the board is trying to do to this chief."

Well, after the "Hearty applaud" for MSP Lt. Baxter, I don't see how the "Chief" will get much backing from the citizens of Millville. Obviously there's more than just 1 or 2 people that want him "out".

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by USMCMP5811

It is boarderd by Blackstone, Uxbridge, and Rhoad Island

and mendon. Millville is zip code 01529

Posted by: RPD931

4.92 square miles of action...wow

Posted by: sylvester

never heard of the town ... is it near Green Acres or Mayberry........?

Posted by: SPINMASS

Its the place to be.

Posted by: DODK911

RPD where did you get 4.9 sq miles? The towns only 1 sq mile. with a population of just over or under 2000. Its a great place

Posted by: sempergumby

Quote:

Originally Posted by DODK911

RPD where did you get 4.9 sq miles? The towns only 1 sq mile. with a population of just over or under 2000. Its a great place

YA, A great place for inbreeding and serious mental deficiencies.

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by DODK911

RPD where did you get 4.9 sq miles? The towns only 1 sq mile. with a population of just over or under 2000. Its a great place

really? It has to be bigger than that?

Posted by: MSP75

Are the patrols conducted from a watchtower on the top of the PD station?

Posted by: j809

It is 4.9 sq miles, here is the link
TOWN OF MILLVILLE PROFILE

Posted by: EOD1

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSP75

Are the patrols conducted from a watchtower on the top of the PD station?

Since the police station is the size of 2 elementry school classrooms and half of it is a garage/sallyport... i doubt it!

Posted by: RPD931

Quote:

Originally Posted by j809

It is 4.9 sq miles, here is the link
TOWN OF MILLVILLE PROFILE

Thanks j809! I found it hard to believe that a 1 sq. mile town of 2500 would employ 10 Full time officers.

Posted by: PATS246

Whats It Say For A Department Of About 6 Full Time Officers That There Is A Constant Job Posting For A Full Time Officer, For About The Last Six Years. Something Going On There That People Dont Want To Work There. I Heard That People Were Being Black Balled Left And Right That Wanted To Leave And Go To Another Department.

Sounds Like It Is The Town Trying To Get Rid Of A Problem They Have Avoided For A Long Time. Its Not 1954 Anymore, Time To Get Rid Of Problems And Liabilities, Looks Like They Finally Did.

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