TURNERS FALLS — The district attorney has suspended the Montague Police Department from participating in a regional anti-crime task force and a pharmaceuticals drop-off program pending the outcome of an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office.
While it’s unclear precisely what the AG is investigating, it appears related to the handling of unwanted medicine deposited in the secure drop-off box in the Montague Police Station lobby, according to public records obtained by The Recorder.
Emails and memos between the police chief, other town officials and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, which oversees the medication drop-box program, show ongoing concerns by the DA about the Police Department’s involvement in the community drug drop-off program and the regional police task force that spends much of its time on drug-related investigations.
District Attorney David E. Sullivan wrote to Montague Police Chief Charles “Chip” Dodge on July 8 informing him of the suspension of the department from the DA’s drug drop-box service — a decision he linked to an open AG investigation and attributed to alleged improper handling of the drugs deposited in the box.
“The recommended protocols regarding the safe collection and securing of medications, by both an evidence officer and chief or appointed officer, do not appear to have been adhered to by you and your department,” Sullivan wrote. “Furthermore, to protect the confidentiality of all citizens who dropped off these medications, the medication bottles were never to be directly inspected by any member of the police department.”
In what way, exactly, the DA’s preferred protocols may have been breached or who may have handled the medication is not clear in the letter, and both the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office and town officials have repeatedly declined requests from The Recorder to clarify the matter.
The DA’s Office referred requests for more information to the AG’s office, which declined to comment or even to confirm or deny an investigation was ongoing.
Problems for the department came to light, briefly and dimly, earlier this summer when Dodge was placed on administrative leave by the town’s Selectboard on June 23, following a visit to Montague by AG representatives earlier that day.
The suspension was followed by a June 27 meeting of the selectmen and the chief in a closed-door session, based on a state open meeting law exemption for discussing the “reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual.”
Following that meeting, Dodge was placed back on duty, with full-throated backing of selectmen, who said in a formal statement that “the chief has the full support of the board,” and that it was “confident in his abilities.”
At the time and since, the selectmen, Dodge and the AG’s office have declined to discuss what was behind the visit, the four-day suspension or the closed-door meeting.
But on June 28 — the day after the chief’s paid leave was lifted — he wrote an email to the selectmen noting that the department had drafted a new Med Box policy, which was expected to take effect “very soon.”
That protocol, according to a copy provided to The Recorder through the state’s public records law, is designed to “ensure the integrity of the process” of collecting and disposing of unwanted drugs from the community. Selectmen’s Chairman Richard Kuklewicz said he doesn’t believe that there was any “real clear” protocol in place until the chief came up with one after June 27.
In another email on June 28 to the selectmen, Dodge also notes that locks on the doors to the chief’s office, the evidence room and the detective’s office were being changed. The reason for the change was not detailed in the email, but Dodge told The Recorder they were upgrades for the general security of important locations in the department.
Nonetheless, on July 8, District Attorney David Sullivan wrote Dodge to say he was suspending indefinitely Montague’s participation in the regional Medication Dropbox Program, which provides a way for people to dispose of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications and to prevent them from being stolen, sold or abused.
“This action has been taken as the result of an open investigation of the Montague Police Department by the Massachusetts Attorney General Office. The suspension is effective immediately,” Sullivan explained in his letter.
Dodge told The Recorder that he couldn’t comment on the existence of any investigation, but said the new policy implemented in late June was designed to improve security and to protect the department’s staff and members of the community.
“We’ve drafted a much better, much more secure policy than has ever existed,” he said. “In fact, it exceeds compliance of the guideline policies. It’s designed to protect us and to make sure we’re doing things correctly.”
In his letter, Sullivan said he would “strongly advise your Town Administrator and police department to remove or shut down your medication dropbox until the integrity of collection, safeguarding and proper disposal of medications is clearly established. After the AGO investigation is closed, (DA staffer) Chris Geffin will reach out to the Town Administrator to discuss the town’s future collection of unwanted medications.”
In a memo from Dodge to Kuklewicz written shortly before Sullivan’s letter arrived, the chief notified his boss that he had been alerted by Geffin about the DA’s decision.
“She stated that she is only the messenger and she did not know how long the box would be closed for,” he wrote to Kuklewicz. “I advised her that I no longer have anything to do with the box, and she stated that they would still like it closed as a precaution for now.”
In this email, Dodge also reported that the department’s narcotics officer told him “that we are also being temporarily suspended from the DA Anti-Crime Task Force that I signed our agency up for. This too is not permanent and it is unknown how long this will last.”
In that email, Dodge expressed surprise at the situation and describes both moves as “a kick to the teeth.”
He wrote that he was unsure why the “entire agency is being considered suspect right now” — a reference to the Task Force decision — and that he “hopes that whatever the reasons are would pass (us) by quickly.”
He added, “for the time being and to prevent false rumors from spreading, I have placed an Out of Order sign on our Med Box. I directed all residents who wish to dispose of medications to go to either Greenfield or Erving PD’s. I do not plan to advertise these unfortunate occurrences to prevent any false and negative comments from circulating.”
He wrapped up his report by saying, “I am very upset that this is occurring. We are one of the best and top agencies in the area, and we will continue to maintain this level of respect and service from those we serve. I can only assume the information has now reached (our) local DA office and they are taking these actions as a precaution. I don’t know why (the narcotics officer) would have to stop working with the DA’s Office; however, maybe they consider our entire agency a suspect at this point. I don’t know. The good news is now (the narcotics officer) will focus 100% of his time on our town only.”
Sullivan’s July 8 letter noted that a final pickup from the Montague drop-off box was arranged for July 11, and members of the Massachusetts State Police attached to his office performed that pick-up.
Clarification of the exact nature of Dodge’s involvement with the box was not included in the records, but he told The Recorder in a later interview that his department relies on designated evidence officers to handle materials including the box’s contents, and that he is not usually involved in those operations.
He told The Recorder that no department employees have been disciplined in connection with the allegations.
“There’s been no wrongdoing proven at this point, and we’ve adopted that policy to take away any question and quell any rumors,” he said.
Kuklewicz said he thought concerns about “lapses in protocol” for handling the drop box, not theft, prompted the DA’s action. He declined to elaborate. He said he didn’t know how the matter came to the AG’s attention.
The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office referred all questions regarding the Montague Police Department to the Attorney General’s Office.
Emily Snyder, an AG spokeswoman, declined to confirm or deny that an investigation is ongoing, citing the office’s policy.