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Commission joins Bossi under fire

Both the Rutland Police Commission's oversight of the Police Department and the chief of police came under criticism Tuesday in the wake of a Board of Aldermen meeting with the commissioners on Monday.

But Commission Chairman Robert Ebbinghausen, who on Monday defended Police Chief Anthony Bossi in response to aldermanic criticisms about leadership in the department, said Tuesday that the commission had listened to what the aldermen had to say and would be "making a decision shortly."

Since details of a criminal investigation of suspected child pornography first became public in early February, the five-member commission has found itself at the center of a controversy focused on Bossi.

Some aldermen and many members of the public have criticized the chief for keeping the investigation, which started in August 2009, a secret from the commission and other city officials until a sealed search warrant detailing the investigation was made public last month.

Questions have also been raised about the lack of preventative action taken after a prior incident of suspected child pornography in 2004. The pornography in that case was reviewed by outside authorities and deemed not to involve children.

On Tuesday, a former city alderman who is arguably the person most responsible for the commission's creation, offered the harshest criticism yet of the commissioners and the chief.

Former alderman Art Crowley said he recommended the creation of a police commission in 1988, to deal with a constant stream of troubles in the department which at that time was run by Chief Paul Benson.

After the commission formed and before the year ended, Crowley recalled that Benson resigned rather than face imminent firing by the commission. With the crisis over, the aldermen were able to tend to other business while the police commission kept a close watch on the Police Department which Crowley said ran smoothly for years.

The former alderman said he still believes in the commission, which he sees as the perfect tool for running the department.

But in a harsh indictment of the commission's members, Crowley said Tuesday he didn't have confidence in the present commission or the police chief.

"It appears the problem goes beyond what's on the computer screens," Crowley said referring to the pornography discovered in the department. "The department needs an overhaul. Every member of the commission should resign and let the mayor and aldermen decide who should be reappointed and who should be replaced. Then the police chief should resign and let the commission appoint a new chief."

While critical of the commissioners, Crowley made it clear that the commission itself should remain intact.

"Don't get rid of the commission," he said. "It's a valuable entity that has worked for years."

Alderwoman Sharon Davis, who on Monday consulted a copy of the city police manual during the meeting, to cite duties to report that she said the chief failed to carry out after learning about the child pornography investigation, said Tuesday that the city needs a new police chief.

"I think the commission needs to revisit the contract and look at the manual," she said. "There are violations of oath and policy here and I have a strong concern that Chief Bossi does not hold, at this point, the public trust."

The contract Davis referred to is Bossi's five-year contract with the city which isn't due to expire until July 2013.

However, the contract allows for the commission to remove the chief by a unanimous vote of its members "for any reason or no reason," according to the contract. However, if the chief is removed before the end of his contract, he is entitled to a six-month lump sum in severance pay in addition to any other compensation or benefits he may have accrued over time, according to the agreement.

Ebbinghausen, who on Monday said the commission had found no reason to replace Bossi, said Tuesday the commission's review of the chief wasn't over.

Ebbinghausen declined to talk about the specifics of the commission's remaining work on the matter, but he said he was trying to organize another commission meeting on Friday to discuss "police issues." That meeting, which has yet to be warned, would take place only four days before the commission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss department policy.

brent.curtis@rutlandherald.com