Officer quits over stripper incident

Arranged meeting while on duty

Jonathan Saltzman

Globe Staff

July 21, 2010

Paul J. Shastany, who on April 5 became chief of a force that has been battered for years by scandals and corruption charges, said Officer Richard P. Bennett submitted a one-paragraph resignation letter June 30 and left the department.

Shastany said he was proud of his officers, not embarrassed. Bennett’s colleagues reported the officer’s actions, prompting dual internal affairs investigations, said Shastany, who worked in the Framingham and Natick police departments for 34 years and has vowed to restore Stoughton’s reputation.

“This is a classic example of the organization policing itself,’’ he said. “This surgically quick removal was a very beneficial thing for the organization.’’

Bennett, 28, of Fall River, could not be reached for comment.

The officer, who has been on the force about two years and who received a commendation last month for helping to secure the scene of a homicide, committed two serious forms of misconduct, Shastany said.

He deserted his patrol area during a shift in mid-June and drove to Club Alex’s in Stoughton, Shastany said. He spoke to a manager at the club and arranged to have a 3-foot-9 porn actress and stripper, known as Bridget “The Midget’’ Powers, meet him in the parking lot so he could be photographed with her while in uniform.

“This brings discredit and shame on an organization,’’ said Shastany, 55. If people in the community saw Bennett posing with the stripper, he said, “what’s the takeaway? Is that something where people say, ‘Oh, that’s awesome, look at the community policing?’ I am frankly livid that that’s something an officer thinks he could get away with.’’

In a phone call to Club Alex’s yesterday, a man who identified himself as the manager declined to comment on the incident, saying, “We’re not involved with the politics of the Stoughton PD.’’

In a separate case last month, Bennett was spotted by other officers with a laser-sighting device on his .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic service pistol, Shastany said. The officers reported it to the department’s armorer, who told the internal affairs investigator. But when the investigator confronted Bennett, Shastany said, the officer initially denied doctoring his pistol before admitting he had lied.

Shastany said that the department’s 48 officers are forbidden to modify their weapons without permission and that he was unaware of any officer who has received approval to add a laser-sighting device. But just as egregious as the modification, said Shastany, was Bennett’s lie.

“We bring ourselves to court to testify and, potentially, take liberty and freedom from some people,’’ said Shastany. “An officer that’s not truthful is basically unable to perform his duties. He can’t testify. He’s of no use to me.’’

The Stoughton Police Department has been in upheaval for years.

Former chief Manuel J. Cachopa was found guilty by a Norfolk County jury in 2009 of being an accessory to attempted extortion. The charge stemmed from allegations that he tried to hinder an investigation into whether a subordinate, Sergeant David M. Cohen, abused his authority while attempting to collect a debt from a local businessman.

Cohen was fired in August 2007 after being convicted of four counts of public corruption for his role in the alleged extortion scheme. He spent two years in jail, but was freed last October as a result of an appellate court decision and is awaiting a new trial.

In addition, three Stoughton officers were accused by federal authorities of participating in a scheme to obtain four high-definition televisions and other merchandise that they believed was stolen from a convicted criminal, who was secretly wearing an FBI wire. One of the officers — retired detective Anthony Bickerton, a former School Committee member — was recently sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

Shastany said that in recent years the department has paid dearly for failing to scrutinize job applicants to make sure they “possess the core character attributes’’ of honesty, integrity, and a desire to serve the community. He said he plans to rigorously screen job candidates, train supervisors to nurture younger officers, and seek accreditation of the department from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

LINK TO  PHOTO OF PORN STAR

http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100720stoughton_cop_quits_after_strip_club_visit_with_smallest_porn_star/srvc=home&position=2