By Dalia Diaz
Enough has been said about the Chief of Police Roy Vasque’s car. While an accident is something we fear because it can happen to anyone on the road, the secrecy in this case is what many residents question.
After William Green posted several videos on Facebook The Eagle-Tribune investigated and discovered that there has been a cover up for a month. Police officers have said that whenever anyone asked the Chief if the video content was true he would asnwer, “look at my car, not a scratch.”
The accident happened on September 28th and soon a replacement car was ordered for the Chief. For one month, Chief Vasque and Mayor Dan Rivera refused to discuss it and even denied it happened, in violation to the rules guiding the use of vehicles in the Lawrence Police Manual. The following rules are meant for police officers in the department. Perhaps they don’t apply the same way to the Police Chief?
Rules and Regulations of the Police Department Manual
5.3 Reporting Accidents or Damage
5.3.1 Members who are involved in an accident with a Department vehicle, or when a vehicle is disabled and has been damaged, shall not move the vehicle except in an emergency.
5.3.2 Members shall immediately report to the Officer in charge any accident or damage to a Department vehicle assigned to them in accordance with Department procedures.
5.3.3 The Patrol Supervisor shall immediately go to the scene and make an investigation and report all particulars to the Chief forthwith.
5.3.4 The member(s) involved shall promptly submit a written report in accordance with Department procedures.
5.3.5 In the event that a Department vehicle is found bearing evidence of damage which has not been reported, the last person using the vehicle may be charged with failure to report same and may be held responsible for damages.
Questions that should have been asked
This was found on Christian Szell’s Facebook page and describes the negligence of the Reading Police Department as well as Lawrence’s. These are some questions that should have been asked at the time of the accident by the police authorities.
- Who was the Officer in charge on duty at the Lawrence Police Department the night of the accident?
- Why didn’t they respond to the scene to initiate an investigation along with the Reading PD.?
- A department vehicle was totaled why are we only seeing someone’s FB photos of this and not photos that were taken by investigators at the scene.
- Who was the tow company that towed the vehicle and was it placed indoors like any other police or civilian vehicle involved in an incident under investigation.
- An accident causing that type of damage and air bag deployment would initiate transport to a hospital based on mechanism alone. Was a refusal signed against AMA with Reading fire to possibly avoid being seen in the ER?
- A high ranking well known police Chief was involved in an accident involving serious damage to his vehicle and damage to city property what were the observations of the Reading PD’s ranking officers and did they generate anything other than a standard accident report.
- Why wasn’t the Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit called to the scene.
- And finally cell phone records: Were texts being sent just prior to the accident?
