The mayor with no integrity
By Dalia Díaz
Let’s reminisce about the Methuen elections in 2019 when everywhere you went you saw the face of candidate Neil Perry. He practiced his Spanish with anyone he could and went to every radio show in Spanish.
Wherever he was holding signs, most of the people in the crowd were Latinos, he was our friend, and his followers loved him. He often used the word “integrity” as his most important quality. Oh, how we wished he was running in Lawrence, instead.
From his inauguration, it was not easy for him. He didn’t have support from the City Council members and shortly after winning his election, Mayor Perry assigned Mr. Lussier (former Mayor Sharon Pollard’s husband) as his director of strategic initiatives with a salary of $80,419.
Mr. Lussier was under investigation by the Ethics Commission for using his employer’s credit card (the National Council on Teacher Retirement) for personal expenses. His wife, the mayor was also being investigated for other reasons but Mayor Perry said he has known Lussier for such a long time that he trusted him.
The council drastically cut Lussier’s payout of the city budget and forced Mr. Lussier to leave. The same method was used recently to force the Mayor’s chief of staff, Jana DiNatale out of the office by decreasing her pay. To keep her, Mayor Perry made some drastic cuts to other members of his staff and she is still working for him.
It was a moment to rejoice for me seeing that the city council wanted to keep the mayor honest by taking such measures. We had never seen anything like that in Lawrence. The council treats the mayors as gods (except for William Lantigua) and lets them get away with anything. The word “integrity” came to my mind again.
I said he didn’t have it easy because Perry had to face the COVID-19 pandemic and another scandal with the Police Chief Joseph Solomon. The chief retired but the case is still in court. As we all know, Chief Solomon was under strong scrutiny due to the alteration of a Superiors Officer’s contract that would allow him and his subordinates to become the highest paying law enforcement officials in the country. All at the expense of Methuen residents, taxpayers’ expense and yes, the Methuen City Councils voted on that contract.
As a result a Methuen Police Department (MPD) Performance Audit was conducted as well as an Office of the Inspector General (IG) conducted an investigation finding many, but many discrepancies within the police department. The audit cited numerous inconsistencies including that “the processes for hiring, assignment, promotion, and discipline were all identified as lacking objectivity and transparency. The hiring process was considered manipulated to secure advantage for hiring and promoting ‘friends and family,’ while little time was spent trying to increase diversity in the ranks.”
We should note that MPD has few Hispanic or Latino officers and no bilingual dispatchers in an agency serving a community that is approximately 30 percent Hispanic or Latino. The report further cited that, “The demographics of MPD are not representative of the demographics of the City of Methuen” and that “This lack of racial and ethnic diversity has negatively affected various facets of the department.”
There are rumors that Mayor Perry alerted former Chief Solomon of what was coming, that the report didn’t look good and allow him to announce his retirement before he could be placed in administrative leave, which would have stopped him from being eligible for retirement.
Time to get a new Chief
The responsibility of picking Solomon’s replacement falls on the mayor among the candidates chosen by a committee selected by him.
When the position was advertised, candidates came from all over the country. I was hoping for someone who could be a link with the growing Spanish-speaking community of Methuen. I later found out that there was one from Texas and from our area were Lawrence Police Captain Maurice Aguiler and Deputy Sheriff William Castro – two great examples with years of service, experience and education. Also from Lawrence, Captain Scott McNamara but as the interviews progressed, people started asking, “What is going on with Mayor Neil Perry. The Mayor is letting several particular members of the City Council run the show.”
I don’t need to tell you that my admiration for the Methuen City Council has changed.
That committee was made up by City Councilor Mike Simard (which I considered a conflict of interest being a Lawrence Police Sargeant) and Mayor Perry asked retired interim police chief of Lawrence James Fitzpatrick to be in that committee, also a conflict for the same reason, knowing that two applicants were their co-workers. Also City Councilor Lisa Crowley and Johan Lopez, a developer with lots of properties in Lawrence and Methuen.
Given all of the above-mentioned discrepancies one would think Mayor Perry would be careful in including the City Council to make any type of decisions, especially one that includes the hiring of the new police chief.
Conveniently, Capt. Aguiler was eliminated during the first part of the interview process yet, he came second when he applied for that position in Haverhill. Capt. Aguiler is currently Deputy Chief in Lawrence, has over 20 years of Law Enforcement experience, Latino with good community relations. City Councilor Sergeant Simard did not interview Captain Aguiler.
Capt. McNamara has law enforcement experience, but no community service to show that he can communicate with the growing Latino population. Maybe was Capt. McNamara’s contribution to the recent Mayor Perry’s golf tournament which McNamara attended with none other than Methuen City Council and Sargent of Lawrence Police Mike Simard.
Then it was William Castro’s turn to be excluded. Deputy Castro is the only candidate presently residing in Methuen and has done for the last 20 years. Deputy Castro grew up in the Arlington neighborhood and has a great track record of community service. I asked Deputy Castro who interviewed him and he confirmed former Lawrence Police Chief Fitzpatrick and Lawrence Sargent and Methuen City Councilor Simard but he refused to elaborate more as to the content.
It almost seemed as if they were clearing the path for Perry not to feel obligated to hire a Latino. Mayor Perry who ran his campaign on integrity, inclusion and supported by the Latino community has failed to deliver.
Once Mayor Perry interviews all finalists, two will be selected to appear before the City Council at September’s meeting before Perry appoints his nominee, who must be confirmed by the council.
By making a calculation of the training, education and experience of the three, I dare to predict who will be the next Chief of the Methuen Police. Peabody Police Captain Scott Richards has not completed his Master’s in criminal justice. Deputy Chief Maurice Aguiler has a doctorate in criminal justice.
Deputy Police Chief Shane Smith of Salem, NH is not certified in Massachusetts and will have to go to the academy and take the full course before starting, which disqualifies him. Then we can predict who will be chosen. This plot demonstrates the lack of integrity of Mayor Perry. Two candidates with the best credentials had to be disqualified early to prevent them from reaching the finish line.
Then, Mayor Perry had to act on the surprise resignation from Acting Police Chief Tom McEnaney to appoint Randy Haggar in his place. He was heard saying that he could not stay any further because that department is a real mess.
Now, how soon do you think Sargeant Simard will be promoted in Lawrence?
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