Teacher Arrested For Marijuana Possession, Cop Caught Stealing

Westfield Police Chief John M. Parizeau

     The Fact of The Matter received an email yesterday that referenced a previous blog posted here on our site on 12/1/10.  See blog that was posted detailing Westfield Police Chief John M. Parizeau's Memo to all Supervisor's concerning a theft by a police supervisor.  Click on the following link: http://07090.blogspot.com/2010/12/westfield-police-chief-john-m-parizeau.html

     TFoTM has received inquiries about the Westfield Teacher, arrested recently for the possession of marijuana, with comparisons made to the Westfield police officer, allegedly caught by Police Chief John Parizeau, stealing time.


     Both are public employees held to high standards yet one faces public embarrassment and the other enjoys anonymity. 

     The Westfield teacher, Brendan Hickey, will most likely be allowed to enter the Pretrial Intervention Program created by the legislature and administered by the Courts for "first offenders" like Mr. Hickey.  He will receive some supervision and, if he follows the rules, will have the charges dismissed in about six months with no criminal record.

     His job should then be safe since he would have no conviction for possession.  He would end up suffering no more than the embarrassment his own stupidity caused.

     The police officers, whom the Westfield Police Chief said he had proof of stealing time from the Town, the Taxpayer, are the beneficiaries of the Police Chief's decision to bypass the system and act as accuser, judge, and jury.  The unknown thieves walk and the Town, the Taxpayer, swallows the loss.

     The police officer who arrested Mr. Hickey was doing his job.  He reported the offense to the proper authorities and allowed Mr. Hickey to face a system the officer knew would treat him like a "first offender."

     Would that the Chief of Police had obeyed the Rules and trusted the system as much as his patrolmen.
    
     The judicial system is structured in a way to adjudicate an offense committed by persons, in a manner not determined by the public or the accused, but by the judicial system itself.