The following yellow text is from a Letter to The Ediitor that appeared in The Westfield Leader newspaper after former Westfield police detective Sandra Chambers had filed a lawsuit against the town; a lawsuit that included former police chief Bernard Tracy as a defendant. Chambers had alleged harassment and retaliation at the hands of Bernard Tracy and she had also alleged that the disgraced police chief had engaged in inappropriate behavior with her. The lawsuit was settled out of court. The settlement agreement indicated that the total settlement was $380,000.
Copied from Councilman Kenneth MacRitchie's Letter to The Editor:
In the early 1990's, the behavior of Bernard Tracy in the Westfield Police Department was faithfully reported, without fear of favor, in The Westfield Leader. Thus, when Thomas Jardim was mayor-elect in December 1996, I advised him that Bernard Tracy could cause future difficulties.
When Thomas Jardim took office as mayor, Bernard Tracy was detective lieutenant. Shortly afterward, Bernard Tracy was promoted to captain. I asked Mayor Jardim about this promotion, but he replied, "I thought long and hard about this, but I deferred to the professionals," referring to Police Chief Anthony Scutti and Town Administrator Edward Gottko.
Some time later, Bernard Tracy was a candidate for police chief. I advised Mayor Jardim that Bernard Tracy could cause future difficulties, but he replied, "Don't worry about it." Then, Bernard Tracy was appointed police chief. At that time, outgoing Police Chief Anthony Scutti publicly praised Bernard Tracy in glowing terms.
Shortly after Bernard Tracy was appointed police chief, I telephoned David Grubb, administrator of the Suburban Municipal Joint Insurance Fund. (He and I had gone to the same college.) I gave him a heads-up, that the appointment of Bernard Tracy as police chief created a risk of significant loss to that fund.
As town officials begin the selection process to appoint a new Westfield police chief to lead the dedicated men and women of the Westfield police department, those same town officials should learn from the ignored warnings former councilman Kenneth MacRitchie had given to Mayor Tom Jardim. As with Bernard Tracy, could the "writing be on the wall" regarding a Tracy protege'? To ignore the warnings would be costly to the taxpayers of Westfield and to the morale of the Westfield police department. 
Barron Chambliss for chief!
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ReplyDeleteOne has to wonder what kind of dirt Tracy had on Scutti, Gildea, or the mayor to get appointed chief. The scores went missing and the department became a bastion for political patronage. Tracy left and Parizeau, who initially wanted no part of being chief, reluctantly opted to partake in the selection process when it was known Gildea refused to name Auchter. I will bet Parizeau regrets that decision. What dirty laundry of Gildea or the Mayor will the next person have to be named chief. You have to wonder what information Tracy and Parizeau will feed the next person to climb the ladder the same way they did. Wayman is that person and is most unqualified for the position of chief unless the job description includes being a racist, womanizing, unethical bully.
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