Scene from a italian restuarant,not the Billy Joel kind but Billy club!

[dfdex1]

Heaven forbid our officers should care about there personal safety and slightly incovinice someones ice cream. I think this city councilor should fit in the Mutt catagory.

Police chief says city solicitor's actions were 'inappropriate'

By PAUL LEIGHTON

Staff writer

BEVERLY -- The police chief has accused the city solicitor of "inappropriate" conduct for repeatedly asking police to move their cruisers Friday night because the flashing lights were bothering diners inside a downtown restaurant.

Meanwhile, the president of the patrolmen's union has demanded the city solicitor's resignation and asked the mayor to investigate.

But Peter Gilmore said yesterday he did nothing wrong and claimed the police union is behind an effort to play up the incident due to his role in contract negotiations.

"I don't think there was anything wrong with asking them to be mindful of the disturbance they were causing to the people inside the restaurant," Gilmore said.

Gilmore is a former City Council president who has served as city solicitor under Mayor Tom Crean since January 2002.

The incident took place around 9 p.m. Friday in front of Chianti's Cafe, a small Italian restaurant at 285 Cabot St. across from the Cabot Cinema.

Police arrested Danielle Desimone, 28, of 6 Wentzel Ave., and charged her with drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident. Desimone had allegedly struck another vehicle farther up Cabot Street and then drove off. The driver of the other vehicle pursued Desimone until she stopped in front of Chianti's.

Police arrived and gave Desimone a sobriety test, then arrested her, said Lt. Timothy Hegarty, who was the shift commander on Friday night.

In the meantime, Hegarty said, the restaurant's owner, Richard Marino, came out to complain that the flashing blue lights on the police cruiser were bothering his customers inside the restaurant.

"(Marino) said the strobe lights made his restaurant look like a discotheque," Hegarty said.

Hegarty said Gilmore, who was at the restaurant, asked one of the officers on the scene to move the cruiser, then twice called Hegarty at the station.

"Mr. Gilmore didn't like the response he was getting," Hegarty said. "I tried to convey to him that I was more concerned about the safety of the public and my officers than with people eating in a restaurant."

Police Chief John Cassola said he called Gilmore yesterday and told him that he disapproved of his actions.

"I just thought it was inappropriate," Cassola said. "I support my officers. We don't pick our scenes. There was no intent to ruin anybody's lunch."

Cassola said police need to take precautions during traffic stops, particularly on busy roads such as Cabot Street. On Saturday night, he said, a cruiser was struck by a vehicle during a routine traffic stop on Colon Street in front of the Senior Center.

Gilmore said he did nothing wrong and was only trying to help Marino. Marino was already on the phone with police, Gilmore said, when he and his wife arrived at the restaurant to have dessert.

"The blue lights were just filling up the room," Gilmore said. "I was not there too long when I started to feel a little dizzy."

Gilmore said he got on the phone with Hegarty after Marino was done talking and asked the shift commander if one of the officers could either turn off the flashing lights or move the cruiser back 10 feet so the lights would not bother people eating dinner in the restaurant.

"I took it upon myself as a city official to try to help out a business owner," Gilmore said.

Gilmore said he walked outside and asked an officer at the scene to turn off the lights. Then he called Hegarty again at the station.

"By that time the bike patrol had arrived and I said (to Hegarty), 'Look, there are six guys here now. Can one of them move the cruiser?'" he said.

Gilmore said Hegarty asked him, "How long have you been a police officer?" then hung up on him.

Hegarty said, "I just have a problem with anybody telling us how to do our jobs. We're out there for the safety of everyone, including the people we're arresting."

Hegarty said he's upset because Gilmore accused officers of "standing around doing nothing."

"I feel he should call up and apologize to the officers on the scene," Hegarty said, adding that the incident took 22 minutes to handle.

Patrolman John McCarthy, president of the Beverly Police Benevolent Association, said he dropped off a letter yesterday at the mayor's office asking for an investigation into Gilmore's actions and requesting that Gilmore, the city's lawyer, not be allowed to sit in on contract negotiations between the city and police.

"Peter Gilmore should resign," McCarthy said. "He's compromised his position. We no longer have any trust in the city solicitor or the city solicitor's office. How am I supposed to get a fair deal knowing that's how he's going to handle himself?"

Crean could not be reached for comment.

Patrolman Sean Connolly, the union's vice president, said Gilmore compromised the safety of the public and the police by trying to get the vehicles moved.

"My question to Mr. Gilmore is, if that was an ambulance or a fire truck responding to an emergency, would he have handled the situation the same way?" Connolly asked.

Gilmore said he did not consider asking police to move a cruiser a public safety issue.

"I don't understand how public safety would be impaired by backing up a cruiser 5 or 10 feet," he said. "But they're the professionals. If I thought it was a threat to public safety, I certainly would not have done it."

Gilmore said the patrolmen's union is using the incident to gain an advantage in contract negotiations.

He also said the union's response is "payback" for his role last year when patrolmen attempted to boycott detail assignments for the Thanksgiving Day football game and the Santa Parade in a dispute over stalled contract talks. The disagreement landed in court and the judge sided with the city, forcing officers to work the events.

Marino, the restaurant owner, said he has "nothing but praise for the officers working that evening." He said he asked that the cruiser be moved because "10 candlelit tables couldn't compete with police strobes 10 feet away."

[blaze79]

Usually we try to forgive the citizens for their ignorance, but this time, I don't think that they deserve it.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Gilmore said he did not consider asking police to move a cruiser a public safety issue.

"I don't understand how public safety would be impaired by backing up a cruiser 5 or 10 feet," he said. "But they're the professionals. If I thought it was a threat to public safety, I certainly would not have done it."

[size=huge]BINGO!!! [/size]

[engine23ccvfd]

hmmmm...anyone ever heard of those things that cover a window...what the hell are they called...Oh I remember window shades/blinds

[MalahatTwo7]

Originally posted by engine23ccvfd
hmmmm...anyone ever heard of those things that cover a window...what the hell are they called...Oh I remember window shades/blinds

So true, but then they would have interferred with the spectacle of watching someone get arrested..... and the ambiance of the environment would have been compromised.

[dfdex1]

If anyone out there wants to drop this mutt a line about interfereing with police officers during a arrest or about his attiude thinking he runs the police dept. feel free. Whats next, telling firefighters that they cant run the pumps cause there to loud???

nslocomb@ci.beverly.ma.us <<< thats his email!

-dfd

[PeteThor813]

This time it was a police vehicle, but what if it was something else that "disturbed" the patrons inside the restaurant? What if a homeless guy started taking a wizz outside the window? Who would this guy call to solve that problem? But please forgive this guy he is just ignorant, and doesn't understand what happens on a scene sometimes. Oh and the restaurant needs to invest in shades too...

[NJFFSA16]

Multiple choice Test

At that point, Officer Smith would:

[a] Turn off the lights.
[b] Move the police vehicle.
[c] Turn on takedown lights, alley lights and request additional units for scene protection lighting.

[RyanEMVFD]

it's not everyday that a resturant gets to see police arrest someone in front of them. come on it's free entertainment. enjoy the show and move on to dessert.

[FlyingKiwi]

"(Marino) said the strobe lights made his restaurant look like a discotheque,"

Damn good thing it was not one of the POV's we keep hearing about, they would have needed sunglasses in the retaurant.

[martinm]

"I took it upon myself as a city official to try to help out a business owner," Gilmore said.

If that does'nt sound like a conflict of interests, what is?