Madison, Connecticut Police Department Requires Intervention

...Chief Paul Jakubson for a briefing on the suspension of Officer Donald Lanouette Jr.

Sterling, Lanouette, Jakubson

Maybe it's time to do a full investigaton of the Chief.

Allegations were false. A New Haven man made these allegations that were completely false in order to make both the police department and town look bad. He was arrested for Hearsay and is going to Federal prison for lying about a municipal police office.

Special Agent Mcgrawn

USSS wrote:

Allegations were false. A New Haven man made these allegations that were completely false in order to make both the police department and town look bad. He was arrested for Hearsay and is going to Federal prison for lying about a municipal police office.
Special Agent Mcgrawn

Since when is "hearsay" a crime? According to news reports, the accuser made the statements to Madison Police Department officials. Why is the accuser purportedly going to federal prison for making a false report to local officials? What federal law was violated? Was the accuser tried, convicted, and sentenced in less than two weeks (i.e., since the allegations were made)? Why hasn't this been reported in the newspapers?

"hearsay" is not a crime, nor is lying about a municipal (or any) police office.
You know what is though? Impersonating a Federal Agent.
Good luck buddy, I've got your IP address now, let's see what I do with it.

USSS wrote:

Allegations were false. A New Haven man made these allegations that were completely false in order to make both the police department and town look bad. He was arrested for Hearsay and is going to Federal prison for lying about a municipal police office.
Special Agent Mcgrawn

Special Agent who? For what agency and where? I think you are a baloney artist from the word go. Put up OR go away A hole!

Small town cops - could these guys have "fit the bill" any better? Many of us have stories of when we grew up with this ilk - little fish in big ponds with serious power trips making them do stupid, stupid, stupid stuff.

The whole dep't should be cleaned out, let the CT Staties, who have always been professional, take it over until it can be restructured. All we're doing now is enlisting a bunch of under 25s with 22 weeks of training - sorry, but it's going to be really hard for ANYONE to take any part of this force seriously until they show us (Madison) that have done the right thing.

There will be more allegations, too. I can promise that. Entrapment? Harassment? It's going to be along winter for the MPD.

They are dirty, dirty, dirty.

BTW, "Special Agent" whomever - you are categorically wrong. Perhaps YOU should be fined? Defending this behavior may seem ok to you but if you had a teenage daughter in this town, you might just feel differently. CAN'T WAIT to see what Jim from Plainville does with you!

BTW, for some reason it says I'm from N Branford which is inaccurate - I do live in Madison.

Just a side note - I have found it VERY interesting that for weeks there have been NO letters to the editor published re: our dept's behavior.

Begs the question : why? Not writing out of fear of being pegged and harassed by the cops? Absolutely! BUT, even the ballsiest person would write the letter - are they not publishing them?

MadMom wrote:

BTW, for some reason it says I'm from N Branford which is inaccurate - I do live in Madison.
Just a side note - I have found it VERY interesting that for weeks there have been NO letters to the editor published re: our dept's behavior.
Begs the question : why? Not writing out of fear of being pegged and harassed by the cops? Absolutely! BUT, even the ballsiest person would write the letter - are they not publishing them?

Mad Mom, both of your posts are right on the money! I can't believe that there is not a greater outcry from citizens of Madison. Everyone whom I have spoken to is disgusted by the situation, but the "letters to the editor" sections of the local newspapers have been strangely silent.

I agree that it appears that we have not heard the last of this, and that it is likely that more Madison Police Officers will be implicated in wrongdoing. I also agree that the State Police (who, by the way, have had their own problems) should assume responsibility for providing police services to the Town of Madison. I suggested this long ago in this forum, and was roundly ridiculed for my position -- but, as I pointed out at the time, this system works well for a number of communities around State, including our neighbors in Killingworth.

Like you, Mad Mom, I have a teenage daughter, and I believe that it is more likely she will be victim of a crime committed by a Madison Police Officer than otherwise be the victim of a crime. In short, I feel that my family and I would be better off with no Police Department (thus saving the $3 million that we spend on our Police Department annually) than under the existing system.

FIRE THE CHIEF...NO pention, no severance, no goodbye party...just, get out of town by sundown!

It is strange that there are no letters being published, but I would venture to guess, based on my personal opinion, that most people are satisfied with the actions taken by the Police Commission to this point.
I would be outraged, and writing letter after letter, if there weren't any terminations coming from this.
As I see it, the Chief should be next on the chopping block. If he's not fired, the integrity and trustworthiness of Madison Police Department will always be questionable.

Resident, your point is well taken. There would undoubtedly be a greater outcry among the citizenry of Madison if it were not apparent that the Police Commission is taking remedial measures.

However, the Madison Police Department has for years sought publicity by (1) portraying investigations to the media as having been conducted by the MPD, when, in reality, the investigation was principally conducted by other agencies, and the MPD, at most, played a trivial and ancillary role, and,(2) portraying the few nickel-and-dime criminal enterprises that they have uncovered as being far more significant than they actually are.

In 2006, Madison had no homicides, no rapes, and no aggravated assaults. There were a few burglaries, principally those committed by Madison Police Officer Gambardella. In reality, the Madison Police Department principally deals with traffic infractions, petty juvenile matters, and domestic disturbances. There is nothing wrong with this – it is typical of a community of Madison’s character. The problem is that the Madison Police Department apparently visualizes itself as filled with Eliot Ness types, and seeks to falsely portray that image to the press.

Why hasn't the media viewed the press releases issued by the Department over the years a little more critically? Now that it is clear that the Department has been full of thieves and scoundrels, why hasn't the press been called into account for accepting these misleading and disingenuous press releases? Someone should write a letter about that.

Until the scandal broke last year, the Department and Police Commission had been in a very public, running battle with the Selectmen regarding staffing levels for the Police Department. Now that it appears that the staff that the Police Department had in place was busy patronizing prostitutes instead of doing their jobs, why hasn't the staffing level issue been revisited in the press? Someone should write a letter about that.

Finally, it appears that even Madison Police Officers who are convicted of crimes, or dismissed for disciplinary violations, will be permitted to keep their pensions. I am aware of no other collective bargaining agreement with a police union that permits this. Why isn't something being done about this? Someone should write a letter about that.

Just to add to the folly, word on the street (consider that a disclaimer)is that there was a transvestite prostitute involved - this was confirmed by an attorney.

happy monday

I agree. The Chief should be fired. Society Generale lost 7 billion dollars. The crooked trader was fired as well as the CEO.
The chief of polices main job is to hire and monitor great people. The cops were following the example of someone they had no respect for. Isn't the chief taking $60,000.00 in "Stress Pay"?
Investigate the chief.

Chief Paul Jakubson last seen wearing a lobster bib

Sterling...ha, ha, ha!

Now it's "the chief's" (what a joke) turn to sob!Donald Lanouette is baiting hooks in Guilford...
Maybe these twits can go in on a lobster boat together and make an honest living.

The "Chief" could be the Master Baiter!

This is disturbing to me as an explorer. I knew sterling personally, so did many other explorers. WERE ALL GLAD HE IS GONE.

I like how no-one dares suggest that these thugs be processed through the American gulag system--as would be done with any random citizen of Madison who doesn't have his government tax stamps or travel papers in order.

Yes, just fire them and maybe take away some of their pension loot. Y'alls comments here show a high degree of enlightenment amongst the terrorized citizenry. Torturing the torturers would make us as evil as the cops themselves: Just lay them off from their current positions and keep those checks flowing. Forgive them and don't demand compensation or restitution for their crimes against person and property and set them off to join some other police department down the road.

About 1/2 way through this radio show

http://cdn1.libsyn.com/ftl/FTL2008-02-16.mp3

one of Madison's terrorized citizens relates with Ghandian confidence how being stalked and threatened by Madison cops was only an annoyance to him. The citizen had been interviewed on the street by Channel 8 about Madison's cops and apparently saying that he "wasn't surprised" angered some of Madison's protectors.