Police Chief Alan DeNaro has refused offers from retirees Stephen Brighi, the former chief, and Patrolman Albert Mazza to work paid road details.
Their offers came weeks after DeNaro appeared before the City Council, asking that pension rules be changed to remove an earnings cap for retirees.
DeNaro told the council in January that for public safety, he needs retirees to be able to work road details because he's short-handed and needs his active officers on the streets. DeNaro told the council his force of 71 officers and 19 superior officers cannot cover all the special details needing coverage.
State public pension rules say a retiree's earnings from post-retirement work, combined with his or her pension, cannot exceed the salary paid today to an employee with the same job.
Last year, retired patrolman Joseph Spero, one of five retirees to work details in Haverhill last year, earned $23,000 too much and was told he had to pay it back.
In the meantime, a new calendar year began, so Spero became eligible again to work details. To date this year he has earned $1,976, according to city Treasurer Mary Beth Roy. Roy said the matter of Spero having to pay back the money was referred to City Solicitor William D. Cox.
Cox has yet to receive a request from Spero in writing regarding whether he is required to repay the $23,000. "The law is clear that the money has to be paid back. What is unclear is who collects it — the city or the Retirement Board," Cox said.
Brighi and Mazza saw DeNaro at the City Council meeting on television and came forward, but DeNaro declined their offers.
"It's demeaning for a former chief of police to be doing road details ... and Mazza didn't even like being a police officer. Do you think I want him working in the city now?" said DeNaro.
Brighi and Mazza said they are shocked by the chief's comments.
"It's not demeaning for any person to get up in the morning and earn an honest day's work," said Brighi. "Besides, I would be the one being demeaned. If I don't have a problem, why should he?"
Mazza said he honorably retired after 20 years as a patrolman, a job he enjoyed. He said he didn't seek work doing road details because "I did my best to avoid being a retiree who couldn't shake it (being a police officer). I'm a husband and father first, then a police officer. I came forward because the chief asked for help." Mazza said.
Because it is common knowledge that Spero and DeNaro are friends who go on vacations together, DeNaro told the council he was not there for a friend, but instead as the chief in need of help with public safety.
Brighi says DeNaro is serving his friends, but DeNaro contends that Brighi makes people within his department uncomfortable.
"Because of his leadership, or lack thereof, during his time as chief, there are people within this department who are uncomfortable standing around a manhole with him," DeNaro said.
Brighi said DeNaro's comments are "unprofessional and disrespectful."
"That's tough criticism from a man who lived in Rhode Island during my tenure," Brighi said. "I'm sure as chief he's had to discipline police officers from time to time. If he thinks those officers and their families are going to embrace him after his tenure he is sadly mistaken. It goes with the job if you're doing it right and it shouldn't be held against you at a later date," said Brighi. "Perhaps certain people are uncomfortable because I was the internal affairs officer for 10 years under not one, but two chiefs. I investigated all citizen complaints against police officers. Sometimes officers were punished, even suspended. It's not a job that lends itself to popularity, but it's a necessary component for an honest and responsive police agency. The chief should respect that and stop carrying the water for someone else."
Brighi said many in the department do respect him, as was demonstrated in February when, after his father's death, more than 20 active members of the department showed up in very bad weather to pay their respects.
DeNaro said that since Brighi retired he has not embraced the Haverhill police family — he hasn't attended one policemen's ball.
"That excuse doesn't even pass the giggle test," Brighi said.
Brighi retired in August 2002 and starting working 18 hours a week for the Essex County Sheriff's Department in the work release program. He has been doing road details for Groveland since 2006. When towns need officers for details, they often call neighboring towns, so Brighi has been sent, through Groveland, to Georgetown, Rowley, Boxford, West Newbury and, on two occasions, Haverhill.
After Brighi worked the two Haverhill jobs, Groveland police received a call from DeNaro asking that Brighi not be sent to Haverhill, Brighi said.
Groveland police Chief Ron Weeks confirmed the phone call was made, though he did not take the call. His second-in-command at the time, Harry Yeo, did, Weeks said.
Yeo is out on disability and was unavailable for comment.
Brighi said that when he learned that DeNaro requested he no longer be sent to Haverhill, he tried to get confirmation, but DeNaro would not return his phone calls.
He then approached the Haverhill Gazette. When the Gazette e-mailed DeNaro, he called back saying that if Brighi pursued a story, he would cancel all details for retirees.
But Brighi said that if DeNaro were to follow through with canceling all retirees' details, it would bring into question whether DeNaro approached the council to have the earnings cap lifted because he needs retirees' hours, or whether he just wanted to help a friend make extra money.
In 2007, retirees who worked details and the amounts they earned were: Spero, $29,241; Gerald Brown, $17,157; George Desjardins, $17,613; William A. Turner, $4,737; and Brighi, via Groveland, $779.
So far, DeNaro has failed to meet with Mazza or Brighi, though Brighi has asked for an appointment to see him.
"This is not a fight I want," Brighi said. "But I'm delivering a message ... a wake-up call for him to remember that when you become a police officer it's to serve the public, not carry the water for his close associates and friends who have too much influence over his decisions."
