I'll Bring the Rope
If these two posts don't exemplify everything that is wrong with Massachusetts' discretionary firearms licensing regulations, nothing will. Be warned, the "Remove All Breakables Before Reading" warning is turned up to 11 for this one. In fact, don't even read this. I don't want to be held responsible in any way for anyone's subsequent actions.
A few years back, ol' Danny Boy was named as a defendant (well, color me surprised) in a civil action brought by a police officer in his department alleging, among other things:
Dirrane's complaints ranged from minor to quite serious. His initial complaints, which started in 1992, were relatively minor; he claimed that certain officers were playing cards during work hours, that his supervisors had improperly waived firearm licensing requirements, and that the accounting safeguards in his unit were inadequate. He then started to make more serious allegations charging Heavey and the other officer in the unit with falsifying fingerprint reports and destroying fingerprint evidence. He alleged that Heavey instructed him to falsify reports as well. He also continued to make less serious complaints, objecting to the manner in which evidence was stored and logged in the unit.
What? Corruption and fraud in the hallowed halls of the Brookline Police Department? I'm shocked, I tell you! Simply shocked! MUCH more here:
In December of 1992, Dirrane was named investigator of the year by his peers in the Brookline Detective Bureau. During the party, Hayes Was accompanied by a friend, John Henry Williams. Williams is the son of baseball legend Ted Williams and the Manager of Grand Slam Productions, a business that specialized in sports collectibles and memorabilia.
Also during the party, Hayes was displaying a large framed photograph of Ted Williams taken in his younger playing days. Hayes stated that Williams had given the photograph to him and that it was going to be personalized and autographed by Ted Williams.
Within days of the party, Hayes brought Williams to the Identification Bureau and stated that Williams was going to apply for a License to carry a concealed weapon. Hayes instructed Dirrane that he was waiving the fees, investigation, range qualifying and that he wanted a license issued to Williams immediately.
Dirrane informed Hayes that he could not do that, that it violated virtually all of the firearms licensing rules.
Hayes stated that he was not asking but ordering Dirrane to issue the license. Dirrane repeated that he would not comply with his order. Hayes threatened Dirrane with transfer in an outburst filled with profanities and stormed out of the Identification Bureau. Hayes and Williams returned a short while later, met with Heavey and the license was issued.
Additionally, Hayes instructed property Officer Carroll to escort Williams to AAA police supply and assist Williams in purchasing a weapon. This escort occurred while Carroll was on duty and used a Department vehicle.
In January of 1993, Chief Brackett instructed Dirrane to bring the Williams license file to his office. Once in the office Brackett asked Dirrane if proper procedures were followed during the issuing of the Williams license. Dirrane stated that Brackett should check with Hayes and Heavey, that they had issued the license. Brackett stated that he wanted the information from Dirrane and that he didn't believe Hayes or Heavey would be truthful.
Fast-forward four years:
Later on April 17, 1997, at approximately 5 PM, Dirrane was visited at his home by Detective Lieutenant Morgan and Internal Affairs Lieutenant Burke. Morgan and Burke stated that they had been ordered by O'Leary to confiscate Dirrane's keys to his desk, keys to the office, keys to the evidence room, keys to the computer and any other Brookline Police Department keys.
Morgan and Burke also ordered Dirrane to surrender his License to carry firearms, firearms identification card and all firearms that Dirrane possessed.
Dirrane complied with all requests. Morgan and Burke inquired what had occurred, and were informed by Dirrane that he had reported misconduct by Heavey and that he was immediately threatened by Heavey. Dirrane stated that due to this improper intimidation, he suffered from a severe anxiety attack and acting on the advise of an attorney, reported sick on duty.
Morgan and Burke stated that O'Leary was concerned for Dirrane's welfare and had ordered the confiscation of any firearms.
I retract my statement from my earlier post. A swift kick in the nuts is too good for these corrupt pieces of shit. And spare me any of the usual "innocent until proven guilty" horseshit. These guys are dirtier than a five-dollar whore's mattress after shore leave.
Sorry, Kim, but "Red Curtain of Blood" doesn't even begin to cover this.
Back to the present now, here's the chief in his own words (from the Brookline Police Department website):
Part of our mission is to work with our community to prevent problems or to solve them before they negatively impact a person's quality of life.
I'm afraid to ask what the other parts are.
And from the department's list of "values":
Build partnerships with citizens in order to ensure personal safety, protect individual rights, protect property, and promote individual responsibility and community commitment.
My.
Ass.
I really wish I had dug all this up prior to my trip to the range on Sunday. Oh, well, guess I gotta go back (shucks). I still have a handful of unused guest passes - any takers?
