By Mike Plaisance, The
Republican
City Council President
Kevin A. Jourdain said among the questions troubling him about the case of a
police sergeant suspended for misplacing a second gun in two years is how many
weapons does an officer get to lose before being fired.
Jourdain has filed two
orders for the Feb. 18 council meeting in relation to the cases of Sgt.John P.
Hart.
Hart, a 19-year veteran,
was suspended 10 days without pay for leaving his gun, which was recovered, in
a restroom at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside Nov. 24, Chief James M.
Neiswangersaid Wednesday.
That came after Hart was
suspended five days without pay in 2011 for misplacing a department sniper
rifle, also later recovered.
"How many firearms
does someone misplace before someone gets fired?" Jourdain Thursday.
One of Jourdain's orders
asks that Mayor Alex B. Morse and Neiswanger answer councilors' questions in an
open-session meeting about the latest penalty levied against Hart and the
potential for public safety to be at risk and the city to be liable by such
cases.
"I'm troubled by what
appears on its face to be a very lenient punishment," Jourdain said.
Another order requests
copies of "all incident reports, investigative reports, emails,
memorandums, disciplinary reports, decisions and other communications related
to both missing firearms incidents."
"My child could have
walked into that bathroom (at the mall) and been exposed to that. How many guns
does someone lose before termination is in order?" Jourdain said.
Hart's suspension began
Feb. 10. He made $137,910 in 2013, including a base salary of $73,178 and
overtime pay and incentives. He was hired by the city Dec. 5, 1994, City
Treasurer Jon D. Lumbra has said.
"Additional
administrative restrictions" have been imposed on Hart, said Neiswanger, who
didn't elaborate.
Hart couldn't be reached
for comment. Capt. Frederick J. Seklecki, president of Local 409 Holyoke Police
Supervisors, International Brotherhood of Police Officers, said on Wednesday he
spoke to Hart and Hart didn't want to comment.
Neiswanger provided
information about Hart by email after a request from The Republican and
MassLive.com. The chief didn't return a call seeking additional information
such as why the penalty for the latest misplaced gun by Hart was 10 days
without pay and what were Neiswanger's personal feelings about one of his
officer's again misplacing a firearm.
Jourdain said that among
his other questions are why it took Neiswanger 12 weeks to investigate the Nov.
24 incident and disclose the penalty against Hart, whether the chief considers
Hart suitable to carry firearms, whether Hart expressed remorse and what are
department policies related "to mishandling of city owned firearms issued
to the police."
"I'm at this point
left scratching my head," Jourdain said.
In November, Springfield
Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet fired Officer Kevin Merchant after
Merchant reported the loss of his service weapon the previous month in
Hartford.