Canton residents praise interim police chief amid investigation into sergeant
The news that Canton police had placed Sgt. Sean Goode on paid leave after "allegations of misconduct" surfaced against him last month was little more than a footnote at Tuesday night's Select Board meeting.
Board Chair John McCourt opened the meeting by reading the statement issued by town officials on Monday afternoon announcing that an internal investigation had been opened into Goode. But he noted that Canton's police force is subject to Civil Service regulations, meaning any potential discipline against Goode would not come quickly.
Instead, McCourt explained, the town must first investigate claims of misconduct before taking any further action. If that investigation turns up evidence of a policy violation, town officials must convene a hearing if they seek discipline harsher than a five-day suspension.
Following that, a hearing officer would issue a recommendation of discipline, which the officer could appeal to the Civil Service Commission.
"It can be very frustrating for members of the public to understand that the town cannot take immediate action to terminate [an] employee," he said, adding, "the town is working expediently as possible to resolve this."
Jonathan Comeau, of Attleboro, one of several residents who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, told MassLive he was not surprised the board didn't share any further information about Goode. Still, he said he was pleased McCourt explained the process to residents.
Others who spoke at the meeting praised the leadership of Interim Police Chief Joseph Perkins, who was hired in June following the retirement of former chief Helena Rafferty.
Peter Murphy, of Marshfield, called Perkins an "exceptional choice" to "heal the police department and ultimately the town."
Jack Carney, of Canton, praised Perkins' willingness to speak with residents about their concerns.
"I just want to thank Chief Perkins for what he's done for the Canton Police Department so far," Carney said. "He's very accessible and easy to talk to."
Goode was put on leave on Oct. 24, after the misconduct was uncovered during an investigation into a former member of a different law enforcement agency, town officials said in a statement. An independent investigator was hired to conduct a "thorough administrative investigation" into Goode, according to the statement.
The same day Goode was placed on leave, Norfolk County prosecutors revealed they found " highly sensitive information " during a search of former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor 's phone.
Proctor was the lead investigator in the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, who was found in a snowbank in front of a fellow officer's Canton home on Jan. 29, 2022. He was fired from the State Police over derogatory texts he sent about O'Keefe's girlfriend, Karen Read , during the investigation.
Read was charged with killing O'Keefe, but acquitted this year at her second trial.
The Read case fueled distrust of the police department , largely due to claims by her and her defense that she was framed. Residents eventually voted to audit the department.
The audit , released earlier this year, faulted police for missteps in the Read investigation, but ultimately found no evidence of a conspiracy.
More News
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
