Money Sucking Police Department Practices Deception To Conceal The Truth!

Lisbon Police Chief David T. Brooks

MORE POLICE COVER-UP

In this year’s budget presentation, the trend of trying to conceal funds for the Police Department continues.  This is obvious by the pie chart and the slide reflecting the Town Tax Allocation.  There is no question the majority of tax dollars goes to the Police Department. 

Having the Communication Center as a separate unit provides a perception that the Communication Center is NOT part of the Police Department. 

In this year’s budget, the Police Department has asked for funds for additional personnel in the Communication Center ($98,000), addition equipment ($20,000) for the Communications Center, two units and a document image unit (49,000).  There is also a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) fee of $18,000 tax dollars because 911 calls are relayed from Androscoggin County Dispatch to the Lisbon Communication Center.  This totals approximately $185,000 additional tax dollars.  This does not include any funds diverted from other Department/Divisions throughout the year. 

Last year, additional furniture was purchased for the Communication Center.  The furniture was paid for by tax dollars and not a grant as previously reported by the Chief of Police.  Again, this year there is a line item called Grant Match and it has $5,000 dollars in the line item but who knows if this is a real grant or another made up one to confuse the people.  Remember, the council approved the transfer of approximately $145,406.57 tax dollars within 60 days of the effective date of the budget.   This goes to show two things:  (1) the funds allocated in these line items were padded and (2) these funds were utilized for unapproved items.  What were these funds actually used for?

On January 25, 2013, a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) was hand carried to the Town Clerk.  This FOAA requested the following: “Respectfully request a copy of all Purchase Orders for both Hardware and Software installed or purchased for the Communication Center to include the upgrade software since July 1, 2012.  Please exclude the furniture for the Communication Center.”  This is a simple request considering all entries should be entered into the computer and a query would produce all the entries for the Communication Center.

Lisbon Finance Director Jessica Maloy

As of March 24, 2013, this information has not been provided.  When questioned about the status and when the information would be available; the response is the same “It is budget season and we will get to it as soon as possible” or words to that effect. First of all, every day is a budget day for a Finance Director.  Second, the Finance Director of a small town should know where every penny has been spent.   

 If all purchases are recorded against the correct Department/Division, then this would be a simple task.  But if items have been purchased for the Communication Center and charged against other Department/Divisions this task will be a little more complicated.  

Why would you charge other Department/Divisions for purchases that did not pertain to the Department/Division unless it was to conceal the true cost of operating the Communication Center?

Truth be known, the Chief of Police does not want the people of Lisbon to know just how many tax dollars was invested into the Communication Center last year and previous years.  A law suit will have to be filed in order to get this information from the town.  The law suit will be drawn out until this year’s budget is approved and will cost the town additional funds for legal fees but in the end; the town will be forced to provide this information.  

What a waste of tax dollars!

Larry Fillmore

We the People