Middlebury's Finest Now Under Attack

 And you thought that the Middlebury Police, Special Crimes Unit, didn't do anything but drink coffee and eat pizza

Good news, your lawns are safe again thanks to the MIddlebury

Police. You know those ugly signs that sprout up all around town? Well, you 

don't have to worry about losing two bucks on a sign. Not with the amount of 

cop-cars, cop motorcycles and support personal that we spend two million 

dollars a year on here in Middlebury so that the police can protect us.”

Here we go again. Move over Paul Perrotti and the entire MVFD. Move over Tom Gormley, Bob Desmarais, John Dayton, Fran Brennan,  John Cookson,  Steve Saverese, Mittens the Cat, and the entire slate of “Row A”  RTC candidates.  Mr. DeAngelis is adding “Middlebury’s Finest” to the list of corrupt, Gestapo-like, incompetent, politically motivated do-nothings. 

Mr. DeAngelis is all for free speech as long as he is the only one who can speak. It was unacceptable that a resident purchased political signs with his own money and distributed them throughout Town on private property.

The signs were ugly, and their message was contrary to what Mr. DeAngelis believes in. The removal of the signs was justified.   Instead of condemning those who stood in the way of freedom of speech, he attacks the Police Department for making arrests in which an eye witness identified the two suspects.

“There is some interesting "testimony" here": 1. that John Cookson

would actually use his own money to pay for some cheap signs...”

What’s so interesting about that? 

Mr. Cookson believed strongly that the budget should pass.  He put up his own money to get his message out and exercised his freedom of speech. But how could that be? Everyone is a lier in the eyes of Mr. DeAngelis... almost everyone.  Everyone who lives in Town, volunteers for positions, or is employed in some capacity by the Town should be suspect.

“...2. that Jim Roy, an employee of the police dept has the authority to "catch" and "confront" people. We wonder what would have happened if Roy was not a police 

employee. Would anybody have taken him seriously?”

Jim Roy is a dispatcher that works at Middlebury Headquarters.  He has worked there for over 20 years. He’s also a Middlebury Volunteer firefighter and EMT, and has been a dedicated member for over 20 years as well. 

As far as I know, you don’t need any authority to confront anyone trespassing on your private property and stealing property from you. You also don’t have to work with police officers every day to report a crime that you are witnessing.

Being a dispatcher, you need several skills. You have to take information that comes in to you, quickly interpret and process it and in a split second take the correct action that can mean the difference between if someone lives or dies.  To do it correctly is an art.  

Anyone who has ever listen to Jim coordinate Town resources during a structure fire is truly impressed.  There is no one better behind that microphone that will act decisively under such stress and responsibility, and still come across over the air as if he is cool as a cucumber. Its truly a gift.  

His job dictates a precision eye for detail.  Identifying two individuals he personally knows, identifying the vehicle make, and noting the registration is a walk in the park for Jim.

“When Polly Wilson had her car "keyed" after she spoke against the budget and after beer bottles were smashed in her driveway she reported the incident to the Middlebury Police.   

The Police did nothing. Why, was Polly Wilson on the wrong 

political side?”

Here we go again.  Our Police Department will only do their job if and only if they politically agree with the complainant. 

Did Mrs. Wilson witness the vandalism to her vehicle? No.  Did Jim Roy witness the theft and actually talk to the suspects? According to Jim, yes.  You don’t have to be Charlie Chan to see that there is a big difference.