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~ Breaking News ~

By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN, Reformer Staff
Brattleboro Reformer

Russell "Rusty" O'Dell, a retired police chief from Cornwall, N.Y., who was offered the position of police chief of the BFPD, told the village Thursday that he would not be accepting the job.

O'Dell faxed Municipal Manager John Schempf his letter citing budgetary concerns as well as a perception that officers within the department were feeding inside information to the media.

Schempf would not release the letter, but he confirmed that the search for a new police chief in Bellows Falls is going to have start up all over again.

An emergency meeting of the Bellows Falls trustees has been scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m.

"I do not really know where they are going to go from here," Schempf said about the village's next step. "I called the meeting Friday for some guidance."

The trustees chose O'Dell to take over the department after an exhaustive search.

Two finalists were considered, and O'Dell was offered the job, but after taking a closer look at the numbers he decided to pass up the opportunity.

The BFPD has been trying to keep its head above water as it faces one challenge after another.

The police department has been barred from using the state information computer system, and the Department of Public Safety is carrying out two separate investigations of the village police.

The first investigation has been turned over to the Attorney General's office to see if any criminal activity has taken place.

The reasons behind the investigation have not been made public.

After answering to an angry public at two annual meetings about the budget, this year's overtime is already $17,000 in the red.

And the village trustees were surprised when interim Police Chief John Dunfee resigned earlier this month.

Dunfee's last day was supposed to be today, but he said Thursday that he was going to offer to return to Bellows Falls if the trustees wanted him to handle duties until a new chief is found.

"This blew me away," Dunfee said about O'Dell's letter. "I don't like to leave people stranded. I'll have to have a meeting with the trustees and reach an agreement of some things."

Dunfee said he had to handle some personal business with his family, but said he could come back to Vermont in a week or so if he is wanted.

At least one trustee said he wanted Dunfee around to help clean up things at the police station.

"He has done an outstanding job with what we gave him to work with," village trustee Stefan Golec said after learning about O'Dell's letter. "I would like to have him stay."

Golec said the trustees should restart the search process and make sure they get the right person.

"Everyday you pick up the paper and read something else about the police," Golec said. "Obviously we're in bad shape. I think we need to catch our breath and spend time and make the right decision. I guess the search goes on."

Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman@reform-er.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 279.