Windham County Sheriff's Department
~ Breaking News ~

By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN, Reformer Staff
Brattleboro Reformer

Cronan has been in the Bellows Falls department for a few weeks, and he told the trustees that while there is still work to be done, the department has many of the pieces in place to adequately protect Bellows Falls.

"The department is functioning and working. You have a lot of the building blocks in the right place, and one or two of the blocks may have to be thrown out, but there is a good infrastructure to start with."

Cronan did not give details on the blocks that will have to go.

The Bellows Falls Police Department has come under a long stretch of bad publicity, with two state police investigations being carried out, numerous lawsuits to contend with, and the resignation of the former interim chief John Dunfee, which was followed by the leading candidate to replace him pulling out of the job at the last minute.

Cronan's report came on the heels of Finance Director John O'Connor telling the board that overtime was still an issue in the department and this year's budget is likely to reach $1 million, making up almost 60 percent of the village's expenses.

The village is paying Cronan $5,000 a month and he is in the village two days a week.

According to Cronan, it is going to be hard to protect the village on a smaller budget, but he said he was taking a close look at how business was operated and would be coming before the board with ideas to save money where it is possible.

Cronan is a retired state trooper and runs his own private investigation company.

He has been interviewing the officers and plans to make recommendations to the trustees about making changes in the department.

He met with the trustees behind closed doors for about an hour Tuesday.

"When he finishes here, he will present the board with a confidential report on what he thinks ought to be done," Municipal Manager John Schempf said in an interview Wednesday. "He is coming from outside, and he knows the area. We've asked him to assess the performance capabilities and at the same time to make recommendations."

At the meeting, Schempf asked Cronan what he has seen so far. Cronan said morale was still a problem, though he said it was improving.

And he said the stories on the street, while damaging, have not crippled the department.

"So the patient is off life support, but is still critical?" Schempf asked Cronan at the meeting.

"It is better than critical," Cronan answered. "There is not a lot of support, and rumors fly. We've got to get rid of that, but I told them that when you are out there and doing your job, you are going to get all the support you need."

Cronan said the recent work by the department to arrest two men who allegedly took part in a large crime spree, breaking into numerous businesses in the area, was one example of how the department was still operating at a high level.

"You have a good group of officers that has the best interests of the village at heart. Are there problems? Sure. Everyone knows there are, but these are hard-working individuals," Cronan said.

The department's biggest challenge right now is getting the right chief to provide leadership, Cronan said.

The village has reopened its search for a new full-time chief, and is moving forward to fill that position.

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