Alton police chief due back at work on Friday; was not being paid during 3 week absence

ALTON — While the details of his absence are still fuzzy, acting police chief Bruce MacDougall said yesterday that Chief Ryan Heath would return to work this Friday. Substantial evidence suggests the Selectboard suspended Heath from his job for three weeks, without pay.

Last week, The Daily Sun reported that a member of the Alton Police Department, when asked, said Heath was on a medical leave.

But Monday night, responding to a Right-to-Know request from The Baysider newspaper, selectmen acknowledged that records would show that Heath was not being paid during his three-week absence and that no member of the Alton Police Department had requested a medical leave.

MacDougall is a former police chief from Massachusetts who works for Municipal Resources, Inc. of Meredith as a police department consultant and, occasionally, a temporary chief.

As of Friday, he will have been in Alton for three weeks.

Municipal Resources Inc. had previously been hired by the town to conduct two inquiries — one into issues surrounding Lt. Richard Vanderhoof, who was on paid administrative leave, and one into the general actions of the Alton Police Department.

As the result of a lawsuit filed in Strafford County Superior Court, Vanderhoof, the former second in command at the department. was paid $31,589 in wages for overtime he worked but for which he was never paid. Information about Vanderhoof's settlement agreement with the town is on file with the office of the Town Clerk and is part of a general release of all further claims either party may have against the other.

Vanderhoof was placed on paid administrative leave in November of 2010 for reasons never disclosed by town officials or Vanderhoof.

After a lengthy investigation by MRI that cost taxpayers $53,025, Vanderhoof was reinstated to his position and placed back on active duty. He soon resigned.

Until now, Vanderhoof has refused all comments about his former job with the Police Department.

According to Vanderhoof, who replied late last week to an e-mail sent to him, he filed five complaints against Heath with the Office of the Attorney General and he notified the town in writing about the complaints in early December of 2010.

He said the complaints were referred to the Strafford County Attorney's Office due to potential conflicts of interest.

"On Oct. 12, 2011, I was informed by Bruce MacDougall of MRI that he concluded his investigation and the investigatory results were five sustained allegations against Chief Heath based on my allegations of his misconduct that is being investigated by the Strafford County Attorney at the direction of the Attorney General(s) Office," wrote Vanderhoof.

He declined to say what the complaints were, saying they were then and are now personnel issues, and said he has never been told by selectmen what, if any, administrative action was taken by selectmen as the result of MacDougall's investigation.

Vanderhoof added, however, that MacDougall informed him the selectmen had "administered discipline" to Heath as a result of his investigation.

Heath could not be reached for comment.