Preposterous that Alton Police Dept. study is under a gag order

To the editor,

I must commend the Sun's reporter, Gail Ober, for her investigative story that was page one, "top-of-the-fold," in the April 20 edition of The Sun.

It has bothered me since last November that Alton's police lieutenant has been paid $31.86 per hour to not report for work. Your reporter placed that at $29,056.32 to date — and still counting!

I have been more than a little vocal as to what's taking so long? However, as your news report had it, the town administrator would not answer your reporter's question because, on advice of counsel, he was advised to say absolutely nothing. Which he did well in declining to contribute any info for the taxpayers to judge.

Among the reasons from counsel to deprive the public of information was that "there are certain members of the public who feel that they should know the details of everything that happens in town." If I am not the person being referred to, I am in the top three or so who wants to know the details of everything that happens in Alton. You bet, I am a significant taxpayer and an advocate of transparency in government, since it was my time and money to get the selectmen's meeting on LRPA's Channel 26 in 1999, and I have been, annoyingly to those in power, pursuing transparency ever since then.

I am not only not apologizing for wanting the public to know what the Alton selectmen are doing — or not doing — in the town's interests, I am proud of being more than the squeaking wheel.

Yes, I can understand that the actions being taken, or not, against one officer in the Police Department are both legal and personnel matters and, therefore, are non-public. But, without revealing too much detail, why is it taking half a year, and $29,056.32 of money down the drain?

What is more preposterous is that the "examination" of the Alton Police Department is also under a gag order for our town administrator. Why is that "non-public"? If our P.D. is being reviewed by some consultant or qualified body for recommendations for improvements, we who are footing the bill certainly deserve to know who they are and what their mission statement is, and so on. Do not just simply send us the bill without an itemization.

Come on, the persons being the "Town of Alton," give us taxpayers and voters a modicum of comfort that you are not ripping us off. Give us some clue that we are getting our moneys worth. Please.

Bob Longabaugh

Alton Bay