Methuen police chief on administrative leave fired

Email|Print|Single Page| Text size – + By Kytja Weir

Globe Correspondent / May 8, 2008

METHUEN - The mayor of Methuen fired the city's police chief yesterday, more than seven months after the chief was placed on administrative leave amid an ongoing probe into how the city used federal grants.

It was the third round of disciplinary action against Joseph Solomon in more than a year.

In this latest case, Solomon faced nine allegations, including accusations that he ordered police to travel to his sister's house roughly 280 times for reasons not related to law enforcement and authorized an executive assistant to "triple dip" by receiving two sets of federal overtime funds on top of her salary.

Mayor William M. Manzi said the action would end uncertainty for the Police Department and the city of more than 44,000 along the New Hampshire line. "We can move on as a community," he told the Globe.

Solomon's lawyer, Andrew Gambaccini, greeted the news with some relief. He said Solomon had been expecting such an outcome for months and is now eager to appeal the decision to the state Civil Service Commission, in which Gambaccini says the former chief will receive a fairer hearing.

Solomon has argued that he has been retaliated against for being a whistle-blower in a federal corruption probe targeting the mayor. Manzi has denied the allegations. The FBI has been unwilling to confirm whether Manzi is being investigated.

The roots of the controversy stretch back more than two years to when questions were raised into how the Methuen Police Department handled federal funds.

Federal officials have twice told the city that it misused grant money for overtime payments, and it now says the city needs to pay back about $170,000 of a US Justice Department community policing grant. Neither Manzi nor Solomon - or anyone in the Police Department - has been criminally charged.

But the controversy has led to headaches for the community.

The deputy chief, Joseph Alaimo, unexpectedly retired early; a union leader, Joseph Allaiello, is suing the city; and Methuen has had to pay legal fees and wages to a chief who is sitting at home.

Solomon was suspended for three days without pay in a disciplinary hearing in March 2007, and then was suspended in September with pay. In February, the city began hearings on the allegations, hearings that continued over seven days into April.

Solomon has appealed the first two actions against him and also has a pending suit in Lawrence Superior Court against the city over his wages. It was not immediately clear when the state commission will take up his appeals.

The mayor did not attend the latest hearing against Solomon but decided to fire him based on the recommendation of the attorney who conducted the hearings, Michael J. Marks. Manzi said Katherine Lavigne will continue to serve as interim police chief.

Kytja Weir can be reached at kytja.weir@gmail.com.

Correction: Because of an editing error, a story in yesterday's City & Region section on Methuen's police chief being fired misspelled the surname of union leader Joseph Aiello, who is suing the city.