Somerville police chief hit for ad on wine bill

Somerville Police Chief Robert Bradley taped a television commercial Sunday to support the opponents of a ballot question that would allow more food stores to sell wine, but the supermarkets pushing for the measure say the chief is distorting the facts and violating state ethics laws.

At press conferences, in direct mail brochures, and in the new 15-second commercial, Bradley has said passage of Question 1 would make enforcement of liquor laws more difficult and increase drunken-driving fatalities.

"I think it's ludicrous," he said yesterday about the proposal to sell wine in food stores. "I think we're sending the wrong message."

Christopher Flynn, president of the Massachusetts Food Association, yesterday filed a complaint with the State Ethics Commission and sent a letter to Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone complaining that Bradley has his facts wrong and also violated state ethics laws barring public employees from using public resources on political activities. Bradley said he filmed the commercial in uniform in his office on Sunday morning.

In the commercial, Bradley says voters shouldn't be fooled by Question 1. "What it's really about is doubling the amount of liquor licenses that we'll have in this state," he says in the ad. "Here in the city of Somerville we'll go from 26 to 46 licenses. It's not just about supermarkets. It's about convenience stores. It's about gas station minimarts being able to sell alcohol."

The law proposed by Question 1 would create a new category of liquor license called a wine-at-food-store license. The law would allow a total of 2,879 of these to be issued statewide, but only if local officials in each municipality approve them.

Bradley said he was aware local officials would have to approve the licenses, and thought he had qualified his statement about how many licenses would be approved. He said local officials would be under intense pressure to grant them.

Officials at the Somerville License Commission declined to comment on how they would rule on licenses.

As for the allegations of ethical misconduct , Bradley said Somerville's legal counsel was researching the issue. Curtatone did not return phone calls. The State Ethics Commission does not comment on complaints it receives.

Bradley said the commercial was filmed on one of his days off from work. He said the group opposed to Question 1 had asked him Saturday night to film the ad. Question 1's opponents include the state's beer distributors, liquor wholesalers, and package stores.

Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.