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Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello fired after allegedly deleting texts amid investigation

Campanello's lawyer says the firing was "without justification" and called the investigation "a witch hunt."

By Nik DeCosta-Klipa

October 3, 2016

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Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello will be fired for destroying and tampering with evidence in an investigation of “disturbing allegations” about his personal behavior, the city’s mayor, Sefatia Romeo Theken, said Monday afternoon.

In a press conference, Romeo Theken said the city received a call on September 7 from a woman alleging what officials described as “inappropriate conduct” by Campanello. The mayor said the woman expressed concern for her safety. Days later, Romeo Theken said the city received a second call alleging separate inappropriate conduct by Campanello with another woman.

According to Romeo Theken, investigators asked Campanello to turn over his city-issued cell phone, but the police chief falsely said it was taken from his office and then turned it in with its contents deleted.

The police chief, who has garnered national acclaim for his approach to drug addiction, was placed on paid administration leave September 13. In a press conference earlier Monday afternoon, Campanello’s lawyer, Terrence Kennedy, said the firing was “without justification” and called the investigation “a witch hunt.”

With Campanello standing by his side, Kennedy said the reasoning for the police chief’s firing “had nothing to do” with the reasons the investigation was conducted. Kennedy also said the city violated Campanello’s contract throughout the process of the investigation.

For her part, Romeo Theken emphasized that Campanello was not being fired for his alleged personal behavior, but for his role in “purposefully misleading” investigators and “destroying evidence.”

“It’s not his personal life at issue here,” said Leonard Kesten, the city’s attorney.

In a press release, city officials said Campanello’s phone contained “critical information” regarding the allegations being made against him and asked the police chief to turn in his phone. Campanello said it was locked in his office at the Gloucester Police Department. When the city went to retrieve the phone, it wasn’t there.

According to Romeo Theken, officials were later contacted by Kennedy, who told them he had received Campanello’s phone via overnight mail, in a package with a Gloucester Police Department return address.

During a subsequent meeting, officials said Campanello suggested someone at the department had removed the phone without his permission.

Upon receiving the phone, city officials said it had been “factory reset,” effectively deleting all its contents. Kesten said that, based on telephone records, they could determine that “thousands” of texts—including 634 on one day with the first woman—were lost to investigators.

Given the suggestion by Campanello that the phone was stolen from his office, Romeo Theken said the city asked Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett to investigate.

Tracking data on the package in which Campanello’s phone was sent indicated it was sent from the Everett Post Office, Romeo Theken said. And on Friday, she said Blodgett contacted the city to tell them surveillance video at the post office showed Campanello sending it.

“It is clear that Chief Campanello’s statements suggesting the theft from inside the police station were false,” officials said in the press release Monday. Romeo Theken said she had “lost confidence” in Campanello in light of his actions.

Pursuant to his contract, Kesten said Campanello has been given 30 days notice and can present evidence on his behalf at a hearing to be scheduled.

Along with Campanello, another Gloucester police officer, Detective Sean Connors, had been put on paid administrative leave in early September, as the city hired outside firms to conduct investigations of them both.  Last week, the investigation expanded to the entire department.

Romeo Theken said Monday no information would be released Monday regarding the audits of Connors or the department. Acting Chief John McCarthy will continue to head the department, officials said.

Over the course of the last year, Campanello had been honored by the White House and was the subject of a lengthy New York Times article for his department’s work combating opioid addiction. In May 2015, Campanello announced his department would treat addiction as a disease, rather than a crime, and would not arrest those seeking help.

By April, more than 400 addicts had come to Gloucester for treatment at the department’s Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative. Kennedy said Monday that number has reached over 500.

Romeo Theken said Monday the program would continue in its current capacity, as well as expand into helping addicts with workplace reentry.

“It’s going as it is,” she said. “The city of Gloucester is committed to helping people who want to be helped.”

Kennedy said Monday that Campanello intends to “continue to advocate for those suffering from addiction.” In a tweet Monday afternoon, the chief thanked the Gloucester community.

https://twitter.com/ChiefGPD/status/783037393892933632