Newton Ex-Employee Accused Of Shutting Down Police Department Website

NEWTON, MA — A former Newton city employee is accused of shutting down the police department's website over a pay dispute, reported The Boston Globe.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said the employee, Steven Smith, took down the department’s website for over a week earlier this summer and replaced it with a message that asked viewers to contact Fuller in order to restore the site.

Fuller said Smith owns newtonpolice.com, controls access to the site, and has not turned it over to the city. A new police department website has since been created and the old one is no longer active.

“Following his departure, Mr. Smith essentially shut down the NPD website, a vital resource for the residents of the City of Newton and those who may have business with NPD,” Fuller told the Globe.

Smith notified Newton officials in March he would be leaving for a new position, the paper reported. At the time of the shutdown, Smith felt he was owed about $137,000 in accrued compensatory time.

“All actions I took in my role were done with the approval and authorization of the Newton police chief at the time,” Smith told the Globe. “I am disheartened by the city’s representation of the facts in this matter. I will continue to work with the city to resolve any outstanding issues.”

Smith worked for the city from August 2004 until April 2022, when he became director of police certification for the Massachusetts Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission.