Denied Again: Waltham Committee Rejects Police Chief Investigation

For the second time, the City Council’s Finance Committee rejected a request for money to conduct an internal affairs investigation of Waltham Police Chief Thomas LaCroix. 

LaCroix is facing charges in relation to an alleged June 2012 attack on his wife and her friend at his Maynard home. LaCroix is currently living under house arrest and is on paid leave from the police department. His trial is scheduled to begin March 27.

The committee rejected Mayor Jeannette McCarthy’s request for $10,000 for the investigation in a 3-1 vote.

The Finance Committee recently rejected a similar with members saying the same information could be learned from the upcoming trial.

McCarthy has insisted an outside investigator is necessary because having the police department investigate its own chief would be a conflict of interest.

Overall, councillors rejected the newer request citing the same concerns — that the investigation would become too costly. Committee member Paul Brasco said he could not support it because the mayor had not provided a scope of investigation to the committee.

“I know that these investigations are costly and time consuming,” Brasco said.

McCarthy, however, insisted the police department’s regulations require the city investigate whether LaCroix broke the department’s administrative employment rules. Such rules are separate from the criminal charges. The internal investigation, she said, could lead to disciplinary action.

McCarthy said the timing of the request is intended to coincide with the start of the trial. She said she is trying to cease salary payments of $3,216 per week to LaCroix as soon as possibele because a recent arbitration decision forbids her from keeping officers on paid leave indefinitely. 

If approved, the city would hire a retired state police officer to interview Framingham and Maynard police officers involved in the case and attend the trial. McCarthy did not specify how the officers were involved. 

City Councillor Tom Curtin, the Finance Committee chairman, however opposed the request because, in his opinion, the rules McCarthy cited do not apply to the chief and only to lower-ranking officers. Curtin said the investigation should be handled as if it were any other city department head being investigated. McCarthy disagreed saying officers cannot be treated differently in personnel situations.

Committee member Kathy McMenimen, however, supported the request saying the city needs to learn as much as it can about the case.