Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Incident And Executive Session topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select board questions handling of police cruiser crash and executive-session use
Summary
Board members and residents pressed the police chief about a November cruiser crash that later was discussed in executive session; the board debated whether the matter qualified for executive session, why notification to select members was delayed, and whether a contract clause requiring a blood test applied.
The Select Board publicly reviewed executive-session minutes related to a single-vehicle police cruiser crash on Nov. 7, 2025, involving Officer Ed Panero and a town cruiser. The reading and subsequent discussion raised two main issues: (1) whether the subject met the legal standard for executive session and (2) whether department procedures (notifying select board members and following contract drug-and-alcohol-testing rules) were followed.
Selectman Richard Chaffy told the board he was upset he learned of the crash from a resident rather than directly; the chief had emailed the town administrator and administrative assistant several days after the incident. Chief Michael Blanchard said he had delayed sending notice while he collected facts and that the cruiser was drivable immediately after the incident. Officer Panero told the board he was “embarrassed” and “took full responsibility,” saying he had pulled up, opened his laptop to log and misjudged the turn; he estimated impact speed at 10–15 mph.
Board members asked whether contractual language required an automatic blood-alcohol test for single-occupant accidents or those above a dollar threshold. Town counsel advised that the contract language and statute should be reviewed and that the town should clarify who (police department administrative staff or the select board office) is responsible for arranging tests. The board agreed to ask town counsel to review the contract and to pursue procedural steps so that future logs are made in safer locations and that notifications go directly to select-board members.
Several residents and board members said the incident highlighted operational gaps while the town is short-staffed. A member suggested using dispatch rather than in-vehicle laptops to create patrol logs and to avoid obstructing an officer’s view. The board accepted the chief’s apology and encouraged steps to prevent recurrence.
What’s next: the board will ask town counsel to review the contract language on drug-and-alcohol testing, request the state police report, and coordinate with the chief on clearer notification and logging procedures.
