First Open Decertification Hearings
Police Standards & Training Council Required To Make Process Public
For the first time, police decertification hearings took place in an open session of the Police Standards and Training Council on July 27, the result of a June Superior Court decision that ruled that most requests to close the hearings to the public should be denied unless there is a compelling reason to discuss the matter behind closed doors.
Hearings for officers in the Tilton, Manchester, Rochester, and Hinsdale police departments took place in public, despite Concord attorney John Krupski’s request to consider the case of Manchester police officer Richard Valenti behind closed doors. The council refused, although it did briefly discuss medical matters in private.
Valenti had been found guilty of driving while intoxicated, but otherwise had a clean personnel record. The council issued a 60-day suspension, which had already been in place, so he is able to return to work.
Tilton police officer Tyler Colcord was considered for decertification because, when he was 18, he had sold a bag of marijuana. While he had admitted to the sale during a background review, former Police Chief Robert Cormier had not been informed of the incident. The council granted a waiver to allow him to remain on the force.
The only hearings taking place behind closed doors had to do with certification problems.
Attorney General Warns of Fraudulent TSA Websites
Attorney General John M. Formella has warned residents of fraudulent websites that purport to be part of the TSA PreCheck Application Program which provides low-risk passengers with expedited security screenings for participating airlines.
The fraudulent TSA PreCheck websites may appear in online searches, prompting consumers to enter personal information and make payments to process the applications.
Those encountering such websites may file complaints at https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm or call the Consumer Hotline at 603-271-3641.
Affirming Tribal Voting Rights
Vice-President Kamala Harris met with leaders from American Indian and Alaskan indigenous communities on July 27 to discuss voting rights and the challenges that Native Americans have faced in exercising those rights.
The leaders noted the long distances that their voters must travel to reach polling places, as well as anti-voter laws that directly impact tribal communities. They also discussed how they are engaging voters by connecting the issues they care about to their vote.
Harris has been working with a broad coalition of Americans to protect and strengthen voting rights. She has convened people from all walks of life to share their stories and concerns, including meeting last week with poll workers to hear about their experiences.
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