Halifax selectmen announced at their meeting Tuesday that the assessment center tasked with bringing qualified candidates for the Chief of Police position interviewed five candidates, all which Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said came back with passing scores.

Selectmen Chairman Kim Roy and Selectman Troy Garron both wanted to hear from all the candidates given that all passed and none stood out above the others.

“I think it’s only to our benefit to interview all five,” Roy said.

Interviews are scheduled for October 17 and 18. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, October 17

• 9 a.m. – Wayland Police Detective Jamie T. Berger

• 10:15 a.m. – New Bedford Police Lieutenant Joao A. Chaves

• 11:30 a.m. – Wrentham Police Sergeant Barry McGrath

Thursday, October 18

• 2:30 p.m. – Lakeville Police Lieutenant Sean Joyce

• 3:45 p.m. – MBTA Police Lieutenant David F. Albanese

Interviews will be held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in the Halifax Town Hall at 499 Plymouth Street. The interviews are open to the public.

Recycling Abatement Review

At the previous selectmen meeting on September 25, the board announced its intention to deny any recycling abatement request submitted after the set deadline. Residents Jaclyn Conley and Andrew Stalker came to plead their case that they submitted their request on time, but there was no proof as the letter was never time stamped.

Stalker told the board he knows he submitted the abatement request because it was the day before his father passed away.

He added that he put the flag up on his mailbox before putting the letter there. Roy and Garron said they were both sympathetic to the situation but could not extend the deadline because there was no proof, and the board had issues after extending the recycling abatement deadline last year.

“If we do it for one, we have to do it for everyone,” Roy explained to Conley and Stalker.

Selectmen’s Assistant Pam McSherry said the letter likely would have gone to the distribution center at Brockton first. Roy said the deadline meant at the town hall that day rather than in the mail.

Other News

• According to Seelig, algae levels at Monponsett Pond are again at safe levels, which allows the pond to open again. He said he’s happy the algae didn’t keep the town beach at West Monponsett from being open most of the summer, but said before the next season a plan will have to be made to keep the beach better maintained. He suggested setting up a future meeting with the Recreation Department.

• Seelig announced the Highway Department restriped the road lines at Thompson Street on Route 105. The town had received a formal complaint from a Middleborough resident who said lane visibility was difficult at night.  The next selectmen’s meeting is October 23. Open session begins at 7:30 p.m.

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PLYMPTON — The Dennett School Committee on Sept. 24 approved Vice-chairman Jason Fraser and Principal Peter Veneto pursuing a plan to renovate the playground at the elementary school.

These renovations include a second swing set, additional wood chips to a depth of at least 9 inches for any fall of ten feet or less, and an expansion of the path for wheelchairs in the recess area. Fraser also wants to modernize the dinosaur-shaped jungle gym.

Additionally, Fraser and Veneto’s plan involved adding rubberized safety mats near the end of the slide and entrance to the playground fixture. There would also be additional matting near one of the swings. Fraser said all of this would be Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.

“Our playground is not ADA compliant, and if we ever had a child with mobility issues, we’d have a real moral dilemma of what to do to allow equitable access for all children,” Fraser told the committee.

Veneto said the playground is essentially the only thing tailored for younger kids during recess. He said most of the older kids are playing soccer, so this would be a great benefit to the younger grades.

Addressing the playground was first discussed in May 2015 and has been a permanent agenda item since June 2016. Priorities were shifted when the water treatment facility at Dennett needed replacing. Now that students have safe water, Fraser said the time to purchase a new playground is approaching.

According to Fraser, the budget for the playground is roughly $256,505.86. That budget includes 20 percent in contingency costs, but some of the larger costs are the playground equipment, which estimates at about $97,000 and swings costing roughly $36,000.

Fraser said the school hasn’t spent any of its school choice fund in the budget, which has accumulated $92,258.61 from out of district families. Another $40,000 is projected to come in by Fiscal Year 2019. By July 2019, Fraser and Veneto expect there to be $132,258 in that fund that they want to use for one-time expenditures such as playground renovations.

The committee would need about another $125,000 to complete the project. Fraser said the rest could be paid for if a Capital Plan request is approved and/or applying for grant funding through the Community Preservation Act.

Fraser said he believes some of the infrastructure is already there and the school just needs an engineer to look at the playground through a study. The contingency plan funding planned for a study, Fraser said.

School Committee Chairman Jon Wilhelmsen said he liked Fraser and Veneto’s idea for using the school choice funds. He said it’s the perfect use because the money goes right back to the students.

School Drop-Off Procedures

According to Veneto, parents are doing a much better job following school drop-off procedures that do not allow students to be dropped off until 8 a.m.

He said kids can be dropped off then and wait in the cafeteria until 8:15 a.m. before going to class. There will be staff in the cafeteria then, but not any earlier.

“Having those kids there without any supervision of any kind, that’s a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion,” Veneto said.

Roof Audit

Silver Lake Superintendent Joy Blackwood informed the school committee that an assessment of Dennett Elementary’s roof concluded that the school’s roof needs repairs. Blackwood said there have been issues with leaking.

For the repairs to be eligible for grant funding, Blackwood said the roof needs to be at least 20-years-old.

According to Wilhelmsen, some of the roof was built in the ‘90s while the rest was built in 2001. He said it would be worth looking into if the parts of the roof that were built in the ‘90s would be eligible for grant funding.

Principal’s Report

Dennett Elementary School started out with 200 students this September, according to Veneto.

He said some families left for whatever reason, but many homes are for sale in town. He believes it’s possible enrollment will increase by the end of the year.

Calendar

“The Dennett Goes Gold” for childhood cancer research fundraiser started this week. Veneto said there is a gold boot in the office to collect change for childhood cancer research. The campaign culminates with all students being asked to wear gold on Sept. 28

There is no school on Oct. 8 because of Columbus Day.

Parent-teacher conferences are Oct. 18. It’s also an early-release day.

The Halloween dance is Oct. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

PLYMPTON– On Thursday, Sept. 20, Plympton voters turned out in unexpectedly large numbers in support of a special Town Meeting article that authorized the selectmen to purchase a 133-acre parcel off Prospect Road for $800,000 as conservation land.

The article was the only one on the warrant and it passed with near-unanimity. It required a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting, and only a handful of residents in the standing-room only gymnasium at the Dennett School voted against the article.

Mark Russo, who sits on the Board of Selectmen and chairs the Community Preservation Committee, moved the article on behalf of the selectmen, and spoke passionately about the acquisition.

He noted, “The project went through all the usual CPC project reviews,” and announced that the CPC and selectmen both unanimously recommended the article.

Linda Leddy, of the Open Space Committee, said she thought it appropriate that a special Town Meeting was voting on such a “special” project. She said that there will be no impact on the tax-rate.

The subject of the property, that was enrolled in the Chapter 61A tax relief program, came before the Plympton Selectmen when a bona fide purchase and sale had been signed. Under 61A, the town has a right-of-first-refusal, to take over that purchase and sale, which the selectmen voted unanimously to exercise in July.

The total amount of money authorized for the project by Town Meeting was $820,000. Of that, $10,000 had already been placed as a deposit, and $30,000 was a contingency, standard to all Community Preservation Committee projects in town.

The remaining $790,000 came from the Community Preservation Fund Open Space Reserve in the amount of $22,000 and $298,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Fund Balance.

A sum of $470,000 will be borrowed in short-term municipal bonds, that will be paid for by selling up to three small lots with frontage on Prospect Road. Private donations, of which $93,000 have already been raised, will cover the rest, said Leddy. If more than $175,000 in donations is raised, fewer lots may have to be sold or the money can be used for other purposes, including future maintenance of the preserve, said Russo, in a phone interview following the meeting.

Brian Wick, the Town Moderator, kept the mood light. He joked that the peace officer, Doug Mazzola, “would not be needed.” At one point, due to so much applause and enthusiasm for the article and those that spoke in favor of it, he stated that he didn’t want anyone to be uncomfortable and asked the audience to hold their applause. Their excitement couldn’t be contained, and they did not comply with the request.

Several residents spoke in favor of the project, including Frannie Walsh, of West Street. “When we take from nature we have to stop and give back,” she said.

One resident, Harry Weikel, who sits on the Board of Health, had a septic-related question which seemed to be answered by Leddy to his satisfaction, and another resident, also on the Board of Health, spoke against the article.

Arthur Morin, of Granville Baker Way, who several times complimented all the hard work that had gone into the process so far, said he did not feel that Town Meeting should vote “Yes” for the article until there was something in writing guaranteeing that tax-payer money wouldn’t be spent on the preserve if the lots couldn’t be sold or donations weren’t raised.

“I don’t want one cent in taxes [to pay for the project]. That’s my concern,” he said.

But Leddy replied that the lots were desirable, according to real-estate experts. “People feel the lots will sell,” she said.

When Wick, only 40-minutes or so into the meeting, asked if there was any further discussion, and there was none, he called for a vote, and those in favor all rose their hands high in the air. When he called for a vote from those opposed, the residents who rose their hands did so with markedly less enthusiasm.

Thunderous applause filled the room following the vote, lasting for several minutes.

HINGHAM– Edward Savage and Christine Savage entered the court separately Sept. 13, 2018, on a slow, rainy Thursday for a motion to dismiss a shoplifting case against them. Although they stood together when their case was called, they did not sit together while waiting and rushed out of the courtroom following the arguments. Their motion was denied on Wednesday after being taken under advisement.

The Savages, Plympton residents accused of shoplifting from Kohl’s a year ago April, have been involved in a drawn-out legal saga ever since. The case has caught the eye of local media because Edward Savage is the former Hanson police chief, who resigned in 2012.

According to a complaint issued by the Hingham Police Department April 30, 2017, the Savages were caught on surveillance camera by the Kohl’s Department Store, 100 Derby St., Hingham, apparently shoplifting clothing in an amount more than $100.

The two were originally summonsed to appear before the clerk magistrate at Hingham District Court, Joseph Ligotti. The clerk agreed to dismiss the charges, with the agreement of the Hingham police prosecutor, if the Savages stayed out of criminal trouble for eight months and wrote letters of apology for the shoplifting, to the Hingham Police and Kohl’s department store at Derby Shops in Hingham, according to transcripts and recordings of the closed-door hearing, which were released to the media.

The Savages did not write apology letters before Feb. 28, 2018, the end of the probationary period.  A new acting clerk magistrate replacing Ligotti, who retired, seeing that the apology letters had not been received,  issued criminal charges against the Savages, according to court officials.

At the hearing, Daniel Webster, their attorney, argued that the acting clerk magistrate, Andrew Quigley, had no right to issue the criminal charges, and that he in fact, “violated the integrity of the Magistrate’s hearing,” by doing so, because the Savages thought they had until the very last day before the charges were dismissed to write apology letters.

Quigley never held a probable cause hearing of his own, according to records.

During the hearing on the motion to dismiss, held before Judge John P. Stapleton, who was engaged and asked many questions, Webster read a quote from Ligotti’s hearing:

“Okay, I am getting two letters written, signed by both people. I’m going to continue this matter until 2/28 of ’18 for dismissal. It will automatically dismiss on that date, no need to be back. Should you be dumb enough to do anything else illegal, this will automatically kick in and will automatically come back…and it [charges] will be issued,” he said.

Despite the lack of a due date for the letters, Stapleton denied the motion to dismiss the charges noting that the court had not found that the acting clerk magistrate, Quigley, had violated the integrity of the clerk magistrate hearing.

The Savages are being prosecuted by an outside prosecutor, Frances Cannone, of Essex County.

They will be back in court at a date to be determined to face the criminal complaint. A court official noted that it looks like the case will be headed for either a trial or settlement.

The case is ongoing.

PLYMPTON– On Monday, Sept. 10, Plympton Selectmen met at Town House for about an hour. They prepared for the Special Town Meeting, discussed an earth removal permit and talked about restoration projects at Old Town House.

Special Town Meeting

The warrant for the Thursday, Sept. 20, Special Town Meeting is ready to go and has been mailed to residents. With one article only, to purchase the property known as the Twin Brooks Preserve, the Special Town Meeting warrant is short.

Selectmen Chairman Mark Russo will speak for the board at the meeting, recommending the article.

The Community Preservation Committee and the Open Space Committee are also expected to present at the 7 p.m. meeting at the Dennett School.

For weeks, town officials have been diligently putting together this article that allows the town to exercise its right of first refusal on the sale of the property. The property, that would otherwise be sold for gravel excavation, is classified as a Chapter 61A agricultural property, allowing the town this option because of the change in ownership.

Earth Removal Permit

The board discussed another Chapter 61A property, this time bogs owned by Harju Limited Partnership, abutting Main Street, Pleasant Street and Mayflower Road.

Many years of sand and gravel have built up on-site as part of the cranberry-growing process, and the partnership wishes to remove the excess.

The board voted to exempt them from an earth-removal permit, not only because they are not actually removing earth in the traditional sense per-se, but because the property is Chapter 61A agriculture property, and does not need a permit for the work sought.

Rick Burnet, of the Conservation Committee, mentioned that his board wished for some silt barriers to be in place before the work, and that his committee would do a site visit.

The Selectmen made a motion to approve the work, as it is exempt from a permit, pending any requirements from other boards and committees.

Restoration at Old Town House

Elizabeth Dennehy, Town Administrator, reported that bids for the windows and doors at the Old Town House (the Historical Society Building) came in higher than anticipated. Jon Wilhelmsen, of the historical society, is currently checking references on the bidders, according to Dennehy.

“The ball’s in their court now,” said Russo, but Dennehy noted that the ball would eventually be back in the Selectmen’s court for final approval of any money being spent.

Selectman John Traynor noted that he had seen birds flying behind the clapboard in the eaves of the building.

He stated that it would be a shame to do all of the planned work and not address the clapboard.

He hoped that money to fix this problem could come out of the Building and Maintenance budget.

In other news:

• The board is in very early discussions regarding the purchase of software that would assist in planning paving and road maintenance.

• Email addresses will be changed in the near future at Town House. A date for the rollover has not been set.

• Selectman John Traynor received two informational bids to add amplifying speakers to the Large Meeting Room of Town House.

One bid was around $10,000, the other was around $4,000. Russo will bring the information to Area58 TV for their input.

• Construction at the Public Safety Building is going slower than expected, but there may be money found to build a permanent driveway, that had been previously deferred.

• Special Town Meeting is Sept. 20, 7 p.m. at the Dennett Elementary School with the single warrant article being the proposed purchase of Prospect Road acreage from the Atwood Family Trust.

• Selectmen will next meet Monday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m.

Turnout was higher than expected in Tuesday’s primary elections, according to clerks in both Plympton and Halifax and unofficial election data.

By 9 a.m. turnout was high in Plympton, and town clerks in both Plympton and Halifax anticipated a busy day.

In Plympton total turnout was 24 percent, with 548 ballots cast, more than twice the ballots from the last primary. In Halifax there were 1,309 ballots cast, representing 23 percent turnout.

Many races were not contested in either primary, although a few were close.

The Republican race for Representative for the 12th Plymouth District, which includes Duxbury, Halifax, Kingston, Middleborough, Plymouth and Plympton, was too close to call until Tuesday night. It was the most watched contest locally. Late Tuesday night, Summer Schmaling, who won handily in Plympton and Halifax, conceded the nomination to Joseph Truschelli, who won overall, by just a few votes.

“I think it was a great race. I commend my opponent for getting into the race. It was an issues-driven campaign. I look forward to working with her [Schmaling], and hopefully this goes our way,” said Truschelli in comments to the Express Wednesday via cellphone. “It was a very tight race…there was good turnout,” he added.

Schmaling did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

Truschelli will face Kathy LaNatra, a Kingston selectman and business-owner, in the General Election Nov. 6.

Geoff Diehl bested John Kingston and Beth Joyce Lindstrom for Senator. He will face Elizabeth Warren in the state-wide race for Senator in November.

For the race of Governor, Charlie Baker, the Republican incumbent, will face Democrat Jay Gonzales, who won against Bob Massie, in the General Election.

Karyn Polito, a Republican, will run against Quentin Palfrey, a Democrat, for Lieutenant Governor.

James McMahon, III, in a close race, bested Daniel Shores in the Republican primary for Attorney General. He will face Maura Healey, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in the General Election.

Anthony Amore, who ran unopposed in his Republican primary, will now face incumbent William Galvin, who beat Josh Zakim in the Democratic primary, for Secretary of State.

The Treasurers’ primaries were both unopposed. Keiko Orrall will face Deborah Goldberg, the Democratic incumbent, in the General Election.

The Auditor’s race was also unopposed. Helen Brady will face the Democratic incumbent Suzanne Bump in the General Election.

Peter Tedeschi, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary will face Bill Keating, the Democratic incumbent.

Christopher Iannella, Jr. a Democrat who ran against Mark Rooney, will be Councilor, as he has no opponent.

Michael Brady, the incumbent Democrat for State Senator, will run against Republican Scott Hall in the General Election.

Timothy J. Cruz, the Republican incumbent for District Attorney will remain in that office as he has no opponent, as will Democrats Robert Creedon, Jr. as Clerk of Courts and John Buckley, Jr. as Register of Deeds.

There was one person who pulled the Libertarian ballot in Plympton, which only had one race.

HALIFAX – Hingham resident Bob Demaggio has vacationed at Halifax’s Lake Monponsett for over four decades. His wife and kids have continued to go there every summer and take out the boat. Last Tuesday, Demaggio brought up a safety concern regarding the lake to the Board of Selectmen.

“I had an incident at the beginning of the month where I was taking my whaler with my wife,” Demaggio said.

Demaggio was going north on East Monponsett Lake when he said he hit an obstruction. Even going only at a trolling (slow) speed. Demaggio said the boat flew out of the water. His wife almost fell from the boat.

“I lost the prop (propeller), that’s no big deal, but I didn’t wat to lose a wife. That’s the important thing,” Demaggio said.

Demaggio and the Board of Selectmen believed the obstruction was some sort of glacial erratic. Glacial erratics are large rocks transported by glaciers and left behind when they melt.

So far, Demaggio said he’s spoken to the town, state, and Watershed Authority. He said it bothers him that there isn’t a sign warning people about the moving glacial rocks.

Selectman Thomas Millias said Demaggio’s request sounds reasonable. Selectman Tory Garron agreed. He said the Board will talk to the town’s other boards and will see what can be done.

New Board/Committee Appointments

The Halifax Housing Authority filled a vacancy on its committee with both the Board of Selectmen’s and Housing Authority’s appointment of Paula Walker.

Walker is used to a fast pace style of work having worked 50 years in the media industry including time with the Patriot Ledger, Brockton Enterprise, and the Boston Globe.

When asked by the Board of Selectmen why she wants to join the Housing Authority, Walker said she’s bored in retirement. Garron joked saying Walker will have to serve another 50 years with the Housing Authority.

Both boards unanimously approved Walker’s appointment.

Peter Veneto was unanimously appointed to the  Central Plymouth County Water District Advisory Board. Laurie Monahan was appointed as an alternate.

Other News

Town Administrator Charlie Seelig announced that several weeks ago, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an expansion on what types of cancer are covered by insurance for police officers and firefighters. Seelig sent a note to the state auditors office asking specifically what is in the mandate. The mandate is expected to cover all types of cancer.

The Board of Selectmen approved changes to the job description for the application process for a new police chief. At the suggestion of the Police Chief Assessment Center the Board of Selectmen voted to require at least a Bachelors degree for the position and a Masters degree to be the preference.

The next Board of Selectmen meeting is Tuesday, September 11. Open session starts at 7:30 p.m.

PLYMPTON– Although it never affected Plympton’s 911 service, handled by the Regional Old Colony Communications Center in Duxbury, last Saturday’s torrential downpours apparently knocked out the business line of the Plympton Fire Department.

It is still not working as of press time.

Captain John Sjostedt has taken to Facebook to communicate with the public. According to him, 911, which should be used for emergencies, and 781-585-0783, a direct line to the fire station which can also be used for emergencies, are both in working order.

The business line for the ROCCC in Duxbury also works.

But the business line for the PFD, 781-585-2633, rings twice and then goes to an error message stating that the number is out of service.

Capt. Sjostedt, reached via email, said, at first that this was a technical problem at the ROCCC.

The director of the ROCCC, Michael Mahoney, said that it was a problem in Plympton.

“We are more than capable of handling any emergency calls at our center,” said Mahoney. “I believe it is an internal problem [at Plympton] and they have technicians on it.”

Town Administrator Elizabeth Dennehy said Monday night that Verizon, the town’s telephone provider, is looking into the issue.

The Express contacted Verizon for comment, and Verizon stated they would look into the issue.

But after contacting Verizon, Sjostedt followed up and stated that he didn’t believe that this was a Verizon problem at all.

“It is actually not a Verizon issue,” he said. “That’s part of the hang up. There is another service involved and I’m having difficulty figuring out who the other involved company is.”

Internet searches reveal the number to come back to the PFD, but do not report which phone carrier issued the number.

Always call 911 in an emergency, officials say.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen have approved a plan for deal with some of the traffic on Route 106 caused by pick up and drop off at Halifax Elementary School.

According to Selectmen Chair Kim Roy, the traffic is getting pushed down Route 106 in both directions. “It is becoming a safety issue,” Roy said.

Roy said the traffic is becoming a safety issue because oftentimes, the traffic is pushing in front of the fire station.

Selectman Troy Garron said the situation makes it difficult for ambulances to get out during emergencies at those times of day.

The approved plan involves Highway Surveyor Steven Heyward removing some dead trees. Then, he’ll take some left-over asphalt from another project to create a path that will get some of the traffic off the road.

Selectman Thomas Millias said this won’t solve the problem completely, but it will at least get some of the traffic off Route 106.

Licensing News

The Board of Selectmen approved a 10-month extension for Jan and Raymond Jacobs for a temporary trailer at 23 Annawon Drive.

The Jacobs’ house burned down, so they have been living in the trailer as a temporary home. The house is in the process of being repaired, but the demolition of the old one hasn’t yet been completed.

Jan Jacobs said they will need a 10-month permit extension for the repairs to be completed. The Board of Selectmen approved this extension unanimously.

Millias said because “insurance tends to drag these things on,” come back for another extension if necessary.

Mud Fest

Mud Fest head operator Robert Bergstrom came in and told the Board of Selectmen that, as of right now, attendance is down from previous years.

Because of the lack of attendance, Bergstrom asked if it be okay to reduce the police detail at the festival from six officers down to four. The Board of Selectmen left that decision up to Police Chief Edward Broderick.

Broderick who was in attendance for the meeting, said he was not going to commit to anything tonight. However, he said he is willing to work with Bergstrom.

As Mud Fest approaches, Bergstrom and Broderick will look at expected attendance. Broderick said he’ll then make the appropriate decision based on safety.

Mud fest is scheduled for November 11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other News

• Theresa Levenson has resigned from the Halifax Fireworks Committee. The Board said Levenson did most of the work on the committee for many years without a lot of volunteer support.  In Levenson’s resignation letter, she cited frustration from a lack of volunteers. The Board of Selectmen said they did’t blame her. Millias said he understands how one can get burned out when they are in a group doing the majority of the work.

Selectmen accepted Levenson’s resignation and are writing a letter to thank her for her service to the town.

• The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved appointing Judy Rakutis to the Old Colony Elder Services Board of Directors (ODEC).

Rakutis said she is excited to get involved in town. She became a Halifax resident three years ago when she moved to town the day after Thanksgiving, 2015.  Rakutis also lived in Halifax as a child. She was going to move to Florida before moving back here but chose to be closer to her daughter in East Bridgewater after her husband passed away.

“I always wanted to come back,” Rakutis said. “I am by accident.”

The next meeting of the Halifax Board of Selectmen is Tuesday, August 28 at 7 p.m.

There will be a Special Town Meeting Monday, August 20, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

The Halifax Police Department along with representatives of the Plymouth Country District Attorney’s office held a public forum at the Halifax Town Hall on Tuesday answering questions about a series of home and car break-ins occurring in town.

On Tuesday July 31, Halifax Police arrested Jamir Johnson in connection with the break-ins. During the booking process, it was found that Johnson had murder charges filed against him for a December 2017 murder in New London, CT.

Police Chief Edward Broderick said they held the joint meeting so victims and residents could understand what’s happening with the process and to clear any confusion that could potentially occur with charges given the impending transfer of the prisoner back to Connecticut where he will answer murder charges there.

In cases like this, the murder and fugitive charges in Connecticut are addressed first. According to Assistant District Attorney Rick Linehan, the Halifax charges will be temporarily dropped. Linehan wanted to clear up any confusion over the charges being dropped because they will be refiled after the fact.

We will get warrants issued,” said Linehan. “We will get them in the WMS Warrant Management System and the NCIC a national database so if he ever got out the Connecticut case, his warrant will be right in the computer on the time of his release.”

Both Broderick and Linehan said they wanted to emphasize how this process worked in case victims and other residents read in a news outlet that the charges on Johnson were dropped.

Broderick also reiterated that a report of Johnson having a gun was false. He said Johnson was found with a knife and burglary tools.

The public forum also gave the Halifax Police Department a chance to let victims know what they know so far and what the department is still investigating.

According to Broderick, police are still looking to tie Johnson to a residence. As of right now, police do not know if Johnson was staying in the woods, an abandoned property, or at a Halifax residence.

The department are asking for community members to come forward if they’ve seen anything or haven’t reported a break in yet.

“Search your memory a little bit,” said Broderick. “You guys are the eyes and ears.”

Currently, police are aware of four homes and sheds being broken into since May. More than 54 cars were also reportedly broken into. Similar break-ins were reported in Pembroke.

One resident asked if Johnson confessed to anything. Sergeant Theodore Benner said Johnson would not even tell police his name or who he was. There was not much interrogation after police found out about Johnson’s murder charges.

Broderick said, “We don’t want to jeopardize the Connecticut issue, so we don’t go too into depth on an interrogation on our charges.” He explained that the murder charges take priority here.

Another resident asked if there will be any retribution for the theft victims. Broderick said it could be hard to prove all the cases and the more evidence that’s provided and the more people that come forward, it helps them build a stronger case.

Representatives from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office offered to take contact information from victims. There will be a letter sent out to victims when the charges are refiled. Any victim can call the District Attorney’s office at (508) 584-8120.