The Plympton Halifax Kingston Express Newspaper has been notified of complaints received by the Plympton Police Association from the Command Staff, as well as a Recall Petition to the Plympton Board of Selectmen for Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Dana Smith. The recall petition was filed on the grounds of continued harassment of members of the Plympton Police Department, dereliction of duties as Board of Selectmen Chair, and being unable to maintain a fair and impartial working environment for town employees.
The Plympton Police Association drafted a letter to Chief Ahl outlining concerns and accusations dealing with Chairman Smith. The letter states, “The recent actions and rhetoric from the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen are uncalled for, everything from unsolicited phone calls, public disparagement, and the disregard for officer safety and well-being must be challenged…” “…What makes this situation especially troubling is that these attacks come from someone who publicly promotes himself as having over 30 years of law enforcement experience.”
Currently, there is a discrepancy between the Plympton Police Department and Chairman Smith about the benefits and necessity of Two-Officer Shifts as advised by the Massachusetts Police Training Committee (MPTC) directive. The Plympton Police Association assures that Two-Officer Shifts are not a luxury, but a mandatory lifeline. Two-Officer Staffing allows for increased safety, support, efficiency, and training and mentorship for new officers. They also claim Two-Officer shifts deter aggression by reducing the chances of escalation, protect the officers and civilians, and ensure officer safety during searches, warranted arrests, or vehicle contacts.
In 2024, 342 police officers were shot in the line of duty. 52 of those officers lost their lives. Nine of these officers were killed during traffic stops and responding to domestic disturbance calls -both of which represent the majority of police calls in Plympton. The letter from the Plympton Police Officers Association states, “…we must state in no uncertain terms our complete and unwavering disagreement with the Chairman of the Board and his outdated, misguided view of modern policing. His perspective reflects an antiquated and dangerously unrealistic understanding of today’s law enforcement environment, one that ignores safety standards, MPTC Training guidelines, and evolving realities our officers face every day.”
In a letter of Recognition of Complaints Received from the Command Staff to the Plympton Police Association, Smith is accused of making unwarranted, harassing personal phone calls to the Plympton Police Officers to “probe for negativity” and “discuss discontent” thereby disrupting the team of officers and creating an environment of stress and fear. An anonymous letter to the Express states, “We need your help to preserve the professionalism that this town deserves and has come to expect. The concerning turnover rate of volunteers serving on our town boards should have sounded the alarm, but now a new battle has also emerged as Dana Smith has been repeatedly targeting members of the Plympton Police Department… Town employees are fearful that they will be next if the don’t comply with Dana Smith’s personal agenda.”
The Express Newspaper reached out to Chairman Smith and Police Chief Ahl, and both are unable to comment at this time. We, at the Express, encourage civil and fair dialogue between all residents and town employees as the story develops, and we will continue to offer the documented, publicly available and circulated information we receive. We hope for a peaceful and productive outcome and an increased desire for community morale to improve in the town of Plympton.