Sullivan Gives Update on Police Evidence Room

BRAINTREE, MA — Police Chief Paul Shastany was one of five candidates considered to be the Braintree Police Department’s temporary leader by Mayor Joseph Sullivan.

Tuesday night, the mayor gave the Town Council an update on the evidence room locker situation, reviewing the timeline and assuring the council and residents that he is committee to remedying the situation.

“Since the release and our response, the department has continued to work with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office and Attorney General’s office,” Sullivan said. “Our police department will continue to cooperate with the Attorney General’s and District Attorney’s offices and we are determined to get through as much fact finding as we can."

The findings of the audit showed that nearly $408,000 along with thousands of pieces of evidence were unaccounted for. Since then, all but 12 of the 60 missing firearms have been found and about $140,000 in missing cash has been recovered. Sullivan said it is possible that some of the evidence may have been part of evidence room purges in 2009 and 2012.

Moving forward, former Stoughton Police Chief Paul Shastany will serve as the interim chief and former Boston Police Department Superintendent-in-Chief Daniel Linskey will assess the evidence facility and write new policies and procedures for evidence handling, storage, and security. He will also train officers on the new procedures.

As for why Sullivan picked Shastany, Sullivan offered few reasons after the meeting.

“The only thing I can tell you is he was the right choice for us,” Sullivan said.

Shastany served as the Stoughton chief from April 2010 to April 2016. He will be in Braintree at least through early next near, with a longer stay possible, Sullivan said. Shastany's first day is Friday, which is the same day that Police Chief Russell Jenkins will retire.

Later in the meeting, the Town Council voted to thank Chief Jenkins for his years of service to Braintree.

Image Credit: Dan Libon