City Manager statement on release of independent review of Dover Police Department internal investigation

posted on: 10/29/2020

In recent weeks there has understandably been much public interest in the actions of a former Dover police officer, Ronald Letendre, and our Police Department’s response to Mr. Letendre’s off-duty involvement in a domestic violence incident that occurred and was reported in another community earlier this summer. Following notification of Mr. Letendre’s involvement in an incident that occurred in the Town of Rollinsford, an internal investigation was promptly initiated by the Dover Chief of Police in accordance with the Dover Police Department’s formally documented policies that adhere to nationally accredited best practices. To provide assurance that the Dover Police Department properly investigated and took appropriate employment actions related to the conduct and alleged wrongdoing of the former officer, Chief Breault requested and I directed our City Attorney to coordinate an independent review of the Police Department’s internal investigation. That review was completed and a final report was delivered to the City Attorney on October 14, 2020. In the interest of transparency and per the Council’s vote this evening, the findings of this review are attached and have been made available online for access by the public via the City website.

The review and findings of the Police Department’s internal investigation was made by Mr. Eric P. Daigle of the Daigle Law Group. Mr. Daigle is an independent expert with extensive experience in the field of law enforcement accountability and internal police investigations. In presenting his findings, Mr. Daigle notes that “the public image of the Dover Police Department is determined by a professional response to allegations of misconduct against its employees.” He goes on to explain that “a robust and well-functioning accountability system, in which officers are held to the highest standards of integrity, is critical to the legitimacy of the Dover Police Department, and should be a Department priority.” Finally, he notes that “a well-functioning accountability system is one in which the department: openly and readily receives complaints reported by civilians and officers and fully, fairly, and efficiently investigates them; supports all investigative findings by the appropriate standard of proof and documents them in writing; holds accountable all officers who commit misconduct pursuant to a disciplinary system that is fair, consistent, and provides due process; and treats all individuals who participate in the department’s internal disciplinary process—including complainants, officers, and witnesses - with respect and dignity.” In concluding his report, Mr. Daigle specifically affirms that the internal investigation was, in fact, complete, thorough, fair, conducted without bias, and ultimately the employment actions taken by the department were justified. He also concludes that the policies by which the Dover Police Department’s internal investigation was required and completed were reasonable and consistent with best practices.

It is important to understand why an internal investigation was necessary and therefore undertaken by the Dover Police Department due to an incident that occurred in the Town of Rollinsford. The internal investigation was required to determine if Mr. Letendre’s involvement and actions while off-duty during the incident in Rollinsford were in violation of any of the Dover Police Department’s own policies and procedures. It is also important to note that the Dover Police Department’s internal investigation was necessarily separate and distinct from the criminal investigation being undertaken by the Rollinsford Police Department given that there are different jurisdictional authorities specific to each of the police departments. As the incident of concern was reported and occurred in the Town of Rollinsford, the criminal investigation related to the report of domestic violence was the responsibility of the Town of Rollinsford Police Department. Whereas, as Mr. Letendre’s employer, the Dover Police Department was limited to investigating and determining if his off-duty conduct related to the incident in the Town of Rollinsford violated Dover Police Department policies and therefore warranted some level of employment action, up to and including termination of employment. It was in the course of completing the internal investigation relating to the domestic violence incident that previously unknown conduct in violation of department policies was discovered and subsequently was deemed sufficient to warrant the termination of Mr. Letendre’s employment. As a result of the Dover Police Department’s investigation and subsequent findings, there is now also an indictment and ongoing criminal prosecution of Mr. Letendre by the Strafford County Attorney’s Office.

We all are obviously extremely disappointed by the actions of Mr. Letendre while employed by the City of Dover. His actions were lone, selfish and inexcusable. For those reasons, his actions should not be used to cast doubt on the integrity and professionalism of any other man or woman currently serving in our Dover Police Department nor the department as a whole. Instead, I have no doubt that our citizens can and should continue to have confidence knowing that allegations of wrongdoing by any employee of our Police Department are taken seriously, promptly investigated and appropriately addressed. Chief Breault and our command staff are committed to and, as proven by this matter, will not hesitate to hold officers accountable for compliance, both on and off duty, with the policies and procedures that have been recognized repeatedly through rigorous Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) processes as best practices in law enforcement.

Please know that since the report of the incident involving Mr. Letendre first was made known to the Dover Police Department and throughout the subsequent investigation, the City of Dover and our Police Department have been striving to be as timely and transparent with providing detailed information and public access to documentation concerning this matter. Our Mayor and City Council, Chief Breault, our City Attorney and I are continuing to pursue the proper and timely release of additional information pertaining to the details of the internal investigation. We fully support making public as much information as possible, including the investigative report and specific allegations uncovered during the internal investigation, and will advocate to that end. However, we must do so within the bounds of existing law which includes being mindful of an ongoing criminal prosecution in which a defendant has constitutional rights to due process. The release of the independent review of the internal investigation authorized by the Mayor and City Council this evening is done in the continuing effort to follow through with that commitment.

Lastly, I wish to once again reiterate that the citizens of Dover can and should remain confident in the integrity and ability of the men and women of the Dover Police Department, as well as in the leadership of Chief Breault and his command staff. Despite the isolated actions of a former officer, our Police Department has long been one of the most respected, professional, community oriented and customer service-driven agencies not only here in NH but also across our country. I have no doubt that our Police Department will continue to earn and deserve that continued respect as we collectively learn from this experience and move forward.

J. Michael Joyal, Jr.

City Manager

The review of the internal investigation can be viewed here.