“More On” Quinn
Christmas may be over, but it seems the time of giving is not. Recent developments have proven that Commissioner of Safety Bob Quinn is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Earlier this past year, he gave us the story of his illegal criminal record searches. He investigated the female civilian employee who disclosed it, while simultaneously rewarding the male Division members who covered for him. His generosity then continued, and we learned of his extorting a local citizen by withholding his vehicle registration to get him to remove political stickers Quinn disapproved of. Then we were treated to how he gave a pass to a State Police Sergeant who sent blatant sexually harassing text messages to a civilian female employee. It is believed that The Department of Personnel sustained the complaint and recommended termination for the Sergeant, but Quinn stepped in and saved him. The list of little treats Quinn is willing to bestow upon the people of New Hampshire seems to be without number. Recently, it appears our cup runneth over, as “Santa Quinn” provided two more “presents.”
Tragically, the first of Quinn’s failures is the death of Bradley Haas, security guard at the New Hampshire State Hospital. Haas was shot and killed while working the security checkpoint at the entrance to the hospital. Brad Haas was an Army veteran and a retired police chief with the city of Franklin. In addition to his time in the Army as a Military Police Officer, he had about 30 years of law enforcement experience. After retiring from Franklin, Haas went to work as a security guard at the State Hospital, which is a secure psychiatric facility.
Brad Haas had 3 decades of law enforcement experience, as well as managerial and executive level judgment. He qualified to carry a firearm through NH Police Standards and Training, and then maintained that qualification with annual recertification at Franklin PD. Haas had safely and responsibly carried a loaded pistol on his hip for over thirty years without a problem. As an honorably retired law enforcement officer, Brad Haas was authorized to carry a concealed weapon anywhere in the nation, including any U.S territory, under the federal law known as “LEOSA” (see #Receipts). However, Haas was not allowed to be armed at a security checkpoint for a mental hospital.
During one of the press conferences after the shooting, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella was asked why Haas was not armed. Astonishingly, Formella responded, “It wouldn’t be typical for that position to be armed.”
Formella graduated from law school in 2012. It is a safe assumption to say he has entered at least one courthouse in the last decade. Having done so, he would have noticed that anytime there is a metal detector at a security checkpoint (presumably to prevent the carrying of weapons) the people assigned to that checkpoint are armed. Sometimes, the checkpoint is covered by uniform deputies. Sometimes, they are court bailiffs wearing matching blazers. Either way, they are all armed.
Additionally, one can reasonably assume that at least once during his adult life, John Formella has taken a commercial flight somewhere. TSA security personnel are not necessarily armed, but there is always an armed officer in the immediate vicinity of the checkpoint and metal detector.
Why is the standard practice to have armed personnel at a security checkpoint with a metal detector? Answer: Because if there is an armed confrontation, that is precisely where it is going to occur. The entire point of having a checkpoint is that you get to control exactly where the confrontation happens. It won’t occur out in the parking lot or some random office in the building. It will occur right there, in the lobby, at that specific spot. That is precisely the place where you need armed security. Basic Security Principle. Bobby Boy.
Given this is the industry standard for checkpoints, the question to be answered is: Why was Brad Haas prohibited from being armed? Quite simply, Commissioner of Safety Bob Quinn didn’t like the “optics” of an armed person at the checkpoint. This was his policy. The policy may not have been written by him, but he did nothing to change it. We know, we know….it’s crazy talk to believe the Commissioner of Safety would actually focus on safety.
This policy was so ridiculous, it kept Troopers from working details at the hospital. The State Hospital has experienced a security staffing shortage for some time. (They lost seven officers in less than a year.) According to numerous sources close to RobbiLeaks, the Division of State Police offered paid, overtime details to the Troopers to cover the security checkpoint. Any interested Trooper was required to attend a 4-hour training class, which would orient them to the role and its expectations. Numerous Troopers expressed interest and attended the training. After completing the training, many Troopers refused to ever work the detail because they learned it would require them to be unarmed. No pistol. No taser. No O.C. spray. No baton. Nothing. Additionally, HIPPA barred them from wearing body cameras. Allegedly, Troopers even confronted State Police Command Staff with their safety concerns, only to have them dismissed out of hand.
Essentially, Quinn wanted Troopers to work a checkpoint at a secured psychiatric facility which housed people who may be both mentally unstable and dangerous and have no way of defending themselves. Additionally, they couldn’t wear their body cameras, so if they had to defend themselves physically, they would have no way of corroborating their claims. The message from the Troopers was loud and clear: “No, thank you.”
Being the political animal that he is, Quinn struck a deal with the Troopers. The Troopers who worked the voluntary overtime assignment were allowed to be armed, but they were not permitted to enter the lobby of the State Hospital and would secure a post outside. One the tragic day that Brad Haas lost his life, that is exactly where the Trooper was posted. The Trooper assigned that day is a hero, who ran toward the sound of gunfire and eliminated the threat. There is no doubt that Trooper saved lives that day. Imagine if the suspect had taken out the Trooper first and then entered the facility……Right, RobbiLeaks trusts that you get the picture.
In the wake of the shooting, the Department of Safety has changed their policies regarding those working security details at the New Hampshire State Hospital. (See #Receipts) This is essentially an admission that they screwed up. Unfortunately for Brad Haas, he did not have that option. His death lay directly at Bob Quinn’s politically correct feet.
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The second of Quinn’s “gifts” to the people of New Hampshire is the recent lawsuit filed by former Deputy Fire Marshal Danielle Cole. This complaint was well documented in a recent InDepthNH story by Damien Fisher. (See #Receipts) The long and short of it goes something like this: Ms. Cole was by all accounts an excellent investigator with the Fire Marshal’s Office. She worked her way up the chain of command and was eventually promoted to Deputy Fire Marshal. Her career trajectory pissed off Deputy Fire Marshal Max Schultz. Schultz allegedly engaged in some seriously intimidating behavior directed at Ms. Cole. Additionally, Schultz is alleged to have spread the rumor that Ms. Cole had been promoted due to an inappropriate relationship with the “head honcho”, the Fire Marshal.
During an internal investigation interview, Ms. Cole acknowledged the Fire Marshal had indeed made one unsolicited advance on her in which he kissed her, but that was it. And there seems to be no evidence to suggest that is untrue.
As a result of this investigation, Ms. Cole was initially suspended and later fired by Commissioner Bob Quinn. Quinn then allowed the Fire Marshal to quietly retire. Additionally, Quinn wrote the Fire Marshal a glowing letter of recommendation. Two parties involved in the same incident: The male party gets taken care of, while the female party gets fired. This seems like a recurring theme with Commissioner Quinn. Disparate treatment? Well, the Fire Marshal was not “Quinn’s guy”. Quinn inherited the Fire Marshal from his predecessor and saw an opportunity to get “his guy” (perhaps he was thinking about Shultz?). However, Quinn would need “buy-in” from the Governor. The deal was struck.
Cole had the audacity to file a complaint on Shultz following the parting of the Fire Marshal. It seems the HR Dept determined that Cole was not truthful. Yet, two law enforcement investigators felt differently. And RobbiLeaks thought the Town of Salem held the distinction of incompetent HR personnel. Shultz, who had been a long-time employee with the Fire Marshal’s Office was transferred to Police Standards and Training Council (PTSC) and is now the Assistant Director of PTSC. Hmmmm, RobbiLeaks can’t be alone in finding that to be odd.
RobbiLeaks will now opine. It appears that “someone’ may have induced the law enforcement investigator to “change” their view. RobbiLeaks has been critical of the former Colonel, but the Colonel may have pushed back, and then he got pushed out (Seems to be a likely scenario). RobbiLeaks surmises there is a paper trail and the lawyers have it.
Initially, Ms. Cole’s complaint was reviewed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. When the EEOC reviews these complaints, the facts are not made public. Because the parties failed to reach a negotiated disposition under the EEOC, the complaint has now moved to the court system, which is public. This is where things could get interesting…
During a lawsuit, the parties involved can depose witnesses. A deposition is when someone who may have information relevant to the case is subpoenaed to appear before both parties. This usually takes place in the conference room at a law office. Counsel for both the plaintiff and defendant are present. The witness is sworn in and their testimony is given under pains and penalties of perjury. Said testimony is audio recorded and documented by a stenographer. The witness may be asked literally anything as objecting to questions is largely prohibited.
If this case moves to depositions, the list of people who might be called in to testify about the culture and history of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and inappropriate sexual conduct occurring under Bob Quinn’s Department of Safety could be extensive. Some of the names that might be subject to deposition and questioning could include:
-State Police Captain Steve Sloper & Department of Corrections Investigator Heidi Laramie
-State Police Captain Victor Muzzey & a former civilian female employee of a local police dept
- State Police Prosecutor Jim Shepard and numerous female civilian State Police staff members
It is uncertain what questions might be posed to the above individuals as well as many unnamed others. What is certain is that IF these people are deposed, their statements and the information about what kind of conduct has been allowed under Bob Quinn will be 100% public. As always, RobbiLeaks will do everything in our power to bring those statements to our readers.
Happy New Year, and yes, there’s always more coming.
