Wilton selectmen could have let the community know what concerns the district attorney’s office has regarding the performance of our police force in domestic abuse cases. Instead, they voted to go into executive session rather than allow the public to hear the concerns.

In addition, they spent $5,000 in taxpayer funds without giving any specific information about why they needed to ask the Maine Chiefs of Police Association to do a review. If this is a routine review, couldn’t the appropriation wait until town meeting for voter approval? If it is an emergency review in which public safety is an issue, shouldn’t we know why?

The Freedom of Access laws are clear. If it is a personnel matter, in which a specific name is being mentioned or it is a policy which specific people must adhere to, the selectmen can go into executive session. But the people being discussed have a legal right to be present.

Since none of the police officers was present in the executive session, we can only assume that someone’s rights were being violated, either the police officers’ rights to be present or Wilton residents’ Freedom of Access rights.

Domestic abuse is a serious issue. The court reports in Franklin County are a veritable roster of who’s who in domestic abuse. The recent murder-suicide in our community is an example of the extremes that abusers will go to to control their victims. In between, are the women and children who suffer every day in silence.

Jan M. Collins, Wilton

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