The Usual Bad Actors

Just this past voting season, voters let it be known that they did not want Jeffrey Perry as their Representative in Washington. There was little doubt that Perry lost because there was ample evidence from many sources, including Perry himself, that he was present for at least one of the sexual assaults of an underage girl; incidents that occured while he was a member of the Wareham police in the early '90s. But more to the the point, he was familiar, as were other Wareham cops, with Patrolman Scott Flanagan and knew he could not be trusted around teenage girls. Flanagan was eventually charged for the child sexual assaults and sent to prison. Perry stuck up for him, even after he pleaded guilty. And Perry was present at one of those sexual assaults according to the victim herself.

So why is Sheriff James Cummings, Perry's personal friend, making him next in line for the job of Sheriff of Barnstable County? Why, when it is common knowledge that Perry couldn't even be trusted as a small town cop is he suddenly making $110,000 a year as the Deputy Sheriff of Barnstable County, thanks to the favor of Sheriff James Cummings? While most of us fight for the next dollar, the wiseguys just keep giving their close friends our taxpayer dollars. And what friends are these? Their politically disgraced friends, of course.

And why did Sheriff Cummings make this misstatement of fact to the Boston Herald's Michelle McGee? "I knew it would come up {Perry's shady background} ..." which is why I hired a private invesigator. That investigation turned up exactly what the State Police investigation turned up at the time of the incident. There was no evidence Jeff Perry had any idea the strip searches had happened and was not involved"

This is not true. Perry was actually present during one strip search in which the victim told the Boston Globe she was looking right at him, and Perry was present at the home of the parents of the victim who say they felt threatened by him. Perry was also present within minutes of another sexual assault of a minor by Flanagan, and his actions indicate that he attempted to cover up the incident for Flanagan.

Here we have a public servant (Sheriff Cummings) hiring a close, personal friend as his deputy at an annual salary of $110,000. Cummings states that because of all the controversy with child sexual assault incidents in Perry's background, a controversy that helped lead to a recent political defeat for Perry, Cummings "hired a private investigator" (Did he use his own money or taxpayer funds for this?) who, according to Cummings, filed a report that is false on its face. Yes it was true that Perry was never charged with an offense. But it is also true that he was present at one sexual assault and did nothing to stop it and that at another sexual assault, he failed to file complaints at the proper time.

What are we seeing here, just another six-figure job given to a friend as a favor? Is that what this is? If so, then maybe we need a new District Attorney who will take seriously blatant misuse of power by public servants like Mr. Cummings, who seems to have forgotten the voters for whom he works. This is about as blatant as you can get. Cummings should resign for this. Perry's job should be ended. And if the DA doesn 't fire him , then Cape Cod residents should put the DA out of office at the first available opportunity. These are supposed to be law enforcement professionals and criminal justice figures, not buddies or worse, gang members.

Cummings and this DA need to be investigated by the State. Word has to go out to the right people. We have a lawless County down here, and it won't get any better until some get their walking papers or cell assignments.

(Author's Note: initially this piece had gone by another "less kind" tittle. I changed it only in hopes that more people would pay atttention to its central message. A local law official gives a six-figure job to one of his best friends. A law enforcement job to a guy who left a lot of wreckage behind him the last time he wore a badge..)