Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith claims that MDEA Director Roy McKinney runs a rogue agency. I have been a Portland police officer for nearly 24 years. Nearly half of my police career I was assigned to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, either as an investigative agent or as a task force supervisor.

The MDEA is not a rogue agency. I have worked for many professional people over the years and must say Roy McKinney is at the top of that list. He has dedicated his adult life to serving the people of Maine — first with the Bangor Police Department then as director of MDEA.

During that time Roy held each and every officer fortunate enough to be selected to work for him and MDEA to the highest standards of professionalism.

Directing an agency that is made up of representatives from law enforcement agencies throughout the state, each with their own contracts and demands, is no easy task. Roy McKinney has worked tirelessly to forge inclusive partnerships with every law enforcement agency in the state and has been successful because of his integrity and professionalism.

Due to the nature of narcotics investigations, MDEA is one of the most transparent agencies in the state, and to be depicted as “rogue” is ridiculous and uninformed.

As a result of Director McKinney’s oversight and direction, nearly every officer assigned to MDEA returns to their respective agencies a better trained, more professional officer, and in many cases promoted. I am one of those fortunate officers to have benefited from working under Roy McKinney.

Sheriff Smith should be thanking Roy McKinney rather than criticizing him.

Lt. Scott Pelletier
Portland Police Department

 

Sex abuse scandal not just about the past

 

This isn’t over by a long shot. The sexual abuse of minors by criminal priests isn’t about the past. It’s about the present. The now.

In John Richardson’s article (“Sex cases from past still echo in diocese,” Dec. 9), Bishop Malone is quoted as saying, “this sad and shameful episode of church history will continue for as long as victims are in pain.”

The church’s bishops became “compassionate and contrite” only after years of lying, hiding perps and hiring hardball lawyers to protect themselves — and the money. Screaming and kicking, these guys, one by one, Malone among them, realized the jig was up. They couldn’t make it go away.

Then came the church’s national child-protection policies and standards and Malone’s proud announcement of “compliance.” But don’t be fooled. A closed clerical hierarchy protects its priests always, above all. Above abused kids, distraught parents, pain, nightmares, depression, misery and even suicide. Malone still keeps mum, makes excuses and keeps mum.

Let’s face it, pedophiles are slick criminals and clerical criminals are the slickest of the lot. They have Bishop Malone double talking the public into believing they are doing all they can. Not so, not so at all.

Perps don’t abuse once and then stop. They abuse again and again. Federal stats report that every perp can abuse from 50 to 150 kids in a lifetime. Priest pedophiles aren’t any different from non-clerical perps. Ordination doesn’t stop their crimes. In fact ordination, and bishops like Malone, protect them.

A closed system, like the hierarchical Catholic Church, is dying to put “this sad and shameful episode of church history” behind it. But it isn’t working. It can’t. It’s flawed. Bishop, release the names of all your pedophiles now. Stop the excuses.

Pauline Salvucci
Westbrook

 

Thankful owner recounts Bella’s Saco adventure

 

About 6.30 p.m. on Dec. 6, a Monday, I was getting out of my car at Wendy’s in Saco when my dog Bella took off on me and went behind Hannaford’s. Then she went to the front of the parking lot where a woman tried to help me.

But Bella ran to Route 1 and up the ramp to I-195, the turnpike connector. I was chasing her up the ramp when this lady went flying by me calling out Bella’s name. On the highway, several cars had stopped and Bella was in the middle of the road.

She then crossed I-195 and went down the ramp on the other side where a man and a woman tried to corral Bella. Little did I know this chase had just began.

Bella got back on I-195, almost getting hit several times. A Saco police officer also stopped to help.

I almost had her when I tripped and fell. Bella must have thought I was hurt and finally came to me.

I just want to say thanks to those people who helped. Bella is back home and safe. You were a godsend. Thanks, too, to the police officer who gave me a ride back to Wendy’s.

I would love to hear from all of you. Have a blessed Christmas!

Dale Kelly
Saco

 

Smart-meter radiation obscures scarier issue

 

It must give great satisfaction to Central Maine Power’s management that the debate over its so-called “smart meters” has been stuck on the issue of danger from radiation.

The company is probably right in asserting that there is no convincing scientific evidence on this matter, and it is ultimately a dead end.

Meanwhile, a primary CMP agenda remains overlooked. The “smart meter” cannot only glean information wirelessly from your home electrical system, it can send signals to it. This has been portrayed as a way to provide you with information about your usage, but it can do far more.

CMP would understandably prefer not to have to put up more money to deal with high peak usage costs, primarily associated with air conditioning during heat waves in summer. Instead of burdening itself with the expense of providing peak generating capacity, “smart meters” would enable the company to shear the top off power peaks. CMP could simply turn off your air conditioning remotely. Or your clothes dryer.

With “smart meters,” you would therefore share control of your home appliances as a junior partner with the power company.

I am sure that CMP would be greatly pleased if the discussion of its “smart meter” program remained limited to easily dismissed short-term issues until it is too late to do anything about a much more intrusive agenda.

Edmund R. Peay
Brunswick