WESTBROOK – Westbrook police Chief Bill Baker wrote a scathing response this morning to comments made in the media Wednesday by Tom Hallett, the attorney representing Dreamers Cabaret.

Baker sent his comments out to numerous media outlets following reports that police discovered activity at the closed strip club around 1 a.m. on Dec. 5 that suggested it was again open for business in violation of a city order, which shuttered the strip club in September one day after it had opened.

Men in the building told police, after conferring with an attorney, that they were at Dreamers for some emergency plumbing work, according to police.

Hallett told media outlets that the men were indeed working, and that the city is being “childish” and that police are being “overvigilant.”

Baker responded harshly Thursday, saying in an e-mail, “As Police Chief in this community I am responsible for the safety and well being of our citizens. I find Mr. Hallett’s assertion that the City is being ‘childish,’ or that the police are being ‘overvigilant’ rather silly.”

Later in his press release, Baker seemed to insinuate that the people at the club in the early morning hours of Dec. 5 had criminal backgrounds.

“It’s our job to be vigilant in the presence of people with histories of bank robbery, kidnapping, extortion, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, aggravated assault, assault and battery with dangerous weapons, terrorizing, burglary in the night time, assault and battery on police officers, etc.,” he wrote, adding, “This of course is not a direct reflection on Mr. Hallett’s client (Dreamers owner Larry Ferrante) who has no such history.”

Ferrante was not present when police responded to the club, where they found loud music, a disco ball and nightclub lighting, according to a police report.

“Where was the owner of Dreamers on the morning of December 5th? If I am not mistaken Mr. Hallett has said that he does not represent Mr. Goodwin or Dr. Perry, but as anyone listening to the police scanner or reading the police log would know they were both there on December 5th,” Baker wrote.

Mr. Goodwin likely refers to Adam Goodwin, the man police said was in charge the night they showed up. Baker did not elaborate on the identity of Dr. Perry.

John Perry, a podiatrist from Cumberland, is the target of a federal drug investigation. Court documents say authorities found documents pertaining to Dreamers in Perry’s car during a search.

Hallett represented Perry at his initial court hearing, but has said he likely will not represent him throughout his case. He said Perry is not related to Dreamers and he has no information about the Dreamers documents.

Baker went on to call out Hallett for the attorney’s version of the events of Dec. 5.

“Everyone in scanner land on the morning of December 5th or that has looked at public police logs since would know that the police encountered several people on the Dreamer’s campus who bore no resemblance to sheet rockers or plumbers or whatever the next spin is,” Baker said. “Everyone involved knows that these people had no business being there at that hour doing whatever they were doing,” he said.

“At every turn with Dreamers we have been deliberate, professional, even handed, AND yes vigilant – the people of Westbrook expect nothing less from us,” he added.

He also gave some advice for Dreamers and its legal team.

“The way to avoid conflict, avoid misunderstanding and to proceed in a civilized society is to play by the rules and obey the law. Hopefully everyone can do that until these matters are decided by a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said.

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