Friday, October 17, 2008 6:48 AM EDT
By Amanda Pinto, Register Staff
MADISON — Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation denied this week that the agency is investigating Madison’s Police Department.
“I am stating for the record that the FBI did not have and does not presently have an investigation of the Madison PD,” Kim Mertz, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Haven Division, wrote in an e-mail, in response to a New Haven Register story Monday.
But a source close to the situation maintained this week that the FBI had been conducting an investigation in the Madison department for several months, and was brought in around the same time as the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Another source close to the matter last week also confirmed the FBI’s presence in Madison. That source did not return phone messages this week.
In July, the Register reported that ATF, the state police Professional Standards Unit, and forensic accountants were looking into goings on in the scandal-plagued department. Five officers recently have been fired amid charges ranging from consorting with prostitutes and theft to failure to supervise, threatening and worker’s compensation fraud.
At the time, police officials confirmed both ATF and the accountants had been conducting investigations since Chief Paul Jakubson was put on paid administrative leave in late April.
The state police Professional Standards Unit, at the department’s request, also came in to take over all pending internal investigations at the same time.
Acting Police Chief Robert F. Nolan has said he requested ATF come in to review the department’s firearms and related policies and procedures.
Board of Police Commission Chairman Emile Geisenheimer said at the time that Nolan decided to bring in the state unit primarily to conduct an investigation into Jakubson.
Jakubson, who has been chief for 10 years, was suspended with pay after he gave commissioners “real pause to be concerned” when the commissioners learned the chief had authorized internal investigations without town attorney William Clendenen’s involvement, Geisenheimer said at the time.
Geisenheimer said he ordered months before that all internal investigations be directed under Clendenen’s supervision.
The ATF and state police investigations are ongoing.
Neither Nolan nor Geisenheimer could be reached for further comment Thursday afternoon.
Amanda Pinto can be reached at apinto@nhregister.com, or 789-5734.
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