FRUSTRATION MOUNTS OVER LACK OF DETAILS IN PROBE

Selectman Anxious For Answers About Drugs Missing From Dracut Police

DRACUT It's been more than four months since approximately $80,000 in
marijuana went missing from the police station, and selectmen are wondering
when they will be able to start asking questions.

So far, selectmen have held off looking into the incident so as not to
disrupt the investigation by District Attorney Martha Coakley's office. But
with little word on the progress of that probe or how long it might drag
on, Selectman Jim O'Loughlin is speaking out.

O'Loughlin said he does not want to interfere with the DA's investigation,
but he wants to know if the town can examine whether the incident shows a
need to change policies or procedures within the department.

"At this point, I don't want to discuss (the incident) even privately
because I don't want to interfere with the ongoing investigation,"
O'Loughlin said at last week's selectmen's meeting. "But I want to make
sure steps are being taken to make sure it doesn't happen again."

The incident came to light in April, when Dracut police notified Coakley's
office that marijuana was missing from one of two locked storage trailers
behind the police station, near the school complex.

Information on the investigation has been sparse, especially since mid-May,
when Coakley's office asked the public for assistance.

With frustration growing among some residents, O'Loughlin asked Town
Manager Dennis Piendak to write Coakley's office to ask if a review of
police policy and procedure would do any harm.

"I think we have a responsibility to find out exactly what happened,"
O'Loughlin said. "I'm not talking about the specifics of the case itself
that will play out with the investigation by police and the DA but we have
a responsibility as to the policy and procedure that may have led to it."

Emily LaGrassa, Coakley's spokesman, said the office couldn't comment on
the letter because it has not yet been received.

LaGrassa said she understands the frustration of the public and town
officials, but the integrity of the investigation is the first priority.

"Sometimes it's hard for the public when it's something that involves
police or a public entity. They want to know what is going on," she said.
"We understand that, but we need to make decisions based on what's best for
the investigation and make sure that when the time comes we have a case
that will stand up before a jury."

LaGrassa and Dracut Police Chief Louis Panas both said that releasing
information could harm the probe.

"Having information public can compromise the investigation," LaGrassa
said. "For instance, we don't comment on suspects, because if you have a
suspect it's probably not in the best interest for them to read it in the
newspaper."

Panas and Dracut police have referred all questions about the probe to
Coakley's office, at the district attorney's request.

Panas and LaGrassa said an investigation of this sort can be lengthy.

"There were no witnesses to the crime at least that we're aware of which
leaves a pretty huge universe of suspects to look at," LaGrassa said. "(The
drugs) were also stolen from a fairly public area that a number of people
had access to."

With so many potential suspects, LaGrassa said investigators have had to
conduct a lot of interviews.

She said it can be hard to decide who should be interviewed, coordinate the
schedules of investigators and those being interviewed and to give
interviewees a chance to hire a lawyer.

She added there was also a delay between the time the drugs went missing
and the time the investigation began, though she could not say how long.

Panas said he could not comment on what caused the delay, or whether it was
because the disappearance was not immediately discovered.

LaGrassa said investigators are still pursuing leads.

"It has been a very difficult investigation, so we're not going to set a
timeline on it as far as when it's going to be done," she said. "It's
active and open, but it's not clear that there will be a quick and easy
resolution to the case."