Fool Me Once Shame on You, Fool Me Twice Shame on Me... (UPDATED)

Fool me eight times and I just am not paying attention or getting the message, or both. That's what the Connecticut State Police administration must be saying to themselves after one of their own - Trooper Eugene K. Baron, 42, of Ansonia, Connecticut - was pulled over in Manchester, Connecticut for his eighth alcohol-related offense (fifth for drunk driving specifically). It appears that Mr. Baron does not discriminate when it comes to what vehicle he chooses to booze and cruise with, as three of his four previous drunk driving incidents have occurred in a police cruiser. I suppose what amazes me so much about this story is the fact that he was allowed to stay on the force following a drunk driving arrest in a police vehicle, nevermind following a second and third arrest for the same offense. In fact, one of the arrests saw the suspension of three other Connecticut State Troopers for failing to actually arrest Baron because he was one of their own. Baron tried to use the same logic with Manchester police seargent who arrested him, but to no avail. A charge of driving with a suspended license will not be added to Baron's docket in Manchester because, amazingly, somehow his license was valid. His license has been suspended in the past - at the request of his own employer (the po-po) - but he has been able to get it back.

The Connecticut State Police administration seems to be dragging their feet with their brother-in-arms Baron. Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher stated yesterday, "We are aware, of course, he has a problem he needs help with and we are doing our best to provide that help." Apparently, either the State of Connecticut is not doing the best they can to help Baron (step 1: fire him from the police force for not one, not two, but three incidents involving driving under the influence in a police car paid for by the taxpayers of Connecticut), or their best efforts are just not working. However, from the Boston Globe article that reported on this, it seems that the State of Connecticut's best efforts are limited to conducting internal affairs investigations concerning Baron's behavior and suspending (not terminating) him from the force. That seems a little weak. To begin with, Baron should obviously be fired and then the internal affairs investigations pending against him should be made into criminal investigations. Someone might also want to suspend his license for longer than 24 hours (which is all the State of Connecticut did after releasing him on a measly $500 bail). How long are these states going to enable Trooper Baron to be a reckless individual? Until he kills someone? The brain trust behind the internal affairs division over at Connecticut State Police headquarters, Lt. Col. Robert Duffy, offered up this excuse to the lack of action on their part: "It was his own time, his own car. We can't live these guys lives for them." No, but you can at the very least suspend their license and fire them from the job that they have disgraced. Peace.

Photos - Top: Model Connecticut State Police Car (www.cchobbie.com), Bottom: Connecticut State Police Patch (www.cspaaa.com)

UPDATE: Thanks to the anonymous poster for alerting my attention to some new developments in the story involving disgraced Connecticut State Trooper Eugene K. Baron. On Saturday, May 26 someone in the Connecticut DMV woke up and suspended Baron's license indefinitely. As the anonymous poster pointed out, the Hartford Courant reported on June 7 that Baron decided to quit the job that he had no right to be in anyway. An opinion column in the Courant puts the action (or inaction) of the Connecticut State Police regarding Baron in the spotlight, summing up the case quickly but efficiently. No word on whether Baron will be receiving any type of severance or pension because, technically, he is leaving the force under his own will which has gotten sleazy cops benefits in the past. Hopefully the Connecticut State Police will use this embarrassing episode as a learning experience and act on officers who are poisons to the force. Peace.