By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — Borough Attorney Frederick Raffetto has asked the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate recent allegations made by the Hightstown police director during the March 4 council meeting.
The forum turned into a heated debate over confirmed code violations at the temporary police station on Mercer Street as allegations of employee intimidation also emerged.
Police Director James LeTellier said at the meeting last week that Mayor Steve Kirson had threatened his job.
The Herald filed an Open Public Records Act request Tuesday with the borough, requesting a copy of the letter sent to the Prosecutor’s Office by the borough attorney and had not received a copy at press time.
”Quite frankly, I have been put in a position that when I respond to council members’ questions, the mayor doesn’t like it,” Mr. LeTellier said during the meeting March 4.
According to Casey DeBlasio, public information officer for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office has seen the newspaper articles, including last week’s Herald story, about the accusations.
”I don’t have much information other than to tell you that our office received a letter from the borough attorney yesterday, and we’ll look into the situation,” Ms. DeBlasio said Tuesday.
At the meeting last week, Councilman Rob Thibault recommended a special meeting be held regarding the allegations, but the council did not schedule one.
Councilwoman Selena Bibens was absent during that meeting, and the other three members present — Mr. Thibault, Gail Doran and Lynne Woods — said they would like to hold a special meeting. The council was reminded that it has the power to investigate the allegations or to delegate that to labor counsel.
Mr. Raffetto recommended it be reviewed “appropriately” and not in “this kind of a forum” — an open council meeting.
While the borough attorney agreed the allegations are serious, Mr. Raffetto did not agree with holding an emergency meeting.
But “I am going to recommend a special meeting this week to address this,” Mr. Thibault said. “This is a very serious issue. This is a serious allegation that could put the borough at risk. Do you really want to delay the discussion of possible threats against a public employee?”
”I think the allegations made by the police director need to be taken very seriously” Mr. Thibault said in an email the day after the meeting. “If true, there may have been a violation of at least three state laws,” including obstructing administration of law or other governmental function; official misconduct; and threats and other improper influence in official and political matters.
Mayor Steven Kirson told the Herald on Wednesday that the allegations are “untrue.”
”I’m not playing this out here with ‘he said, she said,’” Mayor Kirson said.
But “I do welcome any process that will be fair and unbiased. I am confident that the allegations will be found to be untrue.”
According to Mayor Kirson, he can’t wait for the process to start and for all the questions to be asked that are needed to resolve the investigation.
”Let’s get it done,” Mayor Kirson added. “Bring it on. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
At last week’s meeting, Mr. LeTellier said, “The mayor has gotten in my face on several occasions — to the point where we now have a hostile relationship. If this upsets people, so be it. I am being threatened, and (if) I am being served with the Rice notice of termination of my job — then so be it — but do so because I’m not doing my job as the director, not because I’m not playing politics.”
He said on Wednesday of this week, “Since the matter has been referred to the Prosecutor’s Office, I would really not comment on it with a potential investigation going on.”
According to Mr. LeTellier, he will be cooperating with the investigation and stands by his allegations.
After last week’s meeting, “Whatever the allegations are, I categorically deny having had any conversations,” Mayor Kirson said March 7. “It never happened. They are all false.”
The police director sought legal advice from Mr. Raffetto regarding the matter, but didn’t say whether that led to the request for the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate.
Although the police director reports directly to the Borough Council, “Let me put on the record that I came here and interviewed for this position, and I clearly stated what my goals and objectives are,” Mr. LeTellier said last week. “It is the residents of Hightstown who I serve.”
Mr. LeTellier was hired last February. He became the first civilian to helm the Hightstown Police Department after Chief James Eufemia retired effective Sept. 1, 2011. His retirement came after a weekend of flooding from Hurricane Irene.

