Allegations and counterclaims are flying between Auburn’s mayor and the city police department.

The longer this shameful situation continues, the more embarrassing it is for the mayor, the police and the city.

Mayor Normand Guay was charged Monday night with driving under the influence. He was released from police custody and given a summons to appear in court Sept. 17 to face the charges. A breath test registered the mayor’s blood-alcohol level at .01, well below the legal limit of .08.

The mayor admits he had two, maybe three, beers at Gipper’s Sports Grill before being pulled over. But he maintains he was not drunk, and calls into question the motivation for being pulled over.

Guay told reporters he had a copy of the police report about the incident and that two members of the Maine Association of Police reported that he was intoxicated and driving. The union is involved in bitter labor negotiations with the city over a new contract. The old contract expired June 30.

Both the chief of police, Richard Small, and a union lawyer defend the conduct of the officers involved. The lawyer, John Richardson, said Wednesday that he could not discuss details of the case, but said the public has not heard the entire story of the night’s events.

While talking with a reporter late Monday night, and again during a press conference Tuesday, Guay raised the question of whether the charge was motivated by the ongoing labor dispute. On Tuesday, the mayor said that he had a copy of the police report and that it identified the officers who reported that he was drunk.

Police reports are not public information, nor are the dispatch calls that were recorded Monday night. The law should be changed so that they are available to the public.

There is no legal prohibition against the release of the information, although the police typically do not make it available. The department and its reputation would be well-served by going public.

If Guay has a copy of the police report, we call on him to release it and clear up this matter. If, as he has suggested, the report exonerates him, there is no reason to keep it secret.

If Guay doesn’t actually have the police report, then he must explain his previous claims.

Numerous calls to Guay on Wednesday and Thursday were not returned, and police refused to comment on the investigation, leaving the issue to fester.

The public has a short temper when there are allegations of politicians receiving special treatment or of police impropriety. Without the information from Monday night, it’s impossible to understand what really happened.

The police report and any dispatch tapes should be released.


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