Even with the best of intentions, it’s too easy to screw up.

Case in point: The way Biddeford City Councilor Mike Swanton objected to a state law that allows municipalities to share a portion of proceeds seized following the conviction of a drug crime.

On Wednesday, fewer than 24 hours after the election polls closed, Police Chief Roger Beaupre went before the lame-duck City Council with a rather routine request to allocate roughly $2,100 his department received earlier this year from the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

Beaupre told the council that he wanted to use those funds to buy some new equipment for his department, including cameras for his criminal investigators.

Earlier this year, the same city council voted without objection to allow the fire department to use roughly $100,000 of money it received from the sale of an aging fire truck for the purchase of new equipment.

So far; so good, right? Wrong. 

Although Chief Beaupre’s request looked like a routine matter, and the council seemed ready to rubber-stamp it, something ugly was about to happen.

Beaupre was sitting in the audience, and said he was “stunned” by what happened next.

Swanton, voice cracking at times, bristled at Beaupre’s request and didn’t hesitate to do a bit of grandstanding, a tactic usually employed – and always expected from Councilor Richard Rhames.

Swanton said the police should not be getting “incentives.” He wanted the state money to go into the city’s general fund.

Let’s pause here for a moment.

A lot of people, including me, can see the logic of Swanton’s objection to directing funds seized from criminal activity to law enforcement agencies. Perhaps there is a slippery slope of ethical concerns that elected officials should consider.

But Swanton took it a step further, by implying that Beaupre, and by extension, the entire Biddeford Police Department is engaging in some sort of shakedown corruption scheme.

“I don’t believe the police department should profit directly from confiscated money or property,” Swanton said during the meeting. “It’s too much like the Detroit shakedown,” he added, referencing the recent conviction of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on fraud and racketeering charges.

Beaupre said it was hard to swallow what he was hearing.

“I could not believe my own ears,” he said. “I have served this city with pride and integrity for than 40 years. By comparison to the funds the Fire Department was allowed to use, my request was a pittance. I was stunned.”

Four other member of the council supported Swanton’s motion to amend the order (Roch Angers, Melissa Bednarowski, David Bourque and Richard Rhames.)

No one, however, raised any objection to Swanton’s swipe. There was no declaration of conscience on Wednesday.

Swanton’s words were allowed to hang in the air and then archived in the public record without question.

Turn you inside out

Why does the City Council have different standards for the police and fire departments? Does the council have a problem with Chief Beaupre or his department?

Councilor Roch Angers seconded Swanton’s motion to move the funds to the city’s general fund.

I asked Angers why he voted earlier this year to let the fire department keep funds it received, but not the police department.

Angers said it was an oversight. “If I thought about it, I would have probably voted differently on the fire department issue,” Angers said.

On Saturday, Swanton apologized for the way he phrased his motion, but remained unapologetic for his intention. “The city should get the money; it should not be used to let the police go through a wish-list catalog.”

Swanton says he has no problems with the Biddeford Police Department.

“I love the police department,” he said. “I have tremendous respect for Chief Beaupre. I just think it’s a slippery slope. There should not even be the appearance of a quid pro quo.”

Swanton also said he has no plans to address the issue at either the state or federal level. “I just don’t think it’s a good way to do things.”

If Swanton has such an ethical concern, why was he willing to take the money in the first place? A more principled position would be to return the “dirty” money to the state.

But I guess when you’re an elected official in a cash-strapped community, there really is no thing such as “dirty” money.

A foolish consistency?

Before making their final decision, the council asked Beaupre whether it was okay to redirect the money for something other than law enforcement related expenses.

Beaupre explained that seized federal funds must be used for law enforcement. State-seized funds, however, do not come with the same requirement.

A day later, on Thursday, Beaupre received an e-mail from Biddeford High School Principal Jeremie Sirois.

According to the e-mail, Sirois is hoping to attract Chris Herren, a former NBA player who today tours the country speaking with youth about the dangers of drug addiction, for an appearance at Biddeford High School.

The cost to have Herren speak in Biddeford is $6,000.  

Old Orchard Beach is reportedly willing to co-sponsor the event with Biddeford and could kick-in $1,500 from its police department’s drug grant funds.

Beaupre said he could have used the $2,100 he just received from the state, but the city council took the money for its general fund.

Swanton said it was a missed opportunity that could be easily corrected at the next council meeting.

“I think that would be the most appropriate use for those funds,” Swanton said.

It remains to be seen whether the council will reverse its position on the money it received from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, but a few things are crystal clear:

1.)    Intentionally or not, Councilor Swanton smeared the reputation and dignity of one of the city’s longest serving public servants by connecting Beaupre’s routine request to a criminal conspiracy case in Detroit.

2.)    Swanton had ample time to review his council packet prior to the meeting. He could have approached Beaupre privately to raise his questions and concerns.

3.)    If Swanton feels so passionately about this issue, he should seek to change the state law or at least return the money to the state.

4.)    Roger Beaupre has served the city of Biddeford with distinction and honor for more than 40 years. This is Biddeford, not Detroit.

5.)    $2,100 is a piddly amount of money on which to make some half-assed stand on principle, especially if the Fire Department has a separate set of rules.

Mayor Alan Casavant and the rest of the city council screwed up by not objecting to Swanton’s callous remarks. Biddeford voters overwhelmingly opted for professionalism and civility on Tuesday. We didn’t see it on Wednesday.

The city of Biddeford should have a consistent policy on how funds are used by city departments.

When you are elected to public office, you ought to refrain from generalizations, especially when publicly discussing the men and women who serve your community every day to the best of their ability.

We ought to be rewarding our employees who present extra sources of revenue, increased efficiencies or cost savings, not shame or humiliate them in public.

Councilor Swanton owes Chief Beaupre a public apology, and the city council ought to take that $2,100 and direct it to bringing Chris Herren for a speaking engagement at Biddeford High School.

There are lessons for all of us here.