Cat-shooting story embarrasses West Concord

2/23/2007 7:09:03 PM

By Heather J. Carlson

The Post-Bulletin

News stories about allegations that the West Concord Police Chief Robert Utech was shooting cats spread nationwide, embarrassing some of the residents of the town of 850.

"I really am disappointed to see this blown so big," said council member Mary Burt at the end of Thursday's council meeting. "This is an incident that should have stayed here in our city."

The West Concord City Council voted 3-1 on Thursday night to put Robert Utech on unpaid administrative leave beginning March 1.

During the council meeting, Utech sat quietly in the front row with his hands clasped in front of him. Some audience members and officials voiced frustration, saying the case had been blown out of proportion.

"It's just like (investigators) stormed in here like he was some rapist or something, and this is a cat deal. I can't figure it out," said Mary Klapperich, a West Concord resident.

Also in the audience was West Concord resident George Layman, who reported the alleged shootings of his cats. Layman questioned the mayor's previous assertion that there are hundreds of stray cats in the city, adding, "The cats are not the problem."

The mayor said he might have exaggerated about the number of cats, but said, "I have counted up to 36 cats on one step."

Mayor Burton Boe also told the crowd that he was with Utech when the chief tried to shoot a stray dog and said, "I am ashamed of it, and I am sorry."

The mayor said he is wary of stray dogs, having known people who have been mauled by vicious dogs. He told the crowd about a child he knew who was killed by a dog.

During the meeting, Utech's lawyer, Tony Specter, said that "obviously in a perfect world, Mr. Utech would be put on administrative leave with pay" but that they would prefer the council put him on unpaid leave rather than fire him.

Utech and his attorney declined to comment specifically on the charges.

However, after the meeting Specter said, "This is not the forum to try the case, and that's not what we're going to do tonight."

The mayor told the crowd to not believe rumors.

"It used to be that you got tried by a judge, a jury and your attorneys," he said. "Now you get judged by the television, the newspaper and the radio before it's over."