Thank you for coming to my BLOG. This is the story of my fight for justice for the past 30+ years. My story begins with Chapter 1 and unfolds as you follow my experiences through to Chapter 24.
My purpose is to expose the expansive degree of corruption within the Massachusetts State Police which assured that I would not receive what I was rightfully due: Retirement Benefits after a 16-year career and a job incurred disability.
This became a battle I would fight mostly on my own. However, I am very thankful to friends and professionals who along the way did their best to help me. But there came a point when each one individually could do no more and needed to step back. And once again, I stood alone.
In Chapters 1 - 25, I shared some of the emotions I felt as events happened. Now, I would like to divulge how these events affected my personal life and that of my whole family (a husband and two teenage daughters).
Overnight we went from a two career family to one paycheck with added medical and legal bills. This financial strain placed me in constant fear mode: How long would the money last?; How high could the credit card bills go before they were shut down?; How could we continue to pay the mortgage and eat too?; and lastly, How and when would I be able to pay back family members who helped me out financially?
In addition to the above fears, I was always wondering what corrupt maneuvers the MSP would employ next, for the word had spread that I was trying to "pull something." They were not going to let, "a woman get one up on them again." It became a game to them.
In 1997, ten years after I went on medical leave my worst fears happened. Finances forced me to sell my home to pay debt. To lose a home broke me emotionally. My thoughts went back to a fellow academy classmate who in passing one day, shared his pain over his recent divorce. He said, "I hammered every nail in place in that house!" Now, I had a deeper understanding of his emotion. I was losing my home into which I put 18 years of my hard work and love. It felt "CRUEL."
After losing my home, I found myself having to move every 6 months. Most often I was dependent on the generosity of my family members for housing. As I attempted to continue life from this unstable platform, it was nearly impossible to make any forward strides financially. I attended schools and training in an attempt to find a new career path. However, I was always held back by the lack of finances and my continuing battle with the MSP. It felt like I was "stuck in the breakers" when I was trying so hard to swim to calmer waters. PURE SURVIVAL MODE.
This struggle left me stressed in every area of my life. Physically, my injuries still affected me causing head, neck, back and dental issues. Medically, I still need to go to a chiropractor sometimes as much as 3 times per week for relief from my pain. In the last five years my TMJ condition has degenerated so that I am unable to eat any food that requires a lot of chewing. Excessive chewing misaligns my whole jaw causing extreme discomfort. I am thankful I haven't needed an operation yet.
I left no stone unturned in my attempts to obtain a fair and equitable retirement settlement. During this long struggle I hired five different attorneys and wrote more than 100 letters requesting help from every source I could think of within the State of Massachusetts: every Governor's Office since 1987; every Attorney's General Administration; every related State Board and Bureau; every State Senator, Representative and Advocacy Group I could think of.
I came to realize when dealing with the various State Boards and Bureaus, I was just sent in circles until it died. When I dealt with news reporters and journalists I found they had to be careful not to lose their job. A reporter confided in me that Colonel O'Donovan used to walk the halls of the Boston Herald checking with everyone to make sure no one was writing about him.
Most police officers choose this career path because they are honest, hard-working, professional men and women who aspire to the mission of "Serving and Protecting" the public. I am one of them. However, I was unaware of the unjust system where inequity and misuse of power prevail to the extent of ruining careers and lives.
I now wish to invite any other MSP officers who have experienced similar unjust battles to unite with me. Justice for myself is important but would feel like a hollow victory without assurance that these practices are stopped. My hope is that the once highly trusted and respected reputation of the Massachusetts State Police would be restored.
The best way to achieve justice is to expose injustice.
Please share your story....we can
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