City tells cops: Brutality suits? Heh, we ain't paying for that no more. (legal, state)

[70Ford]

City pulls plug on police legal bills » Latest News » EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

LAWRENCE — Mayor William Lantigua says he will no longer pay legal bills for police officers being sued, including the bills for those officers involved in nine brutality cases pending in U.S. District Court.
The mayor says over the past three years, the city has spent $1.2 million to defend officers in civil cases.

But Lantigua has hired his own outside counsel to defend the city against a complaint filed by the patrolmen's union with the state's Division of Labor Relations. The 10-count complaint alleges Lantigua's decision to cut the legal payments is "designed to punish the union and its members for exercising their collective bargaining rights."

[Greatwoods]

I disagree with the mayor on this one. Lawrence, MA is a rough town. The police are hired to do a difficult job and make tough decisions, and now the mayor doesn't have their back? Sounds like another case of a pencil pusher making life harder for guys in the field.