TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES AND I'LL LET YOU GO....

What would you do to get out of a ticket or simply avoid being arrested? Well, a New London, New Hampshire police chief recently had to resign after a woman said that he offered to drop the charges against her if she left him photograph her in the nude. I don't think that's such a bad trade off. I would let any officer photograph me in the nude to get out of jail. The problem is I doubt any would ask. 

The woman was a student at Colby Sawyer College and according to her lawyer, the incident with then police chief David Seastrand lasted several hours, saying, "There was an extended attempt to bargain away her criminal charges in exchange for her allowing herself to be photographed naked. Obviously, she refused, and frankly, it was a brave act for her to report this matter to the attorney general's office." He went on to say that the woman has had to live in the town, continue going to school in town, knowing this was pending all this time, which caused her a great deal of stress and interfered with her life. The woman is considering lawsuits against both Seastrand and the town of New London. 

Seastrand, who recently announced his retirement but planned to work through the end of the month, agreed to resign immediately and give up his certification as a police officer. As a result, no criminal charges will be filed against him. The attorney general's office said that the woman filed the complaint against Seastrand on March 6, which initiated the investigation. If you think about it, what did Seastrand really do wrong? He suggested a way out of being arrested for her. As I see it, he was trying to help her out. No harm, no foul, right?

Seastrand worked for the town's police department for 27 years. In his retirement letter that he gave the selectman, he didn't indicate a reason for his sudden departure, only that his decision was made after months of consideration. He wrote, "It has been my honor to have worked with so many dedicated individuals throughout the years that have made this job and my experiences working here so meaningful." I have to say that even this little blip shouldn't tarnish his 27 years of service. It's not like he molested the woman or anything. He merely made a suggestion. I side with officer Seastrand on this one. We, as civilians, are always looking for a way out of a ticket or being arrested. He offered this girl a way out, and she chose to make a spectacle of it. Now, what was it this woman was being arrested for again? That went away pretty quickly, huh?