Weare police chief on leave amid domestic violence probe

Sept. 16--Weare Police Chief John Velleca, the reform-minded police chief who has led the department a little less than a year, is on leave after a restraining order against him was issued in response to allegations of domestic violence.

Selectmen Chairman Tom Clow said the town was informed on Saturday that Hillsborough County Circuit Court had issued a domestic violence order against Velleca. The allegations are being investigated by the Hillsborough Police Department, Clow said.

"Chief Velleca is aware of the court order," Clow said in a written statement Monday night. "While he denies any wrongdoing, he does not want to be a distraction from the ongoing efforts to remake and rebuild the Weare Police Department into a agency which the community, the officers, and the entire law enforcement community can take pride. Accordingly, Chief Velleca has requested that the Board of Selectmen place him on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds so that the Weare Police Department can focus on its mission and so that he has adequate time to clear his name."

Hillsborough Police Chief David Roarick said Velleca had not been arrested, and police had issued no warrant for him.

Velleca started with the town in early October 2013, after retiring from the New Haven, Conn., police department with 20 years.

At the time, Weare police were under an investigation related to the police shooting-death of a low-level heroin dealer during a botched undercover investigation. The town's insurance carrier eventually paid more than $350,000 to settle legal claims involving the death, as well as other high-profile cases that occurred before Velleca became chief.

Recently, Velleca instituted a requirement that all Weare police officers wear body cameras.

"Since joining the Weare Police Department in November 2013, Chief Velleca has made great strides in redefining the culture of the organization," Clow said in the statement. "With a focus on community policing, Chief Velleca has worked diligently to upgrade departmental policies and officer training, to improve relations with other law enforcement agencies, to improve morale, and to foster a better relationship with the Weare community."

In a telephone interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader, Assistant Attorney General Jane Young said investigators with her office are in a "fact-gathering stage" when it comes to Velleca.

"All I can tell you at this point is we are aware of a situation regarding Weare Police Chief Velleca, and we are trying to determine as many facts as possible," Young said.

Weare Police Sgt. Kim McSweeney referred calls to Deputy Police Chief Sean Kelly, who did not return a telephone call.

In nearby Hillsborough, police referred questions about Velleca to the attorney general and Weare town officials.

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