N.H. State Rep: Killing Cops Is OK

C O N C O R D, N.H., Jan. 3, 2001 -- A newly elected Republican state lawmakerhas enraged his constituents, party leaders and police by saying hefavors killing police officers when they cross the line. One policechief calls him “a hate-mongering lunatic.”

Tom Alciere, 41, won a seat in the New Hampshire House on hisfourth try after a low-key campaign last fall. It wasn’t untilSunday that his constituents in Nashua learned of his anti-policeviews.

Alciere told the Valley News of Lebanon that he loves it whensomeone kills a police officer: “It’s unfortunate that cops domake it necessary [to kill them] when they’re waging a war ondrugs, and I view cops as enemy officers.” He said he is “toochicken” to do it himself.

He acknowledges posting his views at Internet chat sites formonths, including this 1999 comment: “Nobody will ever be safeuntil the last cop is dead.”

State GOP Chief: Renounce or Resign

State GOP Chairman Steve Duprey said Alciere should renounce hisviews or resign. But Alciere stood his ground.

“There’s no way I’m going to resign,” he said Tuesday.

Alciere, a married father of one who inspects circuit boards ata factory, said he was arrested for “petty stuff” years ago butnever went to jail and has no criminal record. He said hisanti-police comments are the “harmless rantings of a privatecitizen” that won’t influence his legislative work.

New Hampshire has no procedure for recalling staterepresentatives, and legislators said they expect Alciere to serve.

“As despicable as the ideas are, the complaints against him arefor his ideas,” said Peter Burling, the House Democratic leader.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?

With 400 members, the New Hampshire House is the largest statelegislative body in the country and many campaigns don’t get muchmedia attention. Alciere admits he didn’t advertise his viewsduring his campaign, but denies misleading anyone.

“Nobody asked,” he said. “For state representative, you don’thave to tell where you stand on the issues.”

He said when police cross the line, citizens have the right touse force to defend themselves: “Whatever is necessary isnecessary. It sounds kind of harsh.”

Denounced by Police, Governor

He is taking plenty of heat. Newmarket police Chief RodneyCollins called Alciere “a hate-mongering lunatic,” and Gov.Jeanne Shaheen is among state leaders to denounce him.

Nashua Deputy Police Chief Timothy Hefferan said supervisorswarn officers to be careful if they get a call to Alciere’sapartment building. He said police usually stay out of politics,but “I think we’ll have to revisit that policy just to enlightenpeople.”

Alciere’s views got some publicity when he wrote letters tonewspapers.

In 1997, three days after Carl Drega killed two state troopers,a part-time judge and a newspaper editor in Colebrook, Alciere senta letter saying that except for the editor, Drega was “anotherwise innocent cop-killer taking out enemy officers inbattle.”

The letter was never published, but became part of theinvestigation.

A short time later, Epsom police officer Jeremy Charron wasmurdered. Alciere defended Charron’s killer, Gordon Perry, becausehe said Charron had no right to ask Perry and a companion foridentification while they slept in their car.

Of Anger and Freedom... and ‘Ugly Old Ladies’

Alciere said his anger stems from reading and watchingtelevision reports about police misconduct, and his belief that many of thelaws the police enforce are unjust.

But during his campaign, he promised simply to oppose any billsthat infringe on freedom, and defeated a Democratic incumbent by 55votes. In his previous runs for the seat, Alciere ran twice as aLibertarian and once as a Democrat.

After the election, Alciere went online and said he was electedby a “bunch of fat, stupid, ugly old ladies that watch soapoperas, play bingo, read tabloids and don’t know the metricsystem.”

“The same lamebrains who vote for politicians who are WRONGfinally voted for one who is RIGHT,” he wrote.