MANCHESTER, NH September 9, 2024–Following citizen testimony critical of the police department at the July 2, 2024 meeting of the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Chief Allen Aldenberg targeted the business that employed one of the department’s critics for a police boycott. Following Kevin Martin’s termination of employment by the business, Aldenberg sent a subsequent email giving the all clear to MPD officers and staff to frequent the business.
Information regarding Aldenberg’s actions came to light at the September 3, 2024 meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Sebastian Rowan, who had been even more critical of Manchester’s police during that July 2, 2024 meeting, accused Aldenberg of sending two emails to department officers, one identifying the business at which Martin, who described himself as an “organizer for the Party of Socialism and Liberation” and has frequently addressed the board about affordable housing and demanded they adopt a resolution condemning Isreal’s “genocide” in Gaza, worked and another saying the business was again a good one to frequent after the business owner had “addressed the issue” raised in the first email, which contained a picture of Martin providing testimony in the Aldermanic Chambers.
Rowan on 9/03/24
Using New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law, RSA 91-a, Girard at Large asked Aldenberg to provide copies of the emails. The police department complied with the request. The the emails show that at 7:31 AM on July 3, 2024, the morning after Martin’s testimony, Aldenberg sent an email to “MPD New,” which a source explained is a distribution that goes to all sworn police personnel, stating
the individual in the included photo made some seriously disparaging public comments about MPD.
Aldenberg singled out Martin’s comments about the Officer Involved Shooting that led to the death of Andrew Smith, 56, of Manchester just days before the meeting. Martin said the police had “murdered” Smith “in cold blood as he fled from his execution.” That comment touched a nerve in Aldenberg.
I fully respect the right of citizens to speak during the public comment period of the meetings but I have no doubt that his comments crossed the line.
Aldenberg went on to say his sentiments were “shared by many in attendance,” further explaining he had a “brief conversation” with Martin and that it “did not go well.” Martin was never mentioned by name in Aldenberg’s email.
While he did not explicitly call for a boycott of Martin’s employer, Aldemberg wrote
I only bring this to your attention as I learned after the meeting that this person works at Hometown Coffee on Old Granite. By no means am I telling anyone what businesses you choose to patronize but I feel it is necessary to bring this to your attention.”
Ruais: No comment on emails
Six days later, just after 11:00 AM on July 9, 2024, Aldenberg emailed the same list writing,
Once again (sic) Hometown is a good place to buy your coffee. The owner has addressed the issue.
According to Rowan, during testimony given to the BMA on September 3, 2024, the owner addressed the issue by firing Martin from his job. Rowan wasn’t the only person who decried the chief’s emails during the board’s pubic participation session. They called for the chief to be fired, also citing an August 12, 2024 incident where three officers were recorded harassing a homeless person who was about to defecate in an alleyway behind an apartment building on Hanover St. Several speakers demanded Aldenberg’s removal or resignation, including the woman who recorded the incident outside of her apartment building, as a result of that incident, which several said wasn’t isolated.
Following the public comment session, Mayor Jay Ruais took a “point of personal privilege” to praise Aldenberg, saying he had
“full faith and confidence in the Manchester Police Department, specifically in Chief Aldenberg and Assistant Chief Marr and the entire administration over there.”
Levasseur: Motion of support for Aldenberg
Following that, Alderman at-Large and Board Chairman Joe Kelly Levasseur asked the board to support a motion saying it had “100% confidence in the chief of police” in response to calls for his termination. The motion passed unanimously on a voice vote without discussion.
After obtaining the emails, Girard at Large made requests for comment from and asked several questions of Chief Aldenberg, Mayor Ruais and Alderman Levasseur. At the time of publication, no responses had been received. A call and email to Hometown Coffee have also gone unanswered. We will update this article with any responses or additional information.
