Donald Bliss was fired last Wednesday for the inappropriate use of his department cell phone and for alleged ethics violations surrounding his part time involvement in the alarm industry.

Chief Joyce says he is confident a pending Civil Service Commission review of the matter will reveal the charges are political retribution and without merit.

In a press release issued today, Joyce writes:

Lt. Bliss began his career as a seasonal officer in 1985, and was appointed full time in 1987. In 1993 he was promoted to Sergeant and later served as head of the Detective Division from 1997 to 2003. In this capacity, he was responsible for the investigation of all major cases, including homicides, sexual assaults, court prosecutions and evidence/property preservation. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2003 and has served as the Assistant Patrol Division Commander responsible for both evening shifts. He has held numerous assignments including: the Truck Team; Tactical Team; Field Training Officer; Firearms Instructor; MACE Team; Coastal Task Force Supervisor; Citizens Academy Instructor; and member of the Honor Guard.

Donald has served with distinction and honor for 24 years, has no previous discipline in his file, and has received over 22 commendations. He was responsible for creating the Neighborhood Action Team (NAT) that helped resolve the numerous problems identified in Onset Village over the last 2 years. In concert with these efforts, he developed the Landlord Assistant Program (LAP) where he personally maintained contact with landlords and realtors in an effort to identify criminal elements. The Lieutenant also developed the plans for Onset’s Community Safety Partnership and obtained the operating grant money.