Sandra Birchmore’s Case Raises Questions from Stoughton Residents About Police Department

Some residents who spoke to the Globe on Wednesday said the shocking revelations raised suspicions about the police department.

“Someone is hiding something … but we’ll never know because the police are very close-knit with their group,” said Juan Rodriguez, Sr., 40. “What makes us think, as people who live in the Stoughton area, that they’re not hiding any information from us?”

Birchmore’s death was initially ruled a suicide after Canton police found her body hanging from a doorknob with a gym bag strap around her neck in her apartment during a well-being check on Feb. 4, 2021, which was later confirmed and made official by state investigators. Federal investigators now believe Farwell killed Birchmore and staged the scene to make it look like she had taken her own life.

Sharon resident Ellen Kaplan, who was shopping in Stoughton on Wednesday, said she has confidence in the current Stoughton Police Department and its leadership, but she wonders how Birchmore’s sexual encounters with Farwell, who resigned in April 2022, could have remained unknown for so many years.

“They should know what was happening, and if they did, why didn’t they do anything about it?” she said.

“I don’t care if it’s a union or whoever, but someone should have been watching these people, they absolutely should not have allowed anything to happen,” she added. “And if they did, they all should be checked out. But the Stoughton Police Department has some very good people there as well.”

Lineda Yoyo, 47, of Canton, said she was shocked when she learned of the allegations against Farwell.

“I know there are good cops and bad cops,” she said before heading to Price Right on Wednesday to do her grocery shopping. “Those who do their job, do their job well. And those who don’t… are abusing their power. And they should be punished like everyone else.”

The indictment against Farwell is just the latest criminal case against a former Stoughton police officer, as officers in the department have faced state and federal prosecution for their actions for decades.

“There were a lot of issues and after a while you start to wonder about the organization,” said Mitch, a 65-year-old Canton resident who did not want to give his last name.

In 1993, former Stoughton chief David Young was fired after accusations that he had used department resources for nonpolice purposes and illegally issued a firearms license to a prominent businessman. A state arbitrator later ruled that only about a third of the charges against Young were substantiated and that he deserved only suspension. Young was reinstated in 1995 with back pay.

In the early 2000s, the department struggled with legal troubles and notoriety under former Chief Manuel Cachopa, including allegations that a Stoughton officer stole merchandise from a Home Depot and was named one of the worst law enforcement agencies in the state when it came to minority drivers in a state-sponsored report.

The department also came under fire when a Norfolk grand jury investigated allegations that a sergeant tried to extort nearly $10,000 from a local business owner, prompting an investigation that ultimately exposed seven Stoughton officers, including Cachopa and the president and vice president of the local patrolmen’s union.

In 2004, the City Council replaced Cachopa with Joseph Saccardo, an outside hire who had previously worked in internal affairs for the state police. Shortly after Saccardo was hired, the city suspended six Stoughton officers as part of a grand jury investigation.

“We have police officers here who may be unstable and are carrying weapons,” Saccardo told reporters at the time. “It can’t get any worse.”

Saccardo’s tenure did not last long, however, as the reorganized city council voted to terminate his contract less than a month after he was hired and reinstate Cachopa, who, according to an independent 2005 report, embarked on a revenge tour against those he deemed disloyal.

Cachop’s term ended in 2009 when he was convicted of aiding and abetting attempted extortion. He was sentenced to three years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. He later tried to bill the city for $549,000 in legal fees.

In 2014, the department was plunged into chaos when graphic photos of Robert Devine — then-deputy chief Paul Shastany — and his mistress were emailed to department members and their spouses.

The investigator determined that Devine lied about his relationship with his mistress and misused department resources in the case. The investigator noted that “no police department could operate in this manner, and certainly no police department leadership could be effective or fair if it operated in such a disrespectful manner.”

Some Stoughton residents and others who spoke to the Globe Wednesday said they think the department is headed in the right direction under the leadership of Chief McNamara, who took over in 2017.

McNamara ordered an internal affairs investigation into the department in 2021 after Birchmore’s body was found in her apartment.

“They need to improve, and McNamara is trying,” said a 68-year-old Stoughton resident who identified himself only as Dan but declined to give his last name. “They just need to pay more attention to who they hire.”

The Globe’s Tonya Alanez contributed to this report, with material from previous Globe stories used.

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Nick Stoico can be contacted at [email protected].