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By KARA O'CONNOR

Villager Staff Writer


WILTON -- A Wilton Police officer who was suspended after it was learned he had a personal relationship with an adult in the Police Explorers program is now on paid administrative leave, according to police officials.

Starting Wednesday, Sept. 1, officer Christian Lund, 42, was put back on the Wilton Police Department's payroll, said Chief Michael Lombardo.

Lund was scheduled to return to work on Sept. 1, six months after he was suspended without pay, provided he had satisfied all the conditions in his settlement agreement, according to the agreement document. However, a necessary pre-termination hearing has been postponed since April, and there has been "no resolution to Lund's charges," according to police.

A pre-termination hearing for Lund was originally scheduled for late April but was postponed after Lund's attorney requested a continuance, according to the police commission. Matt Mason, chairman of the Police Commission, declined to comment Tuesday on why the pre-termination hearing has continued to be postponed since that original date in April.

"Officer Lund is still a member of the Wilton Police Department," said Lombardo. "He is being paid because it was what has been decided upon by the police commission. At this point, it's still a pending labor matter."

According to Mason, the commission decided at the end of last month that Lund should be put on paid administrative leave starting Sept. 1.

"The commission acted based upon advice of our counsel," said Mason. "We concluded that it was the prudent thing to pay him during the time period it takes us to resolve his outstanding charges."

Mason said Lund is now receiving full pay during his leave. Lund's annual salary is $72,035, police said.

Mason said that he hopes to have Lund's pre-termination hearing this month.

On Oct. 28, 2009, the Wilton Police Department received a report that Lund had developed a personal relationship with a female adult in the Wilton Police Explorers program, according to police. Police Explorers is a worksite-based program for teens and young men and women ages 14 to 20 who are interested in the law enforcement field. Lund was a co-adviser of Wilton Police Explorer Post 58.

Internal investigation documents also show that another female member of the Explorers program said Lund kissed her. Lombardo later confirmed that the second Explorers member was under the age of 18.

According to a statement from Lund, when asked to explain his relationship with one of the Explorers, he stated it had become personal and he loved her and she had said the same to him. Lund also stated that he "did not establish another relationship or attempt to establish a physical relationship with any other Explorer, although he stated that an Explorer once kissed him, which he didn't expect."

On Oct. 29, 2009, Lund was immediately removed from his position as co-adviser to the Wilton Police Explorers and placed on paid administrative leave, according to police. Lombardo also immediately ordered that an internal investigation be conducted regarding the circumstances involved in the personal relationship between Lund and the adult Police Explorer.

The investigation determined that Lund had violated several of the department's Standard Operating Procedures and his actions reflected poor judgment and conduct unbecoming a Wilton Police Officer, according to police.

Thereafter, Lund executed the settlement agreement with the town, which included a suspension that began March 1, according to police.

However, conduct by Lund during the period of his administrative leave and suspension led Lombardo to order a subsequent internal investigation on March 4, according to police.

According to internal investigation reports, on March 3, it was reported that Lund entered the building of the Wilton Police Department when he was given a verbal order by Lombardo and Deputy Chief Robert Crosby not to enter the department building unless given prior approval to do so.

The chief also issued a written order to Lund on Oct. 29, 2009, saying he should not have any contact with any members of the Wilton Police Explorers without prior approval from the chief or deputy chief.

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