See the latest Laurie List, also known as the Exculpatory Evidence Schedule: https://indepthnh.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ees1026.pdf
By DAMIEN FISHER, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – A Concord Police officer who was reportedly forced to lie by her abuser about being assaulted is now seemingly being punished for having been abused, getting placed on the Laurie List for cops with credibility problems.
Brooke Croft is among the several new names on the latest version of the Laurie List, also known as the Exculpatory Evidence Schedule, published by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. According to the list, Brooke Croft was placed on the list for criminal conduct, truthfulness, and egregious dereliction of duty stemming from an Oct. 17, 2020, incident.
According to court records, Oct. 17, 2020 is when she was assaulted by her former husband, Bryan Croft, and then later told to lie to the state police officers investigating the abuse.
Bryan Croft pleaded guilty in 2021 to domestic violence and stalking charges. At the time of the abuse, both Crofts were Concord Police officers.
Bryan Croft was originally charged with witness tampering in the case for allegedly telling Brooke Croft to lie and say someone else maliciously lied and reported the abuse, and she injured herself moving exercise equipment.
Those charges were later dropped as part of a plea agreement. He was sentenced to eight months in jail.
Under the law regulating the Laurie List, police chiefs place officers on the statewide list, which is then shared with prosecutors. Prosecutors must disclose an officer’s placement on the list to defense attorneys before trial.
Laurie List placement is seen as a disgrace that can end law enforcement careers.
Concord Police Chief Bradley Osgood did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday, nor did Ted Lothstein, Brooke Croft’s attorney during the investigation into Bryan Croft. Brooke Croft could not be reached for comment.
It does not appear that either Brooke Croft or Bryan Croft are currently employed by Concord Police.
It’s not the first time a female officer who has been victimized by a male police officer ended up on the Laurie List. Former New Boston Police Officer Alexandra Drake found herself put on the list after she reported being sexually harassed by her superior, Lt. Michael Masella. According to Drake’s lawsuit against the department, Masella harassed her, stalked her, told her that he had a “rapability” scale for female drivers he stopped, and that he forced her to add lies to a police report.
Drake was eventually awarded a $160,000 settlement, and she has since found work in law enforcement in another state.
The state continues to shroud the EES from full public scrutiny, despite the current system where a partial list is published. The published EES does not include the names of all the officers on the list.
Officers who have been placed on the Laurie List are allowed to fight that placement in court in confidential proceedings.
The names of those officers are withheld until their individual lawsuits are resolved.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office updates the list once per quarter, adding names as more court cases are resolved.
The New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism, which publishes InDepthNH.org, along with a handful of other news outlets, sued the attorney general to get all of the names on the list. While the other news outlets have since dropped out of the lawsuit, the NH Center for Public Interest Journalism’s case is still pending in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.
The published list is also short on details about why any individual officer is placed on the list. The list may or may not give a date of the incident, and give a one or two word description, like “truthfulness” or “criminal conduct.” There is no further context provided.
Also new to the October EES public update: Philip Mahoney, Bedford Police Department, incident 2014, placement on the EES 2017, reason – bias toward law enforcement; Garrett Beck, Bristol Police Department, 2016 incident, 2018 placement, reason – truthfulness; Matthew Griffin, Keene Police Department, unknown incident dates, reason for both – truthfulness; Michael Beauchesne, Plaistow Police Department, 2013 incident, 2013 placement, reasons – dereliction of duty, incompetence, conduct unbecoming an officer; Daniel Pangburn, Hollis Police Department, 2009 incident, unknown placement date, unknown reason; Bridget Gales, Colebrook Police Department, 2021 incident, 2022 placement, reason – criminal conduct; Kennedy Richard, Chester Police Department, 2021 incident, 2022 placement, reason – criminal conduct; Paul Beaudet, Newport Police Department, 2010 incident, 2022 placement, reason – truthfulness; and John Singletary, Somersworth Police Department, 2021 incident, 2022 placement, reason – truthfulness.