Fred Parsells and I go way back. I like the guy personally – we’ve dined together a number of times over the years and had pleasant conversations. However, last year he left his job at the “Keene Housing Authority” and took on the role of city “Code Enforcer”. A former detective with the Keene police, (and I believe collecting a police pension) Fred has decided to make my property one of his pet projects and has begun a campaign of harassing me, my tenants, and most recently, my new neighbors next door. (Curiously, prior to Fred being hired, I hadn’t heard from code enforcement in five years. So, clearly there weren’t any glaring issues at the time upsetting anyone. The one time I did hear from code enforcement prior to the five years was due to the complaint from a city employee.)
I recently came home to discover Fred and his partner Josh, parked out front of my house, standing at my new neighbors’ door. They were just leaving and I inquired of Pete, who was there recording, as to what was going on. I was informed that they were threatening the neighbor over the car in their side yard. I informed Fred and Josh that I have no problem with their car being there and that I don’t appreciate them picking on my neighbors. Josh told me to stop eavesdropping, as though when strange men come threatening my neighbors that it’s not my business. I don’t know where Josh lives, but I want to live in a place where neighbors care that their neighbors are being threatened by aggressors.
Afterward, I spoke with the lady next door and assured her that I had not called code enforcement on them and nor would I. If I have an issue with a neighbor, I’ll do like a good neighbor should, and drop by to talk. She informed me that Fred claimed he’d gotten a complaint from another neighbor regarding their car in the yard, because the other neighbor had experienced code enforcers threatening them over the same issue. Typical cycle of abuse. It’s sad to see neighbors using the state agents to threaten one another. It’s also sad to see grown men telling other humans how they have to behave on their own property, when no harm has been done to others. The neighbors’ car in the side yard was hurting no one and it certainly didn’t bother me.
The code enforcement department should be shut down. All they are is a means for people to hide behind and act less neighborly and also a tool to attack neighbors that are disliked (or political dissidents the state agents wish to punish or intimidate).
The employees in the code enforcement department would likely say their job is to ensure homes are safe, but if that were true, why has Fred threatened me with violations, fines, and jail time because of “unregistered” vehicles being parked on the property? What neighbor would care or even know that a car was unregistered? Clearly Fred is on an obedience kick and/or revenue hunt.
If Fred actually were just going around trying to help people be safer, he wouldn’t need to threaten. He could be a code suggestor rather than enforcer, and make helpful suggestions on how to make construction better and safer.
Of course, Fred is not a construction worker. He’s a former cop who is playing detective again on people and their “code” violations. I’d imagine most people who see Fred don’t much want his services.
