SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Scarborough Police Chief Robert Moulton said Wednesday that his department is not providing private security at the Prout’s Neck home of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after Tuesday’s decision to uphold a four-game suspension of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Earlier media reports indicated the NFL had alerted the town’s police department that Goodell would be making a decision on Brady’s appeal and that it was likely to be unpopular in New England.
In a release Wednesday afternoon, Moulton wrote, “The Scarborough Police Department is not providing, nor were we requested to provide, any private security to Commissioner Goodell’s home. No taxpayer funds are being utilized.”
According to Moulton’s assistant, the chief was not returning phone calls seeking clarification or additional information.
Concerns about protests or other mischief in the exclusive Scarborough neighborhood arose after Goodell on Tuesday upheld a four-game suspension for Brady’s involvement in the “Deflategate” scandal involving footballs with air pressure that dropped below the league’s minimum inflation standards during the Patriots’ conference championship rout of the Indianapolis Colts in January.
The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl, the fourth such title during Brady’s career as quarterback of the team.
Goodell initially imposed the suspension in May, after the league’s investigator, Ted Wells, delivered a 243-page report that said the quarterback was probably party to a plan to deflate the footballs below league standards, making them easier to grip.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Brady continued to deny any wrongdoing in the case.
The league has gone to federal court seeking a ruling affirming its right to suspend Brady under the collective bargaining agreement it has with the players union. The NFL Players Association said it would challenge the suspension in federal court, most likely in Minnesota.
Information from Reuters is included in this report.