Work environment blasted
Niskayuna police officer details complaints about department’s troubles
A town police officer said that “ongoing stress and an unhealthy work environment” that the former police chief and some town leaders ignored for years are among the reasons the department has suffered and he is leaving.
The resignation letter to Acting Police Chief Frances Wall, which was obtained by the Times Union, includes a reference to “former Badge #49” and not the officer’s name, but several members during Wednesday’s special virtual meeting of the Town Board’s Police and Public Safety Committee identified him. The Times Union is not identifying him because his name was not on the letter.
The officer also said the department is short-staffed, lacks the proper training and equipment, and did not receive support or funding from previous administrations and town leaders.
“The town was consistently made aware of the unhealthy work environment, need for officers, need for training and equipment but seemingly did not care,” wrote the officer, who joined the department about seven years ago. “This ultimately creates a public safety hazard not only for the officers but also for the town residents.”
Specifically, he mentions that
before Wall took over in July, the department had gone almost 11 years without any active shooter drills “even though an incident in the town took place.”
“It has been too many years of headaches and hope of a possible turn around that I have decided to seek better employment,” states the officer, adding that the department “has gone understaffed causing undue stress, mandates and tired officers.”
Deputy Police Chief Michael Stevens countered Wednesday that he could recall at least three active shooter training sessions in the past 11 years and that Niskayuna also late last year participated in countywide
one. He said it was unclear to him what active shooter incident the officer was talking about.
Councilman Bill Mcpartlon said Wednesday he had asked Wall to be at the committee meeting to address some of the issues in the letter and talk about the “plan going forward.”
She was absent and some board members said they told her that the personnel matter should be discussed behind closed doors.
Wall did not immediately respond to an email Thursday seeking comment.
Stevens told the committee Wednesday that the officer appears to be a disgruntled employee.
“It’s been my experience of 19 years of doing this that when officers become disgruntled, there’s two things they always do —
they always say morale is down and we get no training,” he told the panel that included several board members and department heads.
Supervisor Yasmine Syed said Wednesday that letter is unsettling.
“We want to address the issues that were brought up and try to get to get to the bottom of it, and try to figure out a way to mitigate and solve those issues that exist, provided that they do,” said Syed. “We really want to hear from her (chief ), how can we assist you in addressing the needs of your department.”
While the officer credits Wall for “being the one person to show support for your employees” and trying to make things better, he said the police force suffered under the leadership of now retired Police Chief Dan Mcmanus.
“Ever since the promotion of former Chief Mcmanus the morale of the entire police force was on a steady decline ultimately reaching a breaking point causing anonymous letters and accusations to be made,” the officer writes, adding “this has now made it even harder to find and keep good officers…”
Wall was appointed acting chief when Mcmanus was placed on paid leave while the town investigated allegations that he and another police administrator may have violated town policies.
Mcmanus retired in early September and the town ended the probe into him. But an investigation into possible violations by Stevens the deputy chief is ongoing.
Last fall sources briefed on the matter, but not authorized to comment publicly, said the investigation
of Mcmanus was to examine allegations the ex-chief had a personal relationship with a female staffer with ties to the owner of a local business that successfully bid to repair the department’s police cars.
The officer who wrote the letter says the department has gone downhill over the past decade, is no longer a destination, and that he “will miss my NPD family.” The departing officer, who is done at the end of the month, ends by offering colleagues some advice.
“I hope and encourage all of the officers of the Niskayuna Police Department to seek better employment because the town will never support their officers in the capacity or fashion that is needed and required during these trying times,” he said.