Ackley’s union standoff handcuffs city
For
thegoodofthecityanditspolice department, Newlondonmayor Daryljustinfinizioneedstopersuade hispolicechieftostepdown.
Chiefmargaretackleymayhave hadthebestofintentionstoreformthe policedepartmentwhensheassumed hercommandinjune2009. Hervision ofcommunitypolicingfornewlondon istherightoneandherhighvisibilityat numerousciviceventsinthecitywas, intheshorttermatleast, goodpublic relations. Thechiefcutspendingand addressedovertimeabuse.
Butthebiggestchallengeshefaced wasinternal, persuadingorfindinga waytorequireaseeminglyintransigent policeunionleadershiptoworkwith her. Inthatregardshefailed.
Certainlythetaskwasadifficultone complicatedbyinsidercitypoliticsand anhistoricmayoralelection. Yetthat wasthejob, difficultornot.
Frustratedbythesituationshe faced, Ackleybegantosendemailsto political activist Kathleen Mitchell, complaining about some of the personnel she had to deal with, what she saw as a lack of support by the council and city manager, and eliciting Mitchell’s help in publicizing alleged bad behavior by members of her own department.
The decision to discuss these internal challenges in that manner showed verypoorjudgment. Thefact thatthechiefwouldchooseasher confidantemitchell, oneofthemost outspokenpoliticalmalcontentsinthe city, ismindboggling.
Nowthecityfacesaseriesoflawsuitsandcomplaintsfromthepolice unionanditsleadership. Evenifthecity prevails, thecostoflitigationwillbe significantandthedisputeacontinuing distraction.
Indeed, someofthemitchellemails arereferencedinalawsuitofficertodd Lynchfiledagainstackleylastweek, allegingtheyshowapatternbythechief oftryingtointimidateandpunishhim fordisagreeingwithher, associating withpeopleshedoesnotlikeandbeing anoutspokencritic.
Andinacomplaintfiledwiththe statelabordepartment, thepolice unionaccuseschiefackleyofunderminingunionbusinessandharassing itsleaders. Theunion’scontentionis thatthechiefoversteppedherbounds insharingsuchinformationwithsomeoneoutsidethedepartment.
Theironyisthat, byseekingoutside helptoattacklynch, electedunion presidentinnovember, Chiefackley playedrightintohishands, leavingan electronicrecordintheprocess.
Theworkenvironmentatthenew Londonpolicedepartmentnowappears sotoxicitishardtoenvisionitmoving pasttheseproblemswithoutachange atthe top.
Back in August Ackleyseemedto be awaiting the cavalry to arrive and help with her departmental problems. On Aug. 14 she wrote to Mitchell that the council needed tomakea choice.
“Counciliseithergoingtostand uptothepoliceunion/buscettounion andletitbeknownthattheyarenot goingtopermittheconstantthreats asameanstotakecontrol, andletitbe knownthattheyarenothappywiththe treatmentbytheuniontowardsthe chief,” statedackley.
Buscettois, ofcourse, formercity Councilormichaelbuscettoiii, whoat thattimewasinvolvedinademocratic mayoralprimarywithfinizioandendorsedbythepoliceunion. Chiefackley wouldsoongopublicwithheraccusationsthatbuscettowasworkingwith theuniontoundermineherauthority, acontentionbuscettohassteadfastly denied.
Inanemailcorrespondence, thechief alsosuggeststhecouncilplayhardball withthepolicecontract.
“Untiltheunionstraightensupand startsshowingtherespectthecity requiresofitsemployees, thenew contract(thecouncilmustvoteonin executivesessionoverthenextcouple ofweeks) willnotbesigned. Theyhave areallysweettentativeagreementthat mustbevotedonbytheentireunion andthenapprovedbycouncil. Thatwill takeawaysomeofbuscettopowerand putunionvicepresidentlynchinhis place, butwhoknowswhattheentire councilwilldo,” shewrote.
Thediscussionoflaborstrategies appearsparticularlyinappropriate.(on Sept. 6, thecouncilapprovedatwo-year policecontract.)
Alsoinaugustchiefackleysuggestedthatmitchellusethefreedomof Informationacttogetdirtonlynch.
“Foiall‘citizenscomplaints’and ‘lawsuits’thatlynchisnamedin, that willtelleveryonewhatheisallabouttill Iputhimincheck,” wrotechiefackley. Shealsosuggestsanfoirequestto obtain“supervisorcomplaints” about otherofficers.
(Mitchellfiledfoirequests, butdid nothingwiththeinformation.)
Onaug. 24, Chiefackleyannounced herplanstoretire, afteritwasrevealed thatsheandtheadministrationof formercitymanagerdeniserosehad reachedaseveranceagreement, one thatgavethechieftheoptiontoreconsiderdependingontheelection’soutcome.( shestayed.) Thechiefalsothreatenedlegalaction againstthecityforitsfailuretostop Buscetto’sallegedinterference.
Aformerjudge, hiredbythecouncil toexaminethoseallegations, concluded thatackleycouldnotsustainheraccusationsattrial, butsuggestedamodest settlementtoreducelegalexpensesand becauseoftheremotechanceackley wouldprevail. Thecouncil, however, hasrefusedtoapprovethe$25,000that Mayorfiniziorecommendedtosettle thematter.
Thechiefshouldreconsiderretirement.
Mayorfiniziocontinuestodefendhis chief, promisingtoprovidethesupport Ackleyfeltshedidnotgetfromtheprior councilandadministration. Butit’stoo late. Thechiefhasmadetoomanybad decisions. Thereistoomuchbadblood onthefloor.
If themayordoes select anewchief, I would suggest a disciplinarian, preferably with a record of cleaningupa troubled department and dealing with challenging union issues. Someone whomightmakethe union regret they were so toughonackley. Andwhoever the next chief is, he or she should be careful about using email. Paul Choiniere is editorial page editor.