Union asks Whitehall mayor to investigate officer’s firing

A Whitehall police officer who was the impetus behind a unanimous vote of no confidence against Chief Mike Crispen last month has been fired by the city, according to the police union.

According to a written statement from the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge 9, Whitehall Public Safety Director Van Gregg fired Officer Enrique Ortega after a hearing Friday morning. “Gregg took only 19 minutes to render a decision” after the hearing, said the FOP, the union representing Whitehall officers.

The union is asking Mayor Michael Bivens to investigate what it calls Crispen’s “fabricated” charges against Ortega. Those charges, it says, were used to fire Ortega after he reportedly complained to administrators about “arrest and enforcement quotas under threat of discipline” that were stressing officers, the FOP statement said.

The Dispatch reported last month that FOP members issued a unanimous vote of no confidence against Crispen, accusing him of, among other things, retaliating against Ortega, a union grievance representative whom the chief previously placed on paid leave. The June 13 vote followed other legal actions the union took against Crispen, including a restraining order to keep the city from interviewing Ortega.

As part of his union role, Ortega helped survey Whitehall police members about the department’s morale, working conditions and mental health. In mid-may presented the results at a meeting with the mayor and several FOP members. Bivens asked for a copy of the presentation, which was provided May 28, according to court records.

Two days later, on May 30, Crispen relieved Ortega of duty and confiscated his badge and gun.

“Chief Crispen claims he received a report that … Ortega made comments … stating that if Mayor Bivens did not act in a manner to Ortega’s liking,” that Ortega would start causing problems in the department, court records say.

Crispen previously told The Dispatch he decided to investigate Ortega after getting reports Ortega was going outside the bounds of protected union speech and telling members of the public he hated being a Whitehall officer.

“It’s different when you elevate to threatening the department,” Crispen told The Dispatch in June. “Is it just a morale thing and you’re going to file a bunch of grievances, which don’t faze me, or are you going to be causing problems with other officers? I have to look into that.”

Dispatch reporter Bethany Bruner contributed to this report.