The Facts about the Police Commission

BREAKING NEWS – Democratic Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to conduct an objective and independent review of the Police Department. First Selectman committed to getting the funds to proceed.

The Old Saybrook Police Department and its Chief have certainly been in the news over the last few years – and especially in the last few months.  Questions have continued to persist around the high level of turnover, the reckless (and, in some cases, unlawful) behavior of a few individual officers and the willingness of the current First Selectman (Republican) to spend tens of thousands of dollars fighting a FOIA process to provide public access to a record critical of the Chief of Police.

Recently, Republicans have attacked the “fecklessness” of the Democratic majority on the Police Commission.  They say they haven’t delivered on our 2021 campaign promise of greater transparency, accountability and accessibility.  But what are the facts?

In less than two years the Democrat-led Police Commission:

Increased accessibility by:

  • Changing the point of contact from the Chief of Police to the chair of the Commission;
  • Pioneering citizen email access to the Police Commission (and all Town Boards and Commissions);
  • Changing the mailing address of the Commission from the Police Department to Town Hall;
  • Instituting “public comment” at both the beginning and end of Commission meetings.

Increased transparency by:

  • Requesting the Department to post on line for public view the “Commissioners’ Information Packet” for each meeting;
  • Requesting the Department to include in that packet the monthly “Activity Report” presenting the numbers of all incidents by category for that month and year-to-date;
  • Posting the agenda 72 hours prior to the meetings (as opposed to 24 hours).

Increased accountability by:

  • Amending the bylaws to permit both positive and negative public comment;
  • Requesting the First Selectman to promptly inform the Police Commission of litigation claims against the Department or its officers;
  • Directing the Chief of Police to notify the Commission, no later than upon the completion of an internal investigation, of the subject, nature and disposition of each and every internal investigation;
  • Directing the Chief of Police to promptly inform the Commission of each and every citizen complaint against him, including the nature of the complaint and his proposed approach to how it is to be investigated or referred.

The work is far from over.  Most pressing is the need for an independent study of the department and its leadership to determine the causes of the unwanted turnover.  The Democrat-led Police Commission REQUESTED BUT DID NOT RECEIVE funding for such a study more than a year ago.  

BREAKING NEWS – Democratic Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to conduct an objective and independent review of the Police Department. First Selectman committed to getting the funds to proceed.

Some in the community are calling for the ouster of the Police Chief and indicate that nothing less will satisfy their demand for accountability.  But everyone is entitled to due process and we must understand fully the factors behind the problems (and successes) of the department.  In addition, Connecticut statutes and the contract between the town and the Chief make swift action – indeed, any action – very difficult.  That contract was drafted by the Republican Chair of the Police Commission (also the Chief’s personal attorney).  It is dated October 16, 2009, lasts in perpetuity (no end date) and requires the police Chief to sign off on the process and tool used for his evaluation.

Clearly the Democratic-led Commission has work left to do and needs another term to make additional progress.   Elect Democrat Mark Ciliano this November.