CIRCLE PINES — Centennial Lakes police officers hoping for quick action after a no-confidence vote against their chief might be in for a long wait.
Last October, the patrol and sergeants’ unions gave Police Chief Bob Makela a unanimous vote of “no confidence” on his “ability to lead the department.” In a letter sent to then-Joint Governing Board Chair Dave Kelso last December, two members of the police force listed several complaints against their boss, and demanded action from the board. Another letter was sent to the board in October, but the union members have not requested that Makela be removed as police chief.
A unanimous vote of “no confidence” and a list of complaints isn’t enough for the board to take dramatic action to address the complaints, according to newly appointed board chair Mary Capra, who is the mayor of Centerville. She says the complaints the board received are too “generalized.”
“We received a written statement Oct. 17 and it didn’t relate to a specific instance or instances, charge, accusation, or complaint against the chief,” Capra said. “Even the one received Dec. 29, that statement from the union stewards, there is no specific accusation.”
Some of the complaints in the Dec. 29 letter were as follows:
• “Is unwilling to make important decisions within his authority.”
• “Does not listen.”
• “Takes matters personally and retaliates.”
• “Degrades employees by screaming at them and has created a hostile work environment.”
In response to the vote and letters to the board, Makela wrote in a prepared statement that some officers are resistant to new changes to the police department that he has been tasked with enforcing by the Joint Governing Board.
“During our recent implementation to problem-oriented policing (POP) there has been resistance by some employees to embrace this change,” he wrote. “Efforts to change for the betterment of the community are difficult when employees perceive that some of their duties and responsibilities will increase or change due to our changing community needs.”
Capra also said police officers wanting the board to take action have bypassed the Labor Management Committee and haven’t submitted a grievance to their unions.
The union stewards wrote in their Dec. 29 letter that the board has refused requested meetings and completely disregarded their vote of “no confidence.”
“We are surprised that the unanimous level of dissatisfaction of your workforce resulting in the vote of no confidence appears to be of so little importance to you,” the letter said.
Quad Press 1/20/2009
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5 comments:
Whether the chief should go or not is really irrelevant while the governing board (which Capra and Lee sit on) continue to ignore the union.
At least Circle Pines is doing something to get to the bottom of this.
Capra should confront the union and resolve the matter. Making generalized statements to the press is not leadership!! If the chief should be defended... Meet with the union and JUST DO IT!!
The article makes no mention of the union requesting the chief resign. It looks like the police commission is holding a monkey court and not doing it's job.
The fair thing to do would be to get to the bottom of the matter and get it over.
Thumbing your nose at the union is no way to come to a resolution.
This is no time to be spending money to look for a new chief! How about mediation and work it out -isn't that what the city throws back at the residents that have issues?
It's funny how Capra claims that the union has "bypassed" the labor management committee. How can she know this when members of the Governing Board never sit in on those meetings? If she did, she'd know that the LMC has been discussing these very issues since 2006. Bypassed, indeed.
It's too bad this is all happening. However, down the road it may not matter. It seems, among many other things, our Federal government has plans to federalize our police force. Eventually there will be no local or state police, just federal. Let's not forget that they are also working on putting our military out there to patrol us too.
Look on the bright side the Mayor and a Councilmember will have more time. Maybe they can take over the finances and we won't have to hire somebody for that.
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