Union offers support to two lieutenants
By: Helen Pettigrew
MONTGOMERY The Police Benevolent Association supports the hiring of a police chief from within the department to lead the force, PBA President Jim Gill told the Township Committee at its meeting Thursday night.
The meeting was attended by about 30 residents and seven members of the force, most of whom were there to express opposition to the committee’s recent decision to hire a civilian police director.
Committee members, under the advice of special counsel Ellen O’Connell, who attended the meeting, did not respond to a majority of the comments and questions. At times, they began to respond and were stopped by Ms. O’Connell, who said the committee was bound by the state Open Public Meetings Act to avoid discussion of personnel matters.
Officer Gill said the PBA conducted a vote at its meeting Wednesday, at which time the 12 union members in attendance voted unanimously for a chief. Ten other members did not attend the meeting, he said.
"The union’s stance is still that we unanimously vote for a chief from within," Mr. Gill said earlier in the day.
"We’ve changed hands five times," he added. "If they’d put a chief in that position two years ago, we wouldn’t have any of this turmoil and the foundation would have been set by now."
Residents and officers discussed rumors Thursday that committee members have voted for a civilian director due to problems within the department or problems they have with the highest-ranking officers, Lts. Greg Harkins and Bob Palmer.
Bob Mitchell resigned as chief March 1 after only two months on the job. The Township Committee then reversed its field, approving a resolution that night with a vote of 3-2 authorizing Township Administrator Donato Nieman to start a search for a civilian police director.
More than 10 members of the department, including Lts. Harkins and Palmer, expressed great disappointment over that decision at the March 1 meeting. Mr. Mitchell said he, too, is against hiring a civilian director and made this clear to the committee upon his resignation.
Officer Gill and Sgt. Tom Wayne suggested Thursday that the committee look to the lieutenants as next in line for the chief position.
"I just want to say I have tremendous confidence in the two lieutenants," Sgt. Wayne told the committee. "I would walk through fire for them and so would anyone else here."
Committee members Don Matthews, Louise Wilson and Sondra Moylan, who voted in favor of the director, have said they want someone from outside to evaluate the department and eliminate existing turmoil, after which a chief would be hired. None has been willing to elaborate on the turmoil within the department, and Ms. Moylan has said that information cannot be revealed because it is a private, personnel issue.
Seven residents voiced their preference Thursday night for a police chief, while two said they support the decision for a director.
"I am sick as a taxpayer of seeing our department in turmoil and not knowing when our men will leave their positions because they are so fed up with this nonsense," said Ed Plant of the Skillman section. "Everything that’s happened since (former Chief William) Beachell has been secretive and mysterious, and all we ever do is pay the fee."
"We were hit with a rash of burglaries again and again where I live and I’m not surprised," said resident Charlie Putnam, who favors a chief. "What I see, we don’t have an embarrassment in riches, we have an embarrassment and I think it’s starting to have a serious effect. Crime is up and leadership is sorely lacking."
Another resident, pointing at Committeewoman Ali Henkel, said, "I think you see what we all want and I think if you don’t want it, you had better have good reason and I think you should share that with all the members of the committee."Ms. Henkel and Committee member Peter Treichler voted against hiring a police director. They have said they are not aware of any changes that have occurred since the committee decided to hire a chief in August that called for the decision to shift gears and hire a civilian police director.
"I don’t know what’s changed that should change our decision," Mr. Treichler said recently. "We knew what the condition of the Police Department was, positive and negative. My knowledge was, when he (Chief Mitchell) resigned, there were no changes in the Police Department. My conclusion was that there should be no changes in the department and that we wanted a police chief in there."
The committee had discussed the positives and negatives of a chief and a director last spring, and decided unanimously in August to hire a chief from within the department.
"We recommend that you again evaluate your decision to go with a civilian director and again examine hiring a chief from within the department," Officer Gill said Thursday.
Former Chief William Beachell took a leave of absence in July 1999 amid allegations of sexual harassment and formally retired in September 2000. From July 1999 to March 2000, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office oversaw the department. Township Administrator Donato Nieman then assumed oversight of the department and appointed Lts. Robert Palmer and Gregory Harkins as alternating officers in charge before Sgt. Mitchell was promoted in December.