Meeting allows police reaction

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

SPRINGFIELD At a meeting on Thursday designed to give police officials an opportunity to comment on the management report given to the Finance Control Board, much of the discussion centered on removing the chief's position from civil service.

The discussion foreshadowed the vote at the City Council tonight on Council President Timothy Rooke's resolution that will be the first step in switching the position of police chief from civil service to a contractual one.

City Councilors Kateri Walsh Bud Williams and William Foley chaired the Thursday meeting of the Council's Public Health and Safety Committee. Members of the Police Department management team as well as representatives of the Patrolmen's Union also attended.

In her opening remarks, Walsh said that she was opposed to making the chief's position contractual because the chief couldn't make a decision "without political pressure."

Williams expressed objection to the word "dysfunctional," which was used by consultant Carroll Buracker in describing the Department.

When Police Chief Paula Meara was asked if she was opposed to change, she replied, "Absolutely not. I'm all about change."

She said she was prepared to meet with city officials and the members of the department to see which of the report's recommendations are "practical and reasonable" for the city. She emphasized that the issue of funding some of the recommendations needed to be addressed.

Meara said in regards to removing her job from civil service, "it would be an impossible task to be chief of police in this city without civil service" because of municipal corruption and politics.

The move would be a "huge step backward of 50 to 60 years," she added. She predicted the Department would lose many supervisors who view their jobs in Springfield as a career track towards the chief's position.

Williams reminded the chief that if the job were no longer civil service that will not mean a Springfield officer would be exempt from consideration for the chief's position.

Deputy Chief Elmer McMahon said that the subject brought up "mixed emotions" in him as he described himself as a "product of civil service," yet he can see that the trend in larger cities is to have a police chief on contract.

"I'm not going to come down on either side," he said.

Attorney Kevin Coyle who works with the Patrolmen's Union told the councilors that a municipality can remove a police chief who is protected by civil service if a timeline with goals and objectives is established for a chief. If the chief fails to meet those goals, they can be held accountable and be terminated.

The police also discussed the legitimacy of the report and the background of the people who evaluated the Department.

Meara said that Springfield officers receive more experience in six months than many others do in 20 years.

"Everyone in this room has more experience than Carroll Buracker & Associates [the writers of the report]," Sgt. Peter Albano stated. He added the city paid $171,000 for a "personal opinion."