Fourth in a series
Re “When Did Trouble Start for the Police Chief?”
Of course, Police Chief Don Pedersen knew that serious internal troubles were wracking the department long before the union scored a lopsided no-confidence vote a month ago.
In an attempt to flatten the nagging wrinkles into a smoother working pattern, Mr. Pedersen and the five-member board of the Police Officers Assn. have met three times, by his accounting in January, February and April.
The downhill trajectory, however, already had been speeded up before the first meeting. Late last year, shortly after a new board took office, police union surveyed its 89 members about a dynamite subject freighted with explosive implications.
A large majority declared morale was gutter-low, portending illy for Mr. Pedersen and his leadership team.
Surveying first and meeting later seemed juxtaposed to the Police Chief.
His answer came in response to the following question:
When did you first sense trouble, grumbling beyond the ordinary?
“Probably during the first meeting in January. I was a little taken aback that the survey was conducted before we even had a meeting.
“That caused me concern.
“I will tell you that it always has been my intention, and still is my intention, to work through any issue we have. I can’t do that alone. I need for them to come to the table so we can talk.
“So far, though, they are not willing to do that.
“But I am very patient.
“I am planning to wait. At some point, we will have a discussion.”
Generally speaking, you did not sense trouble before January?
“No, nothing more than the usual. I had never had any meetings with prior POA boards that caused me concerns.
“Clearly there were issues that required discussions and changes that we were making.
“But there was nothing that had caused me concern out of the ordinary.”
Your supporters claim that the uprising is more of a personalized vendetta against you, that four of the five board members have sustained keen individual disappointments at your hands. These supporters assert that vendettas rather than policy differences are the primary driving force in this campaign.
“Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to discuss any personnel matters, by law. I take that obligation very seriously.
“I can say that the department has a lot of really good employees. The majority of them understand the need for change, but some are struggling with that.”
(To be continued)
