A few months ago, I did bring up this issue of whether or not the Cheshire Police Chief could just be terminated for no reason (as long as the termination wasn’t illegal). This action is also called EMPLOYMENT AT WILL. I did receive a comment from “Robbie” stating that according to Ct State Statute the Police CHIEF NOT ACTING CHIEF-THE POLICE CHIEF-could not be terminated without just cause.

Here is the statute from Robbies comment:

Sec. 7-278. Hearing prior to dismissal of municipal police head. Just cause requirement. Appeal. No active head of any police department of any town, city or borough shall be dismissed unless there is a showing of just cause by the authority having the power of dismissal and such person has been given notice in writing of the specific grounds for such dismissal and an opportunity to be heard in his own defense, personally or by counsel, at a public hearing before such authority. Such public hearing, unless otherwise specified by charter, shall be held not less than five nor more than ten days after such notice. Any person so dismissed may appeal within thirty days following such dismissal to the superior court for the judicial district in which such town, city or borough is located. Service shall be made as in civil process. Said court shall review the record of such hearing, and, if it appears upon the hearing upon the appeal that testimony is necessary for an equitable disposition of the appeal, it may take evidence or appoint a referee or a committee to take such evidence as it directs and report the same to the court with his or its findings of fact, which report shall constitute a part of the proceedings upon which the determination of the court shall be made. The court, upon such appeal, and after a hearing thereon, may affirm the action of such authority, or may set the same aside if it finds that such authority acted illegally or arbitrarily, or in the abuse of its discretion, with bad faith, malice, or without just cause.

This is a real convoluted issue. Remember the ASSISTANT Police Chief was SUSPENDED NOT FIRED HE LATER RESIGNED-I AM SORRY FOR THE ERROR THANK YOU ROBBIE FOR CORRECTING in New Haven. He was an at-will employee.

And as I have stated before there IS a difference between AT WILL and JUST CAUSE. Let us look at the difference:

EMPLOYMENT AT WILL v JUST CAUSE.

Now let us look at “Just Cause Requirement for Police Chief Dismissal”

I know the few times I have been down at the Cheshire Police Department since this issue arose with the Cheshire Police Chiefs “management style” I saw several different things. I mean look, I don’t work at the Police Station so I really don’t know what really goes on. I WISH I DID and not in a bad way.  Most paramilitary organizations have tensions because the rank really cannot express their discontent or concerns to the management.

I know I have heard the Chief compliment the work of different officers to me-NO YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THEM SO THERE!!

I also have seen Officers acknowledge the Chief and ask him questions about procedure. But I did witness an small incident when I was getting the police logs last summer. I was with an Officer who was going over the police logs with me when the Chief came in and said “why don’t you drive her home (unnamed officer).”

The meaning of the statement may have come out convoluted because the unnamed officer was talking to me about my scooter that I had driven to the station. Maybe the Chief felt I should not drive it home I don’t know.    I did not know how to take the comment.

Most of the time when I go to the station, the Chief will come out. But when he says something to me, most of the time he is kidding around and I know it.

All of the time when I say something to him I AM KIDDING AROUND BUT HE DOESN’T KNOW IT!!

When you deal with military or paramilitary organizations as I have many many times, you get these bravado types. You have to walk a fine line. A lot of the so called “talk” or threats of actions are just that–macho power monger TALK.

But that is no reason to get rid of a person. We in the private sector that are not in unions have to deal with this CONSTANTLY!! When I work in the chiropractic office I talk right back to the doctor if I think she has overstepped her bounds. By talking back, I mean I tell her how I feel. If she tries to accuse me of something I did not do (that she did) I tell her straight up. She does the same thing. But you know what-our relationship is OK!!

You don’t have to be buddy buddy with a supervisor to get along with him or her-but I think a good airing out of the laundry once in a while does a body good. That is the problem with unions sometimes. The worker can’t confront the management head on.

If this Assistant Chief in New Haven was doing something ILLEGAL or UNETHICAL maybe the firing was justified. But if he was just “a jerk” now the taxpayers will spend approximately $85,000 a year for this guy to sit home!!! Was it worth it-I don’t know-maybe it was.

I would rather have the person doing something-even if he/she had to be reassigned-then be lame duck or sitting home collecting a big pension and doing no work.