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Police Commission Working To Resolve Conflict Between Union And Chief

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Police Commission members met with Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr, Tuesday

night to discuss various complaints the Newtown Police Union has raised over

how the chief runs the police department.

Police Commission Chairman William Meyer said Wednesday the session "went very

well" and was "very productive."

The meeting was closed to the public due to personnel issues.

A week earlier the commission met with the police union behind closed doors to

discuss the union's complaints.

Mr Meyer said commission members are working to resolve the conflicts.

Commission members Carol Mattegat and James Reilly have been named to a

subcommittee that will work with union representatives in resolving problems,

Mr Meyer said. The subcommittee is expected to meet with union members later

this month.

"Time heals all wounds," Mr Meyer said.

At a September 10 session, union members explained their concerns to the

commission, detailing why union members cast a 29-to-1 vote of "no confidence"

in Chief Lysaght recently. Two union members abstained from voting and two

union members were not asked to vote by the union due to their specific job

circumstances.

Police union spokesman Scott Rusczyk has charged that Chief Lysaght violates

the department's policies and procedures, misinterprets the union's labor

contract, and mismanages the police force.

Officer Rusczyk alleges there is marked favoritism in the police department

with some officers being treated very well and others not treated well by the

chief. Officers who are favorites receive an inordinate amount of police

schooling, according to Rusczyk. Rusczyk has called for Chief Lysaght's

ouster.

Chief Lysaght says progress is being made in reforming the department into an

outfit that will capably deal with the challenges of the future.

On August 8, the police union filed a labor grievance charging that a

reorganization of the police department violates provisions of the police

labor contract. The Police Commission approved the reorganization on Chief

Lysaght's recommendation.

That reorganization sparked the union's public criticisms of the chief.

In a recent interview, the chief said, "I just have to do the best job I

possibly can."

"Many problems existed before I came here and there's no way they're going to

go away within a year," he said.

It takes between five and seven years to improve the overall functioning of a

police department, he said.

"I can't change things on a dime. It takes time, and we are doing that," he

said.