Emotions ran high, Tuesday, as residents pressed the Town of Webb Board for clarity as to an ongoing investigation of the police department, while admonishing the board for its handling of the investigation and for perceived insensitivities toward the police chief and his family, longtime members of the Old Forge community.
Jerry Olsen of Old Forge said the investigation into the department should have been conducted outside of public view in deference to a chief that has served the community and local law enforcement over a 35-year career.
This would have been consistent with the handling of typical personnel matters in the Town of Webb, according to Olsen.
“[They are] a fine, upstanding, great family; three college graduates; mother and dad worked hard,” he said.
The implication is otherwise, however, due to the recent investigation, according to Louise Watson of Thendara.
On July 31, Ted Riehle, acting in his capacity as Town of Webb Police Commissioner, issued a statement announcing that, as of July 29, 2014, the police chief “was suspended with pay, pending an internal investigation and assessment of the Police Department.”
The statement also said an outside “police consultant group” had been hired to conduct this review.
Also stated was that the time required for this “internal evaluation” was unknown.
There has been no official statement issued since.
“Getting that little tiny bit of information [made public] is like a character assassination,” Louise Watson said.
She agreed with Olsen, that the community and all involved would have been better served by a closed-door handling of the situation.
Councilman Mike Ross said every effort had been made to keep the situation a strict personnel matter. The desire being to curb the unfortunate circumstances described by Olsen and Watson.
“We did try to keep it quiet. We did try to keep it from hurting the family,” he said.
But the process required a course of action that was unequivocal, according to Police Commissioner Riehle.
He said that he is precluded from discussing specifics, due to the personnel aspects that Olsen eluded to, but Riehle did describe in general terms the events that forced the investigation and its handling.
“I can’t talk about what happened or allegations; all I can tell you is things were brought to my attention,” he said.
And as Police Commis-sioner, charged with oversight of the department, Riehle said he had an obligation to respond accordingly.
Town Attorney Richard Frye confirmed this.
“The Police Commissioner is appointed every year [in January, as part of the Town of Webb’s organizational structuring]. Ted was appointed and, as the police commissioner, he has certain duties in accordance with town law; certain obligations. And he is acting under those duties,” Frye said.
Commissioner Riehle said he is responsible for the oversight of the police department and that, given the nature of the things brought to his attention, Attorney Frye and he determined an investigation to be the proper course of action.
And though the Town Board has been informed about aspects of the investigation, the Board is not involved directly with the investigation or the decisions relating to it.
This includes the decision to suspend the police chief.
“When the investigation commenced, it was determined that there had to be some ‘status’ that [the chief] should have. So he was suspended with pay. And that was done, not by this board—it was done by the Police Commissioner,” Attorney Frye said.
Jerry Olsen and Louise Watson questioned both the wisdom and propriety of announcing publicly that the police chief had been suspended. This would seem to be a personnel matter deserving of confidentiality, they said.
“Couldn’t you wait till the investigation was over before you gave that information to the paper?” Watson said.
When a high-profile public servant, such as a police chief, is no longer available to the public in his expected capacity, the public needs to be informed of that, Riehle said. And a certain measure of explanation would go along with that.
“This community deserved to know,” Riehle said.
Ideally, the investigation would have occurred without an accompanying suspension, but that was not a realistic option under the circumstances, according to Commissioner Riehle.
“Unfortunately, with the nature of what we had to deal with, the suspension needed to happen so we could proceed with the investigation and evaluation,” he said.
MaryAnn Nelson of Thendara questioned the time-frame of the investigation. Why did the police commissioner not pick up on the red flags sooner?
Bob Dellavia of Old Forge said it would appear the Police Commissioner and the Board may have been lacking in their oversight prior to the investigation.
If this were to be the case, those parties should stand up and say, “Hey, I screwed up: I didn’t catch it,” Dellavia said.
“[Doing that] would relieve a lot of tension,” he added.
Councilman Ross spoke to Riehle’s competence, saying, “He did his job.”
Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore spoke on behalf of the board.
“We are just following the law. We don’t have a choice,” she said.
Ross seemed equally nonplussed.
“It’s the job we took,” he said.
Louise Watson stated concern about implied guilt and unnamed accusers.
Posing her remarks to the board, she said, “You wouldn’t want to be in that position yourself. It could happen any time. Someone could say you did something wrong…”
Jerry Olsen agreed that parties being investigated have a right to know the circumstances.
Watson followed by saying, “This is a wonderful community. We have a wonderful reputation for which I’m very proud. We care about each other… I just feel like there has to be another way.”
Riehle described his regret.
“It was unfortunate that we had to go down this road,” he said. “But it was a decision that had to be made. And it had to be done.”
Watson also questioned Riehle’s dual roles—his serving as both Town Supervisor and Police Commissioner.
“The same people who are conducting an investigation are appointing one of their own, as being in charge of the department that’s investigated,” she said.
Riehle pointed out that, though he ordered the investigation after receiving counsel from the town attorney, the investigation itself is being performed independently by an outside firm.
At its conclusion, Riehle said he will receive a report on the investigation’s findings, and decisions will be made on how to proceed.
Jerry Olsen asked if the public will be made aware of the findings.
Commissioner Riehle was noncommittal, indicating that confidentiality restrictions may apply.
The board, however, would be apprised, he said.
Watson inquired as to the cost of the investigation and who is paying for it.
“Are you going to get satisfaction that’s comparable to the amount of money you are going to spend?’ Watson asked.
“Are we going to get some startling news of how bad things were in our police department or something that’s going to make all the expenditure of that money acceptable?”
Watson said she would not expect the town to know exact costs at this point, but that the relationship between cost and finished product must be considered.
Addressing the board, she said, “You must have some idea in your mind of what the possible outcome is. And my question to you is, individually, is that outcome going to satisfy what you’re putting the town through to get there? I don’t know, because I don’t have the information. I may be back here in six months apologizing to all of you, I don’t know. I only know how I feel right now,” Watson said.
Councilman Ross agreed, this is what’s at stake.
“Well said. You’re right,” he told Watson.
The discussion took place during the public comment portion of the Town of Webb Board’s monthly meeting on September 9th at the municipal building in Old Forge.