The mayor says he wants to offer the city's next new police chief a contract rather than Civil Service protection.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
– The Town Council Tuesday night narrowly approved the mayor’s request that the city remove the police chief’s job from Civil Service.The council voted 5 to 4 after councilors made considerable commentary.
Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger, who attended the council meeting, said he was a pleased with the vote. The measure must now be approved by the Legislature, which Neffinger said is more or less a formality.
The mayor said taking the job out of Civil Service protection will help the city move forward to be more modern and put the emphasis on a chief’s leadership, management and education.
Neffinger wants to offer a contract to the city’s next police chief. A mayoral appointee, the next police chief will replace Thomas E. Burke, who retired in March. Burke had Civil Service protection and worked without a contract.
Police Capt. Ronald P. Campurciani is running the department in the meantime. He and police captains Daniel M. O’Brien and Capt. Daniel M. Spaulding are the three finalists for the job of police chief.
Neffinger said his understanding is that he can hire a new police chief with the understanding that the job will be taken out of Civil Service even if the measure has not yet been voted on in the legislature.
Town Councilor Bruce L. Gendron argued that a contract should be adequate to protect a chief from being fired arbitrarily.
Town Councilor George D. Condon III said the city needs the ability to replace a chief if that official is not meeting expectations.
Councilors against the change argued Civil Service protection is needed t o prevent a chief from being fired for political reasons.
Town Councilor Brian J., Griffin said Civil Service protection means a chief could not be fired so the job could be given to politicians’ friends and supporters.
Town Councilor Lida M. Powell said the majority of police officers she spoke with are against taking the chief’s position out of Civil Service and she fears without it a chief can be unfairly driven from office.
Voting in favor of the change were town councilors George R. Kelly, John R. Sweeney, Angus M. Rushlow, Condon and Gendron. Casting opposing votes were town councilors Robert M. Mancini, Griffin, Powell and Kathleen A. Bourque, president of the board.
“It is a system that was set up in the 1800s that has outlived its usefulness,” Neffinger said of Civil Service in an interview in his office Tuesday afternoon.
The mayor criticized that Civil Service by generally requiring municipalities pick their police chiefs from among the top three scorers on a written test. The mayor argued that that is not the best way to choose a chief with the qualities of a leader. Neffinger said legal challenges by disgruntled candidates can go on for years.
Neffinger said about 40 percent of the state’s cities and towns have taken their police chief’s position out of Civil Service and that he expects more municipalities to follow suit.