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WILKES-BARRE — The head of the city’s police union called it “encouraging.”
City councilwoman Beth Gilbert read its survey critical of the chief’s leadership ability and supported an independent investigation of the department.
Gilbert posted her concerns on her Facebook page Thursday about the lack of progress to address the working conditions under Chief Marcella Lendacky raised in the survey by the 77-member Police Benevolent Association.
PBA President Sgt. Phil Myers presented copies of the 102-page survey to council at its Dec. 8 public meeting and asked it to exercise its city charter-designated investigative power. The survey blamed Lendacky for the low moral and the toxic atmosphere in the department and wants her removed.
Myers said Friday the union found Gilbert’s post “encouraging” that somebody listened to its call for help.
In her post Gilbert said, “I am concerned that the clear strain within the police department is going to lead to a serious issue of saftey, both for our residents and our officers.”
“While I hold high respect for our Chief and our officers, it is imperative that this issue is resolved before it escalates into a dire situation,” she said.
Gilbert added, “An independent investigation by an impartial group would benefit all parties involved, and would put to rest this issue once and for all.”
She said she is considering bringing it up next week when council meets.
“I think the best bet would be to foward it to the district attorney’s office. She can kind of delegate which direction it should go,” Gilbert said Friday. Another option would be to ask the state attorney general to do it, she said.
The PBA’s first attempt to reach out to council went unanswered and council Chairman Bill Barrett, a former city police chief, later said he would not support an investigation into what appeared to be a labor dispute.
Myers defended the survey taken anonymously by 68 of the 77 PBA members. It included responses for and against the chief.
“Those comments are what we feel bring true validity to the survey,” Myers said of the support of Lendacky. “We basically put everything on the table,” he said.