Stenhouse: No further action will be taken

This story appeared in the Derry News and was written by Courtney Paquette

DERRY | The town administrator won't be taking further action on the complaints voiced by the president of the patrolmen's union during Tuesday night's Council meeting, Gary Stenhouse said Thursday.

Stenhouse said he briefed the Council on what his findings were on the complaints Tuesday night, and that the issue was now over. He wouldn't talk about what his findings were.

"I'm not taking further action," he said.

On Tuesday, about 20 plainclothes patrolmen gathered in Town Council chambers Tuesday night to back their union president as he urged councilors to look into morale issues in the Police Department.

Councilors Kevin Coyle and Janet Fairbanks said Wednesday they think an independent party needs to study the matter.

"I consider Dr. Moody's report to be nothing much more than a whitewash of the situation, and I think we need an independent party to review the situation," Coyle said. "We have a problem. The question is, 'What solution is there?'"

Councilor Brent Carney wants Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse to look into the matter.

"I have said for some time now that I think there is a morale problem within the Derry Police Department," Carney said. "My thoughts on that have not changed. But I have also been consistent in saying that I want to give our new town administrator ... an opportunity to deal with this issue. I have full confidence in Mr. Stenhouse and I am sure he will work hard to help both sides work through this situation."

Councilor Brian Chirichiello said he was concerned, but did not want to comment on whether the study would be necessary.

On Tuesday night, Michael Houle, president of the Derry Police Patrolman's Association, told councilors that the department's leadership needs a change in leadership philosophy. The union represents about 40 of the town's 53 officers.

Houle said none of the department's administrators visited Officer Robert Moore after he was hit by a drunken driver while working a traffic detail July 25. He also said police Chief Edward Garone did not attend a recent retirement party for three longtime officers.

"Is this a morale issue or poor leadership?" Houle asked the council during its meeting at Town Hall. "I ask you to seek the truth. We have no one else to turn to."

Houle said the patrolmen want an outside firm to conduct a management study of the department. Despite his complaints about the chief, Houle said he doesn't want to use a study as a means of forcing Garone from his job.

"It's not to replace the chief," said Houle, who has been a member of the department for nearly 15 years. "It's to change ideas. ... Maybe a change in mindset. Things change. Our chief's been here since 1972. Management styles change."

Houle said he tried to meet with Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse to talk about the issues, but was turned away because Stenhouse said he does not meet with union officials outside of contract negotiations.

Councilors said nothing after Houle's remarks, which came during the open forum part of the meeting. Councilor Kevin Coyle called for the council to meet in nonpublic session after the meeting, which they did. Houle said they talked about the morale issue.

He said patrolmen are also upset that none of them were interviewed for a report on morale issued last month by John Moody, who was the town's interim administrator.

Several councilors requested in April that Moody look into allegations of low morale in the department and its connection to the retirement of the three veteran police officers in May.

Moody's report said there were no morale problems within the department. Any dissatisfaction was linked to unresolved contract issues. In March, the union declared the negotiations at an impasse after the town refused to accept a proposal for a police detail ordinance. They have since gone back to the bargaining table without requesting the detail ordinance.

Patrolmen have been working without a contract since July 1.

Houle denied that the complaints are linked to contract negotiations.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," he said.

Moody said he arrived at his conclusions by speaking with Houle, Garone and police Capts. George Feole and Vernon Thomas. Moody said he also spoke with the three retired officers | Steven Inserra, Vincent Bryon and Daniel Pelletier. Houle denies that Moody met with him for the report.

Moody said in his one-page report that he looked into instances of low morale and concluded that if the officers followed the proper procedures for voicing complaints, "the issues should have been resolved amicably."

"That some members of the police department decided to go outside of the established process and procedures to express their concerns is more indicative of a misguided attempt to gain favor with members of press and/or to influence members of the Town Council, than it is an indicator of low morale within the department itself," Moody wrote.

Asked after the meeting why he kept pursuing the issue, Houle said, "I want morale to pick up. I take my position seriously."