Greater Transparency Urged for Police Department Hearing

A former Westfield police officer urged town officials Tuesday to open up the hearing process on sitting police officer.

Greg Kasko, who left the police department in 2006, asked Mayor Andy Skibitsky and Council members to provide greater transparency to what he said were management issues in the police department. He noted that Skibitsky has campaigned on transparency issues, citing public statements the mayor made in his 2009 reelection campaign.

"At the present time, a Westfield police officer has an on going PERC hearing, which began on July 13th," Kasko said. "The officer sought to have this hearing public. The town's legal representative followed the police department's wish to close the hearing and keep it secret."

Kasko, who retired following a settlement agreement with the town regarding a suspension after he raised concerns with department management, cited several issues surrounding department management in present and past situations. He said the town had the Institute for Forensic Psychology conduct an evaluation of police chief candidates in 2005 and said the report should have been reviewed.

"As I understand it, this report also stated that a specific candidate not be recommended for promotion in the managerial setup of the police department," Kasko said. "The old system was again followed, the report was ignored, and that candidate was elevated."

In an interview with Patch, Kasko declined to say who the promoted candidate was.

Kasko, in his remarks to the Council, also cited concerns raised over the years by former Councilman Kenneth MacRitchie regarding former Police Chief Bernard Tracy. He cited an August 2009 letter to the editor that MacRitchie provided to the Westfield Leader following the 2009 settlement of the Sandra Chambers lawsuit versus the town regarding Tracy's behavior.

Kasko said in his statement that he is concerned that the current PERC hearing is touching on many of the same management issues that have come up in the past and he would like to see the process opened up to the public.

"It is my understanding that this officer's claims involve the credibility of ranking officers and their ability to bypass union rules and regulations," he said. "It also involves the abuse of the rules surrounding appointments and promotions, promotional testing and secret pay raises to those favored by management."

Skibitsky and Council members did not say anything during Kasko's comments. State law prohibits Council members from speaking publicly about matters relating to personnel and ongoing litigation matters.

Kasko said he hopes the Council goes ahead with allowing the next hearing to be held in public.

"Each and every member of the town council has agreed with Mayor Skibitsky on his October 2009 statement to the Westfield Leader that he believed, 'we opened the doors to communication, accountability and transparency to Westfield's governing body,'" Kasko said. "Now I suggest you open a window into the abusive practices inside the Westfield police department, which remain hidden at the direction of that department."