Simsbury Police Defending the Chief Boulter No Confidence Vote

IBPO

Simsbury Police Union

933 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury, CT 06070

IBCO

PRESS RELEASE - IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vote of NO Confidence in Chief of Police Nicholas Boulter

Simsbury Residents, Town Manager Maria Capriola & Police Commissioners,

As you are aware, the Simsbury Police Union, International Brotherhood of Police Officers,

Local 458, recently held a vote of 'No Confidence' in Simsbury Police Chief, Nicholas Boulter. Ninety-Two percent (92%) of our members took part in this vote, of which, eighty percent (80%) overwhelmingly voted that they lacked confidence in the leadership of Chief Boulter. Simsbury residents truly deserve better than the poor example of leadership set by Chief Boulter that has trickled down and poisoned our ranks, creating an egregious and capricious environment. The 'No Confidence' vote results are compelling and show that Chief Boulter is not worthy to continue leading the police department as Chief of Police.

We are very disappointed that the town manager, Maria Capriola, as well as the police commission have failed to remain neutral and unbiased as a result of the vote of 'No

Confidence'. Prior to either party knowing the list of issues that led to the vote, they have both publicly expressed their full support in Chief Boulter. After the vote of no confidence passed, Maria stated she has "every confidence in Chief Boulter... - During his 20-year tenure with the town, Chief Boulter has demonstrated that he is willing to do what is in the best interest of the Simsbury Police Department.". On Monday afternoon, the police commission held an unprecedented "vote of confidence" in the Chief, with four in favor and one abstaining. The automatic support of the Chief by both the town manager and police commission without hearing the concerns of our police officers is unsettling and problematic.

It's important to understand that not one single event triggered this vote, but rather a history of events over time that resulted in such a drastic call for attention, some of which are still ongoing. The intent of this letter is not to list all of these issues, but only to focus on the last couple of events that left us with no choice but to hold a vote of no confidence against the Chief. Our Union is comprised of dedicated officers who love this job, the community and all we serve. We did not want to bring undesired attention to our cause but felt we could no longer suffer in silence under Chief Boulter's leadership.

We contend that over a period of time, Chief Boulter has acted in a manner not suitable for a position such as his. In his capacity, one would always expect fairness, impartiality, compassion, and respect. Chief Boulter has failed to consistently show these qualities toward the men and women of this agency. Instead, he has displayed narcissistic, egotistical, authoritarian behavior that has resulted in the lowest morale our department has seen. Moreover, he has a history of selective supervision, favoritism, and blatant violations of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We also believe that he knowingly violated employees' Due Process by intimidating behavior and condemnation for those who have filed labor related grievances. Chief Boulter fails to recognize his shortcomings and dismisses anyone who thinks contrary to him. A divide of this magnitude between the Chief and police officers can result in a liability to the town, as police officers will not be as effective without proper leadership.

Although Sgt. Trombly's termination was not the sole reason for the 'No Confidence' vote, some details of this issue cannot go unsaid. We fully believe that Chief Boulter's investigation into Sgt. Trombly was biased and that the Chief conducted himself unprofessionally out of malice for Sgt. Trombly. We further believe that the Chief's actions were retaliatory due to grievances Sgt Trombly had filed in the recent past. The reason we believe that it was retaliatory is that the Chief has said numerous times that he "hates" when grievances are filed because "they make the Town look bad".

In his termination recommendation to the Police Commission, the Chief charged Sgt. Trombly with "untruthfulness", among other things. The Chief stated that "there is no room for untruthful officers in this agency" and Sgt. Trombly's effectiveness in the community would be compromised. The IBPO contends that during this termination process, the Chief himself was untruthful in his findings and subsequent testimony, which he gave under penalty of perjury. A formal request was submitted by the IBPO to Town Manager, Maria Capriola, to have these claims investigated by an outside agency for transparency.

The Chief also questioned Sgt, Trombly's character. It's important to note that on the evening of Sgt. Trombly's firing, there was a serious motor vehicle accident directly in front of police headquarters whereas two pedestrians were struck while crossing the street. Each suffered severe injuries, with one party unresponsive with serious head trauma and not breathing. This occurred only moments after the termination hearing and Sgt. Trombly was standing outside of the police department with several other off-duty police officers. Sgt. Trombly was one of the first responders to this critical incident and provided immediate medical care to these two Simsbury residents. It is without question that Sgt. Trombly's actions were instrumental in the positive outcome for these residents. Not only did Sgt. Trombly act quickly and without hesitation, so did all other off-duty police personnel. In addition to the off-duty personnel, the scene was filled with on-duty officers, ambulance personnel, firefighters and fire apparatus. The life-star medical helicopter also landed in the area.

Our further disappointment in Chief Boulter is that when this accident happened, he failed to take the few steps from his office door in order to assist his officers or to check on the well-being of these Simsbury residents. It's ironic that the officer who the Chief fired only moments earlier took more interest in providing care and compassion for Simsbury residents than the Chief did. We understand that the Chief of Police generally does not respond to motor vehicle accidents, but to disregard an event of this magnitude that was unfolding directly outside his office window is absurd! This inaction and lack of compassion by the Chief was one of the final reasons for the vote of 'No Confidence'.

We contend that Chief Boulter should resign as a result of his inadequate leadership as Chief of Police. Without the trust, faith and confidence from a majority of the police officers in our department, Chief Boulter can no longer effectively lead our department. As previously mentioned, there are numerous issues that have occurred over time that have led us to this point.

It is in Chief Boulter's, and the town's, best interest that he respectfully resigns before the details of the past as well as the most recent issues come to light. However, should Chief Boulter choose not to resign, we request that an independent, thorough investigation into his conduct be initiated. We request that this investigation be conducted by a qualified organization or firm, such as DLG Law or Marcum Associates. The results, which must be made public, will provide insight to the town manager and police commission, who will ultimately make decisions regarding the future leadership and success of our agency.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRES PLEASE CONTACT

UNION PRESIDENT GARY GRAY 860-658-3100