'Deeply Concerned': Swampscott Town, Public Safety Dialogue Sought

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A Swampscott Select Board agenda item to discuss excess overtime within the police and fire departments delved into the ongoing perceived disconnect between town officials and the public safety unions in recent years.

The simmering tensions that appeared to boil over at times through a series of Select Board meeting remarks and social media posts — and seemed to be exacerbated amid contentious contract negotiations, the switch from civil service hiring, and the staffing challenges of the COVID-19 health crisis — again rose to the forefront at Wednesday's meeting.

"I just want to take this moment to talk about something that has been weighing on me for the past 11 months," said Swampscott Police Chief Ruben Quesada, who was hired in 2022. "I'm deeply concerned about the relationship between town hall, the members of the police department and the members of the union. I think there is a strained relationship that needs to be repaired. By doing this, and bringing everybody together, we will be able to lower our overtime costs. We will be able to mitigate some of the effects of our rising costs.

"I say that, as part of town hall leadership, I want to be part of this change. I want to be part of the solution here. This is not to point fingers at (Town Administrator) Sean Fitzgerald, because I work closely with Sean, or the union. I just want us to come together, and meet at the table, and see how we can lower our costs. In the end, we all want the same for our community, and I think that's important for all of us."

Fitzgerald and Select Board members expressed a desire to have those conversations with union members that will de-escalate some of the spirited and, at times petty, back and forth.

"I am going to speak out here as a Select Board member," MaryEllen Fletcher said. "I don't have a problem sitting down and — I would prefer it be in executive session — and talking with (Chief Quesada), Sean, the union. I don't care who it is. But I don't like seeing division or misunderstandings or negativity out there without having an opportunity just to have a conversation.

"If the union wants to be upset, put something on Facebook about me, then go for it. But having a conversation, I think, is the best thing we can do. ... I would like to see some of this stuff go away, to be honest with you."

Fitzgerald allowed some of the push he has made as what he called "an agent of change" in recent years, including the end of civil service, inclusive and diverse hiring, and the implementation of police body cameras among them, have presented "real challenges" in the relationship between the town and unions, and that he is also seeking to end the "us-vs.-them" appearance.

"The issues that we have worked on over the last few years are the most difficult that any community will deal with in any city or town in our country," Fitzgerald said. "Trying to build a more inclusive, trying to be a more 21st Century public safety function is complicated. It is about real change. It's not about rhetoric. It's not about speeches. It's about making changes. And we're making them.

"Yes, it's hard. And, yes, changing civil service has been very, very upsetting for many, many people, including myself. But we got through it. We got through it because it was absolutely necessary for us to do something that was incredibly important. Conflict and challenges, and change, all go hand in hand. You can't do any of this without bearing the burden of some of the frustrations."

He said that he was happy to be having a "dialogue" about both setting an overtime budget that allows the departments to provide for the safety of residents and stay within, as well as addressing some of the other lingering issues that were brought up Wednesday night.

"I would like to suggest that folks really kind of make a redoubled effort to do that," he said, "besides suggesting who may be at fault."

Quesada said he is proud to be the Swampscott Police Chief and that "maybe it's my pie-in-the-sky thinking" but that he believes a smoothing over of any longstanding distrust between the public safety departments and town hall is possible.

"We have come so far even from when I came here as a chief on March 28 (2022)," he said. "I've seen so many good things that have been happening for our community as a whole. And I think that we need to continue and we need to stay on that path."

When it came to solving the overtime issues — which have been generated through a combination of coverage for earned vacation and compensation time, some long-term sick leave that is especially pertinent to this year and that appear to have been at least somewhat mitigated through lowering the minimum staffing requirements for both police and fire shifts — Fitzgerald said consulting the unions could be an ideal way to find solutions to the projected overruns that remain.

"They have had a seat at the table," Fitzgerald said. "Oftentimes, they have some of the best ideas about how we can be more efficient. They deal with the day-to-day responsibilities of providing public safety.

"If there are data-driven ways for us to really look at staffing or other things, calls for service, things that really help us not only meet public safety responsibilities but also staff in ways that really support a more efficient and more responsive public safety function then we ought to take advantage of those opportunities."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)