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10/28/2021 12:00 AMAt the Nov. 2 elections, a significant amount of attention will be paid toward the four open seats on the Old Saybrook Police Commission. The Harbor News reached out to the candidates to learn their motivations for running and what they hoped to accomplish should they be elected.
For Police Commission, electors can choose up to four candidates. The candidates are Republicans Susan Quish, Katie Toolan, and Jeff Jordan and Democrats Renee Root Shipee, Jill Notar-Francesco, Jessica Calle, and Alfred “Chub” Wilcox. For the Police Commission two-year term, voters can choose between Republican Eric Dussalt and Democrat Carol A. Manning.
It has been a difficult year for the commission as the department and Chief Michael Spera have all come under fire for several alleged wrongdoings. Those allegations include an incident depicted in a YouTube video titled “Old Saybrook Air Freshener Heroes” from 2020 in which a Hispanic man is pulled over by Old Saybrook police officers and given a written warning over an air freshener; the case last fall when police officers, including Spera, lengthily questioned a man with Down syndrome in regard to a stolen street sign with which the man had no involvement; the calls from the public for a new policy for citizen complaints about the department; and a report from this year that addressed the reasons for the high turnover of police officers within the department over the last decade.
More specific information on these incidents can be found on zip06.com.
The commission in turn has faced scrutiny for a perceived a reluctance by the commission to fully investigate the claims against the department. Commission member Wilcox in particular has been a vocal critic of his fellow commission members, whom he has accused of being content with accepting the department’s version of events as the truth rather than looking into matters themselves.
In response, Wilcox and other critics of the department have been accused of sensationalizing the claims against the department and presenting one side sided arguments.
The present commission is made up of seven commissioners, of which only Wilcox and Shipee are Democrats.
Due to the importance of the race and questions raised about the role of how the police commission should operate, the Harbor News reached out to the commission candidates to get their thoughts on whether the role of the Police Commission is more to provide oversight of the department or to work with the department and be a support system?, as well as share anything the candidate would like to change about how the commission operates.”
The candidates were instructed to provide a statement of no more than 200 words. Below are all the statements received in time for this article. In addition to the information below, voters can find all of our 2021 elections coverage, letters to the editor, and profiles on all candidates seeking office at Zip06.com/election.
Candidate Statements
Jessica Calle (D): “The Old Saybrook Police Commission is essentially the eyes ears for the citizens of Old Saybrook. The commission must always listen, learn and lead with the interests of both the citizens and the police officers in mind.
“It’s interesting that there is even a question on whether oversight is a necessity for the Police Commission to exercise. The reason local elections exist are to keep the town functioning by appointing representatives to protect and serve the interests of the citizens and the community. These representatives are only successful and effective by exercising the oversight for which they are responsible for.
“Old Saybrook residents are given the opportunity to vote for Police Commission candidates they believe will fulfill their duties successfully. However, Old Saybrook residents are obligated to accept the current chief of police until he decides to leave or retire. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to have a Police Commission who will exercise Oversight And Require Transparency And Accountability from OSPD.
“As for any changes, right now the priority is changing the members of the current Police Commission.”
Eric Dussalt (R): “The role of the Police Commission is to work together as an entity to provide serious oversight and support in a fiscally responsible manner. Per the by-laws, the commission is a unit of authority and members have no individual authority. In order for this unit (Police Commission) to operate effectively, all members need to work together in a professional manner to ensure we are making decisions in the best interest of our great community. In my opinion, an effective board is one that can provide both oversight and support in accordance with current by-laws. As a potential commissioner, I look forward to collaborating with all members regardless of who is on the board.
“Professionalism while serving on a board is of the utmost importance especially when one of your roles as a commissioner is to interview potential new officers. When a candidate attends a meeting to be interviewed in Executive Session, their first impression of the board should be professional, honest, and collaboration from all individuals seated.”
Jeff Jordan (R): “As a commissioner I see my role as providing both serious oversight and acting as a support system for OSPD—both things can be true at the same time. Here are my thoughts on transparency and communication.
“Transparency: Law enforcement professionals are human, and like the rest of us, occasionally have a bad day. For every one of these rare missteps trumpeted, and often distorted, by the ‘keyboard warriors’ on social media, there are countless instances of officers and dispatchers going above and beyond expectations. With appropriate respect for privacy, the commission should inform the public of mistakes and their resolution and it should share stories of exceptional service as well.
“Communication: I’m going to borrow an idea from my colleague Susan Quish, also running for Police Commission. Meetings currently start with Public Comment. I propose to change that to Public Q&A. Citizens may ask questions and if those questions cannot be answered in the allotted time or if they require additional research, answers may be publicly posted. There is a great deal of misinformation concerning OSPD in the public sphere, and providing honest answers to citizen questions is the best way to address it.”
Carol Manning (D): “Civilian oversight of the Department of Police Services is essential. Feeling safe is knowing the Police Commission has policies in place to protect citizens claiming their rights have been violated. These policies must be followed. Commissioners are always informed of complaints in a timely manner, complaints are investigated, and a report is presented. Updating or modifying policies is also oversight.
“Since the Police Commission has a legal obligation to hire, fire, and discipline officers, officers need a way to communicate directly. When officer turnover rate is high, commissioners have an obligation to learn why. Oversight means listening to officers who want to talk with them. Voting to ignore a problem is a lack of oversight.
“Understanding and approving the yearly budget is another important part of civilian oversight by elected commissioners. That involves discussion with questions and answers. “Rubber stamping” is not oversight.
“If the commission doesn’t evaluate the chief yearly, as his contract states, where is the oversight? Elected commissioners, who are not professional police, need to hire a professional company to help formulate a strategic plan by evaluating the current situation, looking at strengths and weaknesses, and establishing a written plan for the future.”
Jill Notar-Francesco (D): “Serious, active oversight by the Police Commission is the soul of community support, enhancing community trust, and acting as a positive bridge between citizens and the department. I value the importance of strong oversight, supporting what is done well, and fairly addressing what needs improvement. However, oversight takes many forms. Listening and following up on citizen complaints must be among the highest priorities of the Police Commission. It is the heart of caring for the people of our community and the officers who justly serve us.
“With this, citizens should be able to contact their police commissioners. Instead, all inquiries are currently directed to the chief. Residents should also have the ability to direct questions to the commission at public meetings, and have those questions answered. The current structure, however, enables commissioners to be silent on answering questions and communicating with the public. Policies must change to make the commission accessible to citizens and enable them to be engaged. After all, we pay for police services through tax dollars. Many supports these measures, along with hiring an independent, expert assessment for review and recommendations on the structure and staffing of the department.
Renee Root Shipee (D): “The role of the Police Commission cannot be narrowed down to one task. It exists to provide oversight while simultaneously working with and supporting the police department. It is similar to the chief of police and his employees. The chief must provide a healthy, supportive, and stable working environment while still ensuring his employees’ work is completed in a timely fashion and in a professional manner.
“The Police Commission has been very supportive of all of the chief’s proposals, including the increased hours for the School Resource Officers and an additional dispatcher for the overnight shift. We have also ensured that personal protection equipment has been updated as needed. Our downfall is that we have failed in helping to determine the cause of our high turnover rate. Not interviewing those that have left to obtain feedback makes that very difficult.
“As in any work situation there are times when the police commission needs to step in when members of the department do not fulfill their obligations to the citizens. This applies on every level. There needs to be oversight. You cannot have the fox guarding the henhouse.”
Katie Toolan (R): “Let me start by saying it is an honor to be a candidate for Police Commission in the Town of Old Saybrook.
“As an elected police commissioner, I will listen to our community members with an open mind and look forward to working together with my fellow commissioners to make a positive impact on our community. I will make sure that the Police Department is accountable to the people it serves, and that the officers are supported in their continued efforts to keep our community safe. Building positive working relationships with my Police Commission colleagues, listening to and acting on public concerns, and ensuring the commission provides proper oversight to the police department as outlined in its by-laws are, in my opinion, the top priorities for this position.
“Only by working together, can we bring about lasting change for generations to come, because I truly believe big change starts small. I look forward to serving Old Saybrook, it would be an honor.”
Susan Quish (R): Candidate Susan Quish did not provide a response to the Harbor News.
Alfred “Chub” Wilcox (D): “The Police Department is a paramilitary organization which we entrust with badges, guns, tasers, handcuffs, etc. The Police Commission serves the vital role of providing civilian oversight of this paramilitary organization, for complementary reasons.
“One is to ensure that our officers are well trained and equipped, both for their safety and ours, that they have the organizational structure best suited to the missions we give them, and that they are staffed at a level appropriate to our population and those missions.
“The other is to ensure that our officers reflect the ethos we want them to bring to the mission: an emphasis on service rather than control, a soft touch rather than a heavy hand, coupled with an ability to exert control when comfort or counseling are rejected by someone presenting a real threat to our safety and security.
“To maintain the right balance, the Police Commission needs to be open to hearing from and listening to the many differing segments of our community—police officers themselves, past and present; families with young children or teenagers; older residents; representatives of our business community.
“We all have a stake.”