Red Bank PBA Announces 'No Confidence' Vote In Police Chief

RED BANK, NJ — Police Chief and Interim Borough Administrator Darren McConnell came under harsh criticism from Red Bank PBA Local #39 at Thursday's Borough Council meeting, with the PBA president urging the council not to appoint McConnell as the interim manager - and announcing a vote of "no confidence" in the chief.

But McConnell was later named interim manager, as expected, with Mayor Billy Portman explaining that under the new Council/Manager form of government the sitting administrator was required by law to be named interim manager until a permanent replacement is found.

The council also moved to begin the search for a permanent municipal manager, another item that was on the resolution agenda and was approved by the council.

Police Benevolent Association #39 President Mike Zadlock, with his executive committee in attendance at the meeting, was permitted to speak as part of the public comment period - and he did not hold back.

Zadlock began his statement, although Portman expressed some concern the comments could stray into personnel matters that should be held in private executive session. But Zadlock was ultimately allowed to speak.

Zadlock said he had been seeking a meeting, under grievance procedures, with the previous council and the current council, seated on July 1 after the borough's first nonpartisan election in May, regarding morale that is "completely destroyed" on the police force.

No meeting has as yet materialized, Zadlock said, because he was told it should be held after McConnell was no longer police chief.

McConnell was supposed to retire July 31 from both the chief and interim administrator positions, but the council last month referred to unspecified pension issues as the reason for his continuing in both jobs. Capt. Michael Frazee will be the new police chief once McConnell retires.

So the PBA president ultimately came to speak at the public meeting. (You can see a video of the full statement, video provided by resident and former Independent candidate for council Sue Viscomi, here. A video of the meeting was not on the borough Facebook site as of Friday afternoon.)

Zadlock said the "unprecedented" vote of no confidence in McConnell was taken on July 10, approved by a "vast majority" of membership.

He said McConnell "destroyed the morale of a once-proud and distinguished agency," and he wanted to speak as a "matter of public concern."

Zadlock said the PBA vote was the result of issues the union had with McConnell, including accusations of "selective enforcement" of policies, "favoritism and nepotism" and what he termed an "inappropriate" relationship with an officer who is now McConnell's wife.

Zadlock referred to a directive in February from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office regarding the department. The prosecutor's office was not able to immediately respond to explain the directive, but Zadlock said it has not been made public to the PBA. Zadlock also said a complaint - of unspecified origin - was made to the state Attorney General's office, resulting in the retirement delay.

Zadlock said the police union is "adamantly opposed" to any possibility that McConnell would be named the permanent municipal manager, saying his having the power to appoint or promote any employee would "be a major conflict of interest." He said the union requests McConnell be placed on administrative leave.

The requests were not responded to at the meeting. Mayor Portman said Friday the matter is an "internal dispute within the police department" that does not relate to the council.

Zadlock told the council the PBA was "simply here" to make the council aware of "ongoing issues" in the police department, and that it wants an "open dialog" to resolve the issues.

McConnell was out of the office Friday and was unable to respond to a request to comment from Patch. But he did tell the Red Bank Green news site earlier that “it’s fairly obvious” that the PBA committee is “not very happy that Officer (Kristin) Altimari and I got married. This all occurred literally right after that,” he said in the Red Bank Green report.