January 19, 2018 We, the members of the Mechanicvile Police Benevolent Association, are fing a personnel Complaint against Mayor Dennis Baker for actions during his tenure as Mayor which have Intimidated, harassed, demesned and threatened our members and fellow City of Mechaniovile Workers. During his time in officer Mayor Baker has interfered withthe day to day operations of ‘he Mechanicvile Police Department and issued unreasonable orders creating an atmosphere of fear and discord among our members. All of these issues run contrary to the City of Mechanicvile's Employee Handbook sections 207 (Fair Treatment Policy), 1008 Rules of Conduct) and 1009 (Code of Ethics), Nem 207; Fair Treatment Policy: It is our polcy to treat al employees with feimess, respect and igniy. We wil not tolerate harassment or ciscrimination of any kind in the workplace. Mayor Baker has continuously directed rude, demeaning and offensive language towards ‘members of the Mechanicvile Police Department while they were engaged in the performance of their duties. On numerous occasions, Mayor Baker has called the police department's non-emergency, non-recorded phone line and demanded of Desk Officer Cebula to be transferred fo “useless” and “asshole” among other demeening names while refering to the Chief of Police. Additionally, Mayor Baker, while in the dispatch area ofthe station, has offen ‘referred tothe Chief of Police as “that asshole" and “useless” while in the presence of Patroimen | Foard, M Dunn and Sergeants W Rabbitt and A Dunn and in the presenee of Desk Officer Cobia Mayor Baker has been referring to Detective Sergeant Rabbit In similar derogatory terms to Detective Sergeant Rabbit's subordinates in the course of thelr official duties. Mayor Baker has oftentimes referred to Detective Sergeant Rabbits that “asshole, io, arrogant prick, fucking asshole" and offen asks “where is the asshole". He has often directed these comments © Detective Sergeants subordinates who include Patrolmen M Dunn, | Foard and Desk Officer Cobula ‘Mayor Baker demeaned Patrolman | Foard while Foard was dealing with a personal family ‘matter. During conversations with Foard the Mayor referred to Foart's father, who fs member of the transgender community, as “disgusting, wold" and asked Foard “how can any self Fespecting man do that". He also told Foard “every mistake you've made was because of our dad (On Devember 20th or 2st, 2017 Desk Officer Cebula was speaking to the Mayor's personal ‘assistant Gina Kenyon while on duty. Cebula was there to wish Wrs Kenyon happy holidays because Cebula was taking a vacation. Mayor Baker remarked that she was taking time off ‘again. ‘He sald that she needed to use more of her time off during the year and not have s0 much left over at the end. Gina Kenyon said that Desk Officer Cebula had time left over‘because women lke to make sure people are taken care of before they take care of themselves. ‘Mayor Baker then told Desk Officer Cebula “then be a man {tem 1008; Rules of Conduct: In addition tothe policies, procedures, rules and regulations inthis Handbook, the following, not meant fo me all inclusive, are job related actions that may resuitin iscipfinary action, up to and including dismissal, in accordance with applicable collective bargaining agreements andlor Civil Service Law (Section 75). Threatening, intimidating, ‘coercing or interfering with fellow employees, supervisors or department heads. (On December 27, 2017 Mayor Baker leamed of a property damage auto accident which ‘occurred in the parking ot of the Park Plaza. The accident, cll number 17-79891, involved a sity operated bus and the responding police officer M Dunn determined thatthe bus operator ‘was at faut for the accident. At about 1350 Mayor Baker called Desk Officer Cebula and asked It Patrolman Dunn wrote a ticket to the vehicle parked in the fire lane in the plaza after the ‘accident. She told him that she didnt know and Mayor Baker told Cebula that a ticket needed to be Issued because that car was at fault and thatthe car causad the accident, not the bus. (On December 27, 2017, after 1350, Patrolman M Dunn was confronted by Mayor Baker infront Of station. Mayor Baker asked Dunn about the accident involving the ci bus and a car in the Park Plaza. He asked about the extent of the damage and was told thatthe mirtor came off Mayor Baker sald that other vehicle shouldn't have been parked there and that he should be ticketed. Mayor Baker was told that the parking lot was private property. Mayor Baker said ‘soveral times that tne other car was in the wrong and should be ticketed. Dunn told him he, (Dunn), needed to make that determination and walked inside “Mayor Baker is a consistent source of vehicle and trafic complaints. Sometimes caling muliple times per day on a non-tecorded non-emergency line demanding offers ticket vehicles and fivers. “Mayor Baker has also placed these calls for enforcement to officer's personal cell Phones including Patrolmen M Dunn and I Foard and Sergeant A Dunn, He has placed these Calis while folowing some of these vehicles which he believes to be in violation of local or state Jaw and demanding they be stopped and ticketed. While some are in violation, some are not hich questions the legality ofthe stop and places officers in a dangerous position legally and ethically. These types of cals are non-emergency, minor traffic infactions which officers feel Pressured into responding to in emergency made wihich not only Increases the risk othe officer ‘and public, It also increases labllly. In furtherance of his orders to issue tickets the Chief Court Clerk Francine Baker, the Mayors wife, has entered the dispatch area and told officers present, Including Chief Waldron, Sergeant Rabbitt and Desk Officer Cebula, that the police department Needed to write more traffic tickets. On June 8, 2017 She said thatthe court numbers are way {down and thatthe clerks didn't have enough to do. She sald the police need to increase their activity especialy trafic tickets. On October $1, 2017 she came into the station and said that there was a lack of trafic tickets coming to the court. She told the Chief that he needed to hold 2 spat belt detail or something tke that fo generate more tickets. Sald there is “nothing” in court ‘She suggested that the Chief wait until after the election to do so, Patrolman Foard, SergeantRabbitt and Desk Oficer Cebuia were present during this conversation and some of the Comments were directed towards Sergeant Rabbitt. ‘On December 27, 2017 Mayor Baker called the station numerous times an a non-recorded, ‘Ron-emergeney phone fine to order patrol out onto the street to place red tage on vehicles, Sergeant Rabbitt was working soveral felony level cases and called the chief for clarification on {he chain of command. The Chief responded tothe station on his day off and me with Sergocnt Rabbit. Sergeant Rabbitt was noted that the mayor s notin the chain of command and in tho absence ofthe chef, the Sergeants (Dunn and Rabbit) ar in charge. Shorty aftr that Mayor Beker called the station again, asked for Sergeant Rabbitt and ordered him to have officers out on the steat red tagging vehicles. Oficors were then ordered by Sergeant Rabbit to comply With the Mayor's directions, December 28, 2017 Mayor Baker came into the station at 1350 with Sergeant A Dunn, Patrolman Casertino, Desk Officer N Dunn and Desk Officer Gebula present, and ordored Sergeant Rabbit to the back of the station. Ho yelled at Sergeant Rabbitt about red tags not being issued and Mayor Baker was Informed thet Patrolman Foard had been out the night bofore issuing tags and that he Issued 8 of them. They Mayor said “bulshit™ and yeled that there was a vehicle which needed to be red tagged infront of Salvadore's which has been there for2 months. He was yelling and using profanity wiile tong Sergeant Rabbit thatthe Mayor ‘Awas" looking at Sergeant Rabbitt as the next chief but seeing how he cari have those cen: ood tagged than he is “going in another direction". ‘Sergeant Rabbit asked the Mayor Ife told the chlet about these orders and the Mayor said that he was “done with him" and pointed to the Chiefs offics. The Mayor yolod that because patel was folowing his orders an fulng the red tags, than he is going to “dissolve the ciy ino a village” and "go to the Sheris Ofes.™ Lasly, the Mayor said that he wasn’t happy with “thet one” pointing to the desk area before he Walked out. Sergeant Dunn and Patrolman Casertno then left the station and Issued a red tag 10.2 vehicle parked on S. Main Street in the area the Mayor was complaining about, (On August 7, 2017 Mechaniovile Police were dispatched to a call which fumed out to be @ homicide. Mayor Baker camo to the station at the beginning stage of the investigation and began issuing orders to members. Mayor Baker called Sergeant A Dunn and Patrolman M Dunn and ordered them in to work. Mayor Baker then stayed in the dispatch area where Patrolman Pugliese was manning the radio and phones. While Patrolman Pugliese was Wworking in that area Mayor Baker bogan to answer the department phones interfering with ‘normal operations. Qh March 27, 2017 Mechanicvile Polce were called fo an unattended death at on Spring Street. Due to the age of the victim and other circumstances, crime scene precautions were {akon to insure a complete investigation. Orders were given by Sergeant Rabbit to Patrolman M Dunn and Sergeant Dunn thet nobody was to enter the residence and opocially not by the front door. Not long after that Mayor Baker showed up on scene and walked dirty into the Tesidence through the front door without giving notice of his presence and without requesting Permission to enter the scene in direct violation of basic poe protocol which is In place to Prevent non-essential personnel rom contaminating crime seenes,(On October 19, 2017 Mayor Baker reported to the Police Department that several of his politcal fe-lect Dennis Baker signs had been stolen. The case had been assigned to Detective ‘Sergeant Rabbitt and he began to investigate. From the beginning stage ofthe investigation ‘Mayor Baker interjected himself into the investigation and gave multiple orders on how the investigation was to be conducted. On one occasion Mayor Baker followed Sergeant Rabbit, Unsolicited, to JS Moore to interview a witness and watch video. Additionally during this investigation he called Patrolman Foard twice, on Foards days off, and inquired about video at ‘Bubble's Restaurant which the Mayor believed may hold clues to the investigation, ‘Sergeant Rabbit was never notified ofthese conversations. On November 20, 2017 Mayor Baker was traveling on Farm to Market Road in the Town of Halfmoon at about 0730. While traveling on Farm to Market he passed Detective Sergeant Rabbit who was operating unit 2, also known as the investigator's car, while Sergeant Rabbit was driving in to work. Once Sergeant Rabbitt got to work he was told By Chief Waldron that he 's no longer able to drive unit 2 as a “take home car" and would have f leave it atthe station ‘rom now on. No expanation was given other than the Mayor doesn't want him to have the car, It has been @ tong standing practice at the Mechanicvlle Police Department that the Detectvelinvestigator be assigned to Unit 2 and that Unit 2 be a “take home’ vehiclo. After ordering that Sergeant Rabbitt not take Unit 2 as a take home car and while in the station with Sergeant Dunn, Mayor Baker remarked that he did not like Sergeant Rabbitt and took "his" car away. ‘On December 13, 2017 Detective Sergeant Rabbitt responded to @ call for aman down at 423 Park Avenue with Patrolman M Dunn. The situation was a grave one as Sergeant Rabb {grandfather was the “man down’. Sergeant Rabbitt and Patrolman M Dunn performed CPR on Sergeant Rebbit’s grandfather unt! EMS artved and took over. Sergeant Rabbit's grandfather ‘expired on scene. Mayor Baker responded to the soane in the beginning stages and remained for an extended period of time. He eventually let with the Chief of Police and went to the Station, AL the station, and while Sergeant Rabbitt was sill on scene of the man down call he {old the Chief thatthe Chief was not to allow any extra time off for bereavernent. He sald this to the Chief infront of Patrolman M, Dunn and Desk Officer Cebuta ltem 1009; Code of Ethics: Every officer or employee of the City of Mechanicvile shell be ‘subject to and abide by the following standards of conduct: Confidential information. He shall ‘ot disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of hs offial duties or use ‘such information to further his personal interest, (On several occasions Mayor Baker divulged confidential information on personnel matters to a ‘member of Patrolman's family without Foard's consent In violation of the Gode of Ethics. ‘These actions by Mayor Baker, as set forth above, have created an atmosphere of fer, unrest ‘and discord among the members of the Mechanicvile Police Department. “These actions by Mayor Baker began shortly ater he took office in January of 2014 and have escalated and culminated in December of 2017 when he threatened to disband the Police Department because he thought his orders weren't followed. Mayor Baker has interfered with the day to day ‘operation of the Department by issuing orders to pattol officers and supervisors, involving himself in investigations and responding to scenes of active cals. By describing Chist Waldron ‘and Detective Sergeant Rabbit in derogatory terme Mayor Baker has insilled a sense of foarand humiliation among our members resulting in, among other problems, low morale, ‘Additionally, Mayor Baker's use of insensitive terms while speaking to Patrolman Foard about Patrolman Foard’s father and while speaking to Desk Oficer Cebula further ampity. the complaint against him. While it ls never easy to fle @ complaint against one's employer itis Department with the Saratoga County Sherif {hey dont follow the Mayor's orders, no mater what the situation, they may lose thelr jobs andlor may be the target of his demeaning remarks, Respect ‘The officers and members of the Mechanicvile Police Benevolent Association Vt” mye, GE Zk letefder Dann Matthow SEH fan Foard Wilram Rabbitt Prosident Vice President Treasurer—Secretary and,