The Santa Maria Police Officers’ Association (SMPOA) is awaiting the results of a ballot mailed to all 119 of its members, asking if they have confidence in SMPD Police Chief Danny Macagni and two commanders.
Association board member Tom Radzyminski said, to his knowledge, it was the first time the union had ever asked for a confidence vote in the history of the Santa Maria Police Department, and it was necessary to get an accurate gauge of where members stand with regard to department leadership.
“For years now, we’re being told that because there’s only a couple of us standing out there in front doing the talking, that it’s only a few disgruntled employees instead of everybody,” Radzyminski said. “This is going to determine whether it is just a few disgruntled employees, or whether we are actually speaking the mind of the association when we’re up there doing the talking.”
The association voted at its Feb. 13 meeting to send out the ballots to union members, which include ranking officers, dispatchers, service technicians, and criminologists, Radzyminski said. The simple yes-or-no ballot question asks whether association members have faith in the leadership abilities of Macagni and two commanders, Craig Ritz and Kendall Greene.
As of press time, Radzyminski said the results of the vote could come as early as Feb. 23, after which final numbers would be reported to the Santa Maria City Council, either by addressing members individually or by a presentation at an upcoming council meeting.
“It’s nonbinding. It doesn’t do anything other than create a public statement,” Radzyminski said. “We’re going to address those numbers, whatever they are.”
This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2012.