Commission's Battle With Police Chief Intensifies

The battle between the East Haven Board of Police Commissioners and Chief of Police Leonard Gallo continues to intensify.

At tonight's , commissioners voted to move forward in pursuing legal action in response to alleged "retaliatory acts" against its members.

Although the agenda item was approved without discussion or a publicly stated defendant for the proposed complaint, following tonight's meeting commissioners confirmed that any legal action would specifically address Gallo's recent — and now rescinded —  from the grounds of the .

"And there are other issues of retaliation going back, it's not just that," commissioner James Civitello told East Haven Patch.

As a basis for the board's legal action, Chairman Brow referred reporters to a Dec. 2 memo from the U.S. Department of Justice (which is posted in the gallery that accompanies this article) warning that "federal law prohibits individuals from taking retaliatory action or intimidating persons who may be cooperating in federal investigations."

Last Monday, the of its two year civil investigation into the East Haven Police, which found  against Latino residents. The memo was issued in advance of the release of the federal department's report.

"We're going to engage someone to formulate the complaint and determine what agency to send it to," Brow said of the board's proposed legal action.

In addition, the commission also unanimously approved a motion requiring Gallo to "provide evidence" to the board that he is a "resident elector" of the Town of East Haven.

Brow told East Haven Patch the police chief residency requirement is mandated in the "Manual of Police Services for the Town of East Haven" — which was first ratified by the town in January 1962, and then updated and revised in January 1973.

According to Brow, although some provisions have been supplanted by the current , the manual requires the police chief "at the time of his appointment and during his term of office he shall be an elector of the Town of East Haven."

Brow added that as far as the police commission is concerned, the rules and regulations stipulated in the 1973 manual are active and binding on members of the police department — including the chief of police — unless stipulated otherwise in the Town Charter.

"And so far nothing has taken its place," the chairman said of the 1973 manual.

Additionally, the police commission has also filed a Freedom of Information request for "any and all external and internal" memos and correspondences from Gallo sent in his official capacity as police chief since he was reinstated by East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr last month.

And police commissioners also admonished Gallo for failing to file the chief of police's required monthly report prior to last night's regularly scheduled meeting.

Gallo, who attended last night's meeting at the Senior Center, said in the future he would comply with the board's request to file the required monthly reports one week prior to regularly scheduled monthly meetings. 

When approached by reporters following Tuesday night's meeting, Gallo said he had no comment regarding the board's actions, other than the police department would continue to "move forward in a positive direction."

"And that's the commitment of Mayor Maturo and the rest of the town's staff," he said.

Brow also reported that he had filed a "grievance complaint" with the Connecticut Statewide Bar Counsel against Richard Gudis, the attorney for East Haven Police Union Local 1662, related to the .

The chairman's complaint (posted in the gallery that accompanies this story) alleges Gudis' "became combative and argumentative" at the meeting, violating provisions of "the Rules of Professional Responsibility."

Gudis did not immediately return a late evening phone message or email requesting comment for this story.