Wheeling police officers call for chief, deputy chief to be removed

Union representatives for the Wheeling Police Department’s patrol officers and sergeants this week publicly demanded two of the agency’s leaders be removed from their posts.

Officer Steven Komin and Sgt. Michael Bieschke targeted Chief Jamie Dunne, who’s scheduled to retire July 4, and Deputy Chief Al Steffen in a prepared statement they read during Monday’s village board meeting. They requested Dunne be placed on administrative leave until his retirement and Steffen be fired immediately.

The push came nearly two months after most of the department’s unionized patrol officers signed a letter declaring they’d lost confidence in Dunne’s leadership.

The letter accused Dunne of undermining department readiness by cutting training, improperly changing the department’s field training program, misusing funds, discouraging officers from taking overtime pay and other unfavorable actions.

Wheeling officials investigated every allegation and found them baseless, Village Manager Jon Sfondilis has said. He reiterated that conclusion in an email Thursday.

“After carefully examining each point raised with corporation counsel, labor counsel, and Chief Dunne and staff, I found no evidence of impropriety and that any decisions made by the Chief referenced in the no-confidence letter were made for supportable operational reasons,” Sfondilis wrote.

Regardless, Dunne announced in late March he’d retire as the Daily Herald prepared to report about the no-confidence vote.

Dunne couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday. Steffen declined to comment, deferring to Sfondilis.

Komin began reading the lengthy statement Monday during a section of the meeting reserved for citizens comments. When Komin reached the five-minute speaking limit, Bieschke replaced him at the lectern and finished the statement.

Without naming a candidate, Bieschke suggested that the next police chief come from within the department.

Hiring a police chief is the village manager’s responsibility in Wheeling, and Sfondilis has said there’ll be a regional search for Dunne’s successor. Bieschke criticized that approach, saying hiring someone from a different organization “would continue the downward spiral” in the department and could result in “substandard police services.”

Bieschke accused village officials of not taking the officers’ complaints seriously and of failing to take “appropriate actions.” Earlier, Komin had called on the village board to “take action” against village management for ignoring their plea for help.

As Komin and Bieschke spoke, dozens of Wheeling police officers in civilian clothing stood at their chairs in the audience gallery in solidarity. The officers left the boardroom together after Bieschke concluded speaking.

As is their custom during board meetings, Wheeling officials didn’t immediately respond to the statement.

On Thursday, however, Village President Pat Horcher said he believes Sfondilis addressed the officers’ original concerns properly. The leadership changes the officers are seeking aren’t in line with the actions they’re alleging occurred, he said.

“They want everything,” Horcher said. “Now they even want to pick the next chief.”

Both Horcher and Sfondilis expressed disappointment in how the officers have conducted themselves.

“That said, the Village Board and I am committed to finding constructive solutions to rebuild trust between the Department and Management,” Sfondilis wrote in his email.