Milone Asked About Suspension Notification

March 12, 2010 by Josh Morgan

Cheshire Police Lieutenant Kerry Deegan was suspended with pay on February 24 and no further explanation has been provided on the matter, but his suspension has made one Town Councilor irate over how he had to hear about the personnel matter.
Republican Town Councilor Tim White said he has a simple rule of thumb for Town Manager Michael Milone: "if it is going to appear in the newspapers, the Council should hear about it first." White was referring to Deegan's suspension and how the Council was not notified immediately after the action was taken. White stated his belief that, with a report on the current problems that exist at the police department looming, reporters certainly would be calling around to speak to Deegan, as he is the current Union president. When Deegan turned out to be unavailable for comment, the news of his suspension leaked out, White insisted.
"(Milone) knew the press was going to contact (Deegan) about the report, there's no way he could have misunderstood that," White said. "He should have done us that courtesy. This is just a case of horrible judgement that he's demonstrated time and again."
Deegan has not returned phone calls seeking comment about his suspension, or the report, and members of the police union aren't speaking either. Town Manager Michael Milone confirmed the suspension, but wouldn't divulge any details. Milone did, however, elaborate slightly on the process of notifying the Council about personnel matters, which are, in fact, not transmitted to the elected officials under normal circumstances, he said.
"There have been five or six officers suspended over the last couple years and disciplinary or other issues with different employees as well," Milone explained, "and I do not communicate that to the Council members. I don't communicate that to anyone."
Milone said a disciplinary matter is an "internal matter" and he did not want to violate an employee's rights by releasing that information publicly. Milone intimated that he knew the Deegan suspension was different, with his union leadership position and the issues hovering over the department, and stated that he had "every intention" of alerting the Council to this matter on March 2, the date set for the Council to meet in executive session to discuss the consultant's report.
"I've never sent out any notice about a suspension in the past, I have always tried to protect that individual," Milone said. "I've never disseminated that information. It's confidential."
White believed otherwise, stating that this was just another example of Milone exhibiting poor judgement. There currently isn't a policy in place or a rule to follow when a suspension occurs and who should or should not be notified, and White said there doesn't need to be a policy either, but better common sense needs to be used.
"We don't need more bureaucracy here. (Milone) just needs to exercise good judgment," White said. "This just gets under my skin. He always withholds information. His motto is control the information, control the agenda. He thinks he's the boss and he can do whatever he wants and it's not right."
Personnel Committee Chairman Tom Ruocco said that he had “no problem” with Milone’s action, adding that he had “no obligation” to tell the Council about confidential personnel matters. Ruocco said his issue is with whoever leaked information about Deegan’s suspension, and why the full reason for his suspension has not been released.
“There is obviously a problem at the police department with Chief (Michael) Cruess and the rank and file, and now the suspension looks like retaliation,” Ruocco said. “I personally do not think it’s retaliation, I really don’t, but it’s not fair to the public, it’s very misleading.”
Ruocco challenged the individual who leaked the information to fully disclose the suspension reasons and “put it all out in public,” instead of just letting rumors fly rampantly while putting out “half truths.”
“This has created an aura of tension that’s unnecessary,” Ruocco said. “I think the Town Manager acted properly.”