| Residents blast police chief at annual town meeting Hannah Vahl, Staff writer |
| MADISON - Chief Paul Jakubson became the focus last week of growing anger and frustration over scandals at the Madison Police Department, with some residents calling on him to step down. The last straw, so to speak, was a request at the annual town meeting to allocate $84,227 for the chief's hypertensive cardiovascular disease - a state-mandated allotment for a since-elapsed law. "Can we fire him?" asked Bruce Lockhart, his question meeting with sustained applause from the hundred or so people in the auditorium of Polson Middle School. "In any corporate structure, he would have lasted 25 minutes... We have to give him $84,227 because he is under stress? He should be under stress!" At issue were two special appropriations - one for $100,000 in legal fees for the department, the other for the chief's hypertension. "We are the laughingstock of the state," said resident Robert Murray. "Why is this not happening in any of the surrounding towns." The town approved the appropriation of $100,000 from the general fund, but voted to table the $84,227 appropriation until town officials could come up with an alternative source for the money. A state statute governs the awarding of compensation for partial disability due to hypertension to all police and paid firefighters. The law originally presumed that the condition was caused by on-the-job stress, though it is now known to be caused by other factors, including obesity, genetics, and smoking. It was repealed in 1996, but since Jakubson was hired while the law was still in effect, he is still entitled to the money. It is the town's position that the claim is non-pension eligible. Jakubson currently earns an annual salary of $95,574. He also has another pending workman's compensation claim for a shoulder injury, which is being handled by CIRMA, which insures the town of Madison. Entitled to the $84,227 or not, the request just didn't sit well with residents. Mike Fortuin joked, "Could we not send him to Weight Watchers?" Another audience member suggested the money be taken out of the police budget, although Chairman of the Board of Finance Kathy Rossini explained that though the police department was short of staff, the same amount of shifts were still being worked, and moreover they were being worked as overtime. Elected town officials seemed to balk at the idea of taking the money out of the existing budget. "Don't let your symbolic wishes interfere with the operation of your government," pleaded First Selectman Al Goldberg. Murray, a labor attorney, he added as his final comment, "We are going to be giving more than $100,000, I guarantee you." Tim Kearney asked if the $100,000 in legal fees went towards prosecuting allegations of police misconduct or "railroading Tim Heiden," which was met with scattered applause. Heiden had been fired the previous day for failing to supervise the men on the midnight shift who were accused of consorting with prostitutes, as well as interfering with an investigation into the conduct of another officer, Joseph Gambardella, who was accused of larceny at two local businesses. Attempts to reach Jakubson for comment Monday were unsuccessful. |