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FREDONIA – Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson cited state law Monday in defending the anonymity of a police officer facing misconduct charges.
"This board, and my office, as well as the police department, has been accused of covering things up and everything over the investigation of a police officer," Ferguson said Monday at a Fredonia Board of Trustees workshop.
"If you know anything about government, if you know anything about law, you understand that many of our employees are civil servants, as are police officers," Ferguson continued. "Article 75 of the (New York state) Civil Service Law protects the community and your officer from unveiling that information until, and if, there is a final decision made. So it has nothing to do with it covering up information, or protecting anybody or not protecting anybody. It has to do with law."
Ferguson added, "Article 75 protects our participants in that particular incident, until and if there is a final decision. Correct, chief?" he asked police Chief Gregory Myers.
"I have no comment on that," Myers replied.
Article 75 covers arbitration for civil service employees. The village has hired an independent arbitrator to handle the police officer case.
When the OBSERVER looked at Article 75, it couldn't find any specific language regarding the anonymity of employees who are facing arbitration. However, there is a provision to enter any final arbitration decision into the public record.