BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg Police Union President Justin Polniak urged council to fill vacancies at the department Monday, but City Manager Stephen Jellie said it’s time that the department recognizes that public safety staffing numbers need to decline.

Polniak said the council passed a budget for 2021 to fund 23 police officers, but says the department is down to 19, but has only 17 working bodies as one officer is injured and another is on modified duty. He said that attempts to fill those vacancies made by former Chief Robert Wescott were thwarted by the city manager.

“This process was halted by the city manager and a new directive was given that the chief of police is no longer be allowed to request a canvas from civil service, only he can authorize from now on,” he said at the Sept. 13 meeting.

However, city manager Stephen Jellie said he has the sole authority when it comes to hiring, firing or filling jobs unless directed otherwise by council as is the case for filling department head positions.

But Polniak said he’s concerned about the department being understaffed.

“The lack of execution of the supported 23 positions from the last passed budget to save face and act as though they were supporting 23 positions, then directed the city manager privately not to fill them? Or does the council truly believe it is funding the 23 positions but the city manager is not fulfilling council’s wishes and instead leaving them vacant because those are his wishes?” Polniak asked.

Polniak said budget discussions regarding the size of the force mean little when the vacancies currently budgeted for aren’t being filled.

“Quite honestly, 23 is not enough officers for our city. We have been cut from 29 officers to 23 officers in the budget in the last three years, However, we chose not to argue or dive into that point tonight because we understand there is a process and 23 is the number that this council chose for our city to fund at the end of that process. We are merely asking for the result of the process that you all voted for to be executed and to get our current vacant positions filled,” he said.

Polniak did extend appreciation to councilors Nichole Kennedy, Michael Powers, Dan Skamperle, John Rishe and Bill Dillagbough who he says have given their word not to support additional cuts to the department.

He also noted that even if the city were to allow the department to begin filling the vacancies it would take months to get officers trained and on the job. He said the department has proven its dedication to the community, but needs the council’s support to do the job.

“Please provide the support we need so we can continue to support and protect the Ogdensburg community,” he said.

Polniak’s concerns did not go unanswered. At the meeting, Jellie called Polniak’s statements misleading and later provided a counter statement to North Country This Week.

“Everyone in the City of Ogdensburg is concerned about public safety; it is misguided to think otherwise.  Everyone in the City of Ogdensburg is very concerned about improving the financial wellness and economic stability of the city, which in its current state contributes significantly to the high level of crime that exists today; it is irresponsible to ignore that.  100 additional police officers alone will not fix the crime in the city nor will 100 police officers alone fix the economic stability of the city,” Jellie said in a prepared statement.

“The City must continue to make significant investment in public works, public infrastructure and economic development and that is going to require the fire and police departments unions to accept that staffing resources will not be maintained at previous levels and continuing to remind the citizens of Ogdensburg of the crime problem is helpful or beneficial in any regard.”  

Jellie noted that public safety has accounted for 60% of the total city budget in recent years, which he says is unreasonable.

“The comments from PBA President Justin Polniak at last night’s city council meeting are theatrical and based only on his limited knowledge of how city government works – he has the benefit of only concerning himself with one organization and generally refuses to accept that everyone in the city is working hard, very hard,” Jellie said. 

Jellie said he believes it’s time for the union to recognize the fiscal realities required to save the city and begin working collectively to revive the city.  

 “The city has new leadership, with new philosophies and new priorities, and it needs a police department that accepts, embraces and executes to that end.  Fear mongering, protecting the past and prioritizing individual concerns over the community will no longer work for the City of Ogdensburg,” he said.