SAN BENITO — Members of the local police officers’ union have signed a letter of no confidence against Police Chief Michael Galvan.
The May 30 letter to Mayor Ben Gomez and the city commission was issued a day before officials called for an investigation into Galvan’s private recordings of conversations, downloaded and leaked to the public.
Eight officers signed the letter, while the letter indicates fear of retaliation stopped 12 other officers from signing.
There are 38 officers in the department but its union membership is unclear, city spokeswoman Martha McClain said.
In the letter, union members claim Galvan’s leadership and behavior have led to low morale among officers.
Union members claim Galvan made “false statements that tarnish the image of our department” when he said police officers record conversations to better support their cases in an interview with the Valley Morning Star on May 25.
Instead, members claim, Galvan issued a 2016 directive ordering “no one is to record with their own personal device, and if they are it has to be approved by the chief of administration.”
Last week, commissioners called for an investigation into Galvan’s recordings of private conversations with city officials including commissioners and police officers.
Nearly 500 recordings were apparently downloaded from a public server at the San Benito Public Library and distributed to individuals.
The recordings apparently focus on conversations whose topics include police officer cases and citizen complaints.
