EDGEWATER, Fla. — The Fraternal Order of Police wants to convince leaders that there's a problem with the Edgewater Police Department and the chief should go.
But another member--David O'Bryan, secretary of the union representing officers at the Edgewater Police Department--is calling for an independent investigation.
He said there are unprofessional and unethical practices within the department.
"We would hope that they would recommend changes to the Edgewater policy and procedure, and possibly remove the chief,” O’Bryan said.
Over the last few months, O'Bryan said he had received complaints from officers who claim they're being unfairly investigated or targeted by Chief David Arcieri, to the point where they're afraid of retaliation if they speak up.
"We're going to do all that we can to bring this to the forefront of the council,” O’Bryan said.
The chief said he hasn't received any formal complaints, and would not comment on the allegations, but he confirmed there are several open internal affairs investigations.
"It's a shame that it's being brought to light in this manner. There's a process for this,” said Edgewater union representative Tim Webb.
Webb would normally handle the complaints and he’s now defending the chief, saying there have been no official complaints against him.
Webb believes the negative attention is coming from a select few within the department of 30 employees.
"Those that support us should definitely be fair enough to get both sides of every story, as opposed to take one side and run with it. And unfortunately, in this situation, I think that's where we're at,” Webb said.
The Fraternal Order of Police will have the state president from Tallahassee present the issues at the end of a meeting Monday.
WFTV
