Residents Back Embattled Police Chief

ORANGE — Nearly 100 residents turned out at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting in a show of support for Police Chief John R. Robertson, who has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 15.

“It appears to the people that this is an act of political retaliation,” resident Susan Tindall told the council. “They fear that the officials cannot be impartial.”

Robertson was suspended pending an investigation of allegations involving a “hostile workplace,” the city’s personnel director, Steven V. Pham, said at the time.

Robertson’s attorney, David L. Miller, said then that the action was retribution for a police probe of allegations that the city’s trash recycler had misappropriated municipal funds.

Part of the probe involved claims that some city officials might have known of financial improprieties at the family-owned businesses that have collected trash in the city for more than 40 years.

Miller told the council Tuesday that Robertson had been investigating whether City Manager David L. Rudat had leaked to the news media a confidential document related to the trash scandal. The document, a sealed affidavit, gave details of the investigation, Miller said.

Miller said Robertson was having the document checked for fingerprints when he was put on leave.

“Just when the chief was working to learn the identity of the prints on the document, he is placed on leave,” Miller said. He also said Robertson’s office has been rifled during his absence.

City Atty. David A. De Berry and Mayor Joanne Coontz both said they are prohibited by law from discussing any aspect of personnel issues.

Rudat did not respond directly to Miller’s comments.