WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. Special to WPCNR. November 12, 2009 UPDATED NOVEMBER 14, 2009 in italic type: Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub resigned from his position Friday by submitting a letter of resignation to the law department according to The Journal News, which reports Straub is leaving effective today. A call to city hall by WPCNR inquiring of the status of the Commissioner was not returned. However the Journal News report failed to indicate who was commanding the department.
Mayor Joseph Delfino told WPCNR Thursday evening that the resignation was effective next Tuesday. It is unclear now whether the Common Council will terminate him as they had intended to do Monday evening. The council could not fire him Monday evening anyway because unanimous consent is needed to consider an ordinance, and that was not likely forthcoming since Mayor Joseph Delfino and Councilman Glen Hockley are supporters of Straub.
Council President Benjamin Boykin told WPCNR Friday morning he would have no public comment on the Straub matter.
No news release was issued by the city and no statement released on Straub’s departure, today though The Journal News quotes Mayor Delfino as saying
“I can’t understand why Commissioner Straub, who has done an outstanding job, is being fired,” Delfino said in a statement. Straub “has saved taxpayers money, improved safety to its highest level in four decades and established, at the state level, the highest acceptance ratings for our police and fire departments.”
Dr. Frank Straub in his meeting with the Common Council October 27, that soured Straub’s relationship with the Council due to his ignoring five members of the council who asked he not allow 12 and 24 hour work schedules for police and fire to become perminent. Dr. Straub will no longer be running the Department of Public Safety as of the end of the workday Tuesday, according to the Mayor Thursday evening. It is unclear who is running the Department as of Saturday morning.
Mayor Joseph Delfino Thursday night in a telephone conservation with WPCNR at 7:30 this evening, reported that Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub told him late this afternoon he would resign officially November 17. Delfino said he has not received Straub’s letter of resignation yet, but expected it tomorrow (Friday). Straub had indicated at a police swearing in ceremony November 2, that he would be resigning at the end of the year.
“I intend to appoint an interim Commissioner to replace Dr. Straub who has done a terrific job,” Delfino told WPCNR. “I will be looking at persons with the Department of Public Safety for an interim replacement until the new administration takes over, and I will look nationally. I will be reaching out perhaps to Commissioner (of Public Safety, Westchester) Thomas Belfiore, whose contract is expiring with the county, or perhaps Commissioner David Chong (of Mount Vernon). The next two months in White Plains are the busiest months of the year.The city cannot afford to be without a Commissioner.”
Today, the Mayor said, Council President Benjamin Boykin in a letter this afternoon called for a Special Meeting to discuss the termination of Dr. Straub Monday evening at 6 P.M. It could not be determined if Dr. Straub’s sudden decision to resign early was directly caused by the calling of the meeting.
Mayor Delfino told WPCNR Dr. Straub was not under contract and that he was entitled to vacation pay and sick day pay only if he was terminated.
Asked if he felt the Termination Meeting called for Monday was an effort by the Common Council to nullify the 12 hour and 24-hour work shift decision Straub made by refusing to terminate the 12 and 24 hour work shifts for police and fire, the Mayor said he did not know.
Councilpersons Benjamin Boykin, Rita Malmud, Dennis Power, and Glen Hockley have not responded to WPCNR calls asking about the strategy behind calling the termination meeting.
