Mesa Police Unions Hold Public Meeting On Opposition To Police Chief Batista
Weeks after a no-confidence vote in Mesa Police Chief Ramon Batista, Mesa police unions held a semi-public meeting Friday night, outlining their grievances against Batista’s leadership. The meeting was part of a larger campaign calling for the chief’s ouster.
Attendance at the meeting was confined to Mesa residents, those who work within the city limits or city employees.
It was the first time that the Mesa Police Association and the Mesa Fraternal Order of Police publicly discussed their no-confidence vote.
According to the Arizona Republic, some attendees questioned whether the police union members were voicing their antipathy toward Batista to gloss over what some feel is the department’s poor relationship with the community.
Representatives of the union cited extremely low morale as their reasoning for the vote, which is not legally binding.
Any decision to change leadership in the department rests with Mesa City Manager Chris Brady.
