NORWOOD — A memo from the mayor, a letter from the police chief and allegations of misconduct have sparked a bitter dispute over the city's new police station.

        Mayor Joe Hochbein's memo to Chief William Schlie, senior officers and all employees of the police division stated that nothing was to be put on the walls or ceilings in the lobby of the station, or an area shared by police and clerk of court staff, without his approval. That includes pictures, flowers, paintings, file cabinets or desks.

Hochbein

        Chief Schlie fired off a letter to the mayor, council members, the safety and law directors, saying he thought the letter was offensive, threatening, derogatory and disrespectful to him and the police division.

        Mayor Hochbein at first demanded a retraction of the letter, but then ordered the chief to retrieve all copies of the letter. Chief Schlie agreed.

        The new station, which opened last week, has caused friction within the department because only part of the police division is moving into it. The criminal investigation section will remain in the old station, which will be remodeled.

Schlie

        Chief Schlie said he wrote the letter to “explain my objective in talking with officers about their feelings about the new station, and about their dissatisfaction with decentralizing the police division. I think I did a good job in convincing the officers to accept a lot of things they didn't want to. Then along comes this memo, which destroyed a feeling of ownership among police officers of the new facility.”

        Chief Schlie also said in his letter that many officers were dissatisfied when they learned that the new facility would have the same old desks, chairs and tables.

        “They felt the new facility should at least have new furniture,” he said. “I dealt with this by telling them at least we had a new facility and would not have to occupy the old, cramped, dirty, depressing and unhealthy quarters we had.”

        Officers also didn't like the red paint on the new station.

        Sgt. Tom Fallon, chairman of the police union, said, “Overall, the new station is an improvement, but we shouldn't be separated.”

        Mr. Hochbein said he sent his memo out because the new facility was going to be filmed for the Norwood Historical Society.

        “In the past there has been some unprofessional pictures put on the walls of the police station, and I didn't want that,” he said.

        But the mayor said he thinks there are more serious issues involved than police station furnishings. He said he had ordered Chief Schlie to investigate possible misconduct involving senior officers. The mayor declined to elaborate.

        “I just told him this at noon (Thursday). Then at 5 p.m., I get his letter,” Mayor Hochbein said. He said he ordered the chief to conduct the investigation and take disciplinary action before the chief goes on vacation later this month.

        “It is his job to keep his officers in line. He is not going to use the station as an issue just because he is dissatisfied with having to do the investigation. They created a media event over the station and are exacting a price on me, but I am not backing down as long as I am the mayor,” Mr. Hochbein said.

        But Chief Schlie said Friday there is no investigation.

        “I don't know what he is talking about. My letter addressed our dissatisfaction over the memo. I feel I got my point across in the letter,” he said.

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