Police Lawyer Calls New Liaison Position "Illegal"

HARRISON- The new position created this March by the town board to serve as a liaison between the board and the police department is already under fire, as an attorney from the police labor union (PBA) has threatened legal action if it is approved.

"You're taking a police position and you are attempting to very cleverly craft it into a way that this person is not serving a police function," Anthony Difiore, an attorney representing the PBA, said to the board on Thursday.

The position was created when the board nominated Anthony Marraccini as permanent Harrison Police Chief, it was designed as a method to create a better working relationship between the town board and police. It was also viewed as a compromise after a sometimes heated nomination process.

Now the PBA is questioning the necessity, and even legality, of the position.

"The appointment, if approved by this board, will be met with swift and vigorous legal opposition," said Difiore.

The PBA is contending that the board has no right to fill a police position with a person selected by the town. Also, since the board already serves as official police commissioner, the union feels that there is no need for another civilian to occupy a position within the department.

"This is a way that they are trying to circumvent the civil service law," said Difiore.

The board has not provided exact details about the new liaison position since approving it unanimously in March. At that time the board said that the person selected will have at least 20 years of police experience, will have an office at police headquarters and make frequent reports to the town board. It has been estimated that this person will make $65,000 a year.

The person filling the position will not oversee the operations of the police department and will not have the power to make arrests, said Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh.

Walsh also clarified that the person would not directly represent the town board.

The board listened for several minutes as Difiore publicly questioned the necessity of the position, he at one point called the liaison "a very expensive messenger boy".

But the board stood firm when the attorney said that they were practicing in bad faith.

"It's subjective, I take offense from it," Councilman Joe Cannella said of the accusation. "This board has done and will always do what is correct."

When Marraccini was sworn in as police chief on March 25 he said that he would support the position and thought that increased communication would be a good thing. He said that he still believes the position could be helpful on Thursday, despite the opposition expressed by the PBA attorney.

"I believe that with the proper selection and right criteria the person could be effective," he said.

Walsh said that she still fully supports the creation of the position despite the threat of legal action, adding that there is nothing illegal about the town hiring a consultant.

"This doesn't change anything," she said.