Arizona
Correctional Peace Officers Association
2200 N. Central Avenue, Suite 303
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-253-8929
FAX 602-253-9313
AZCPOA Office Email
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Governor Janet Brewer,
We, the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association, represent
all members of the Arizona Department of Corrections to include:
correctional officers, correctional officer IIIs, correctional
sergeants, correctional lieutenants,correctional
captains,correctional nurses, correctional majors, non-uniform
staff and many others that proudly serve the citizens of the State
of Arizona. We respectfully submit this letter as our official
notice regarding a majority vote of no confidence in Agency
Director Charles Ryan.
We, the AZCPOA, write this letter with great hesitation, and only
after much discussion and contemplation. We hesitate because we
consider ourselves a team of professional, dedicated and educated
individuals, and it goes contrary to our traditions to break the
chain of command. We also hesitate because we fully believe that
if this letter does not have the desired result, there will most
certainly be retaliation. We will most certainly pay a high price
for doing what we know in our hearts to be the right thing for the
State of Arizona, its citizens and its employees.
Over the past year and a half, we have been disheartened by the
actions of Director Charles Ryan. He has tested our willpower and
confidence in his skill to adequately lead this agency. Under his
leadership, staff morale has plummeted to depths never before seen
at this agency. This is a direct reflection of our lack of
confidence in Director Ryan as he has not taken any steps to
improve the spirits of the members of this association or members
of this agency. If anything, attitudes have continued to
deteriorate within the department forcing an exodus of many well
respected individuals and members of our Association.
Employee issues in question regarding the leadership qualities of
Director Ryan include: lack of communication in the day to day
operations of the agency where information is not disseminated
through his subordinates who are responsible for ensuring
compliance with polices and procedures. To illustrate this point,
there are many unanswered questions regarding staff rotation and
why the methodology is inconsistent from complex to complex with
apparent disregard to employee needs and fairness.
Furthermore, the agency has experienced a large amount of disparate
punishment for similar offenses in the past and suspect there are
employees that are being targeted for political reasons or just
purely disciplined on emotion rather than facts or evidence at
hand. It appears the merits of the investigations have no bearing
on the sanction imposed thus poor judgment is used to handle these
matters. It is our opinion Director Ryan fosters an atmosphere of
workplace bullying and intimidation of employees to maintain a
micro management type of control over the agency.
There exists, within ADOC administration, a well-known pattern of
obstructing the disclosure of hazards in time to prevent accidents,
injury, illness, and deaths. Tragically, in these instances,
danger is not "imminent" - it is past, and too late to respond.
Employees are routinely ordered to falsify documents and when they
proactively seek to report identified hazards, they face punishment
and retaliation. Obtaining an accurate account of the range and
extent of violations will be difficult from records alone. It is
unlikely that ADOC will disclose information without well-planned
intervention by authorities. There is no evidence of any health
and safety program existing, even on paper. There is no
identifiable health and safety officer or other person bearing that
responsibility and essential training is lacking to assure staff
can perform certain assigned tasks safely and equipped with
appropriate equipment e.g. cell extractions, transports, etc.
The entire department is devoid of any active programs for: Fire
Prevention, Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, Medical
Surveillance, Record keeping, Ventilation, Emergency Evacuation
Procedures, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Response, Training, or
Education. Failure of ADOC administration to respond has resulted
in secondary risks and complications - now endangering, not just
the prison population and employees, but the public at large.
Appropriate identification of risk requires your immediate
intervention. Another day must not go by without initiating an
investigation.
We as institutional line staff are expected to hold a very high
standard within the institutions and community, we expect that our
Director and his administrators to be held to the same standard of
conduct and the same standard of punishment if those standards are
violated.
In closing this matter, we would like to remind you that we are not
troublemakers, malcontents, or disgruntled employees. We are
members of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association who
have given our hearts and souls to serve the agency and the State
of Arizona. Our agenda is strictly based in the well being of the
agency so that we may appropriately serve the communities that
depend on us for public safety.
Based on these circumstances we tender this letter of No Confidence
in Director Charles Ryan and ask that Director Ryan be removed from
his position.
Sincerely,
Tixoc Munoz
President and Executive Director
Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association
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