WINTER PARK, Fla. --
The Winter Park police officer union wants to get rid of their chief, two years into his job. Union members say Chief Brett Railey calls in sick all the time and plays favorites with non-union workers, but city leaders are backing the chief.
Winter Park top cop Brett Railey is under fire, taking shots from his own police force. They've organized a vote of "no confidence" to have him ousted.
"You'd think they'd be working together," Winter Park resident David Erdman told WFTV.
According to the Winter Park Police Officers' Association, Chief Railey doesn't support his force. Winter Park wants to cut cop benefits by 10 percent; so far, negotiations have gone nowhere and a special magistrate was called in.
Rather than siding with his officers, the union says Railey has backed the city manager who hired him.
Union members say they've lost all trust and confidence in their chief. Things have gotten so bad they listed all 13 reasons why on the union website for the world to see. The reasons include disbanding the special investigations unit out of anger, intimidating officers, and sending emails rather speaking to officers in person.
The union expects more than 75 percent of officers to vote "no confidence."
Chief Railey released a statement Monday calling the vote a negotiating ploy: "The city has been expecting this meaningless move as it is a typical union tactic when labor and management disagree during negotiations that reached impasse."
City Manager Randy Knight added this: "Fortunately, we live in a community of intelligent residents that have shown time and time again that they cannot be pressured by these tactics."
All of the votes have to be in by Wednesday night. If an overwhelming number of officers vote "no confidence," they'll present it to the city council.
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