BRIDGTON – Citing a long list of grievances, the Bridgton Federation of Public Employees has unanimously voted “no confidence” in police Chief David E. Lyons.

The eight-member bargaining unit representing police officers and public safety dispatchers made the vote by written ballot during a Feb. 8 meeting.

“We’re looking for some major changes to be made,” said union president Bernard King Tuesday night.

In a letter dated Feb. 12 from King to Town Manager Mitchell Berkowitz, the union stated that members felt the action was necessary because of the chief’s “inability and incompetence to manage the department efficiently and effectively, acts of segregation of certain employees, the failure and/or refusal to bring internal investigations of the police force to a closure, the lack of preserving proper morale, promoting a hostile work environment and causing a 22-year veteran of the police department to terminate his employment with the department.”

The union has requested that Lyons be placed on administrative leave pending a review and investigation into the allegations.

“The problems started the first day,” said King, who has been a police officer for nearly 30 years.

Lyons, a retired state police officer who was appointed police chief after six years as a Bridgton patrol officer, did not return a call seeking comment from the Sun Journal.

Berkowitz said he would not comment on a personnel matter.

King said the union will not get into specifics of the allegations at this time, but said there have been problems right from the chief’s first day on the job about three years ago when Lyons allegedly handed out awards to certain officers, favoring some over others.

King claims the chief also told his officers what “older” officers they should avoid even during their off-duty time.

King said the chief’s actions have been so detrimental to the department that they cost the department a veteran officer.

Gary Chadbourne, vice president of the union, resigned his patrolman position after 22 years. He said Tuesday night that he did so because of the working environment. “It was unhealthy and hostile,” he said.

King said the union is looking for a fix to the problem, but not necessarily that the chief be removed. “It’s no fun being there,” he said.