What's New With The Guild
	The Bainbridge Island Police Guild Issues a Vote of No-Confidence

On June 11, 2012 the Bainbridge Island Police Guild undertook a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Chief Jon Fehlman. By overwhelming majority, members of the guild expressed that Chief Fehlman has not been a capable or efficient steward of the Bainbridge Island Police Department. 

This vote was not taken lightly or for cavalier reasons. Many guild members have worked their entire law enforcement careers with the Bainbridge Island Police Department and have tremendous body of work that they have accomplished; including deep roots and relationships in the community, a vast knowledge of the organizational and community culture, as well as the toil, sweat and blood that have built the department up from where it began in 1991. All of these efforts have been eroded in three short years by the actions of Chief Fehlman.

The guild has tried all available options, short of this no confidence vote, to resolve the problem; city leaders have been informed, unfair labor practices filed, and all attempts to work collaboratively have been ineffective – to date all attempts have been rebuffed or ignored.

Guild members, the women and men who deliver service to our community, have grown frustrated. The members know, better than most, that there are better ways to do the job, but they are routinely disregarded through ignorance, arrogance or political expediency on the part of those who run the department and the city.

It is hoped that this action sends a message to the elected leaders of the city that the time has come to have the police department move in a new direction.